Britney Spears Says She Had an Abortion During Justin Timberlake Relationship

Britney Spears' memoir, The Woman in Me, is out next week, and she has explored some of the most painful moments of her life—including ones that were previously hidden from the public.

In an exclusive excerpt from the book shared with People, the popstar revealed that she had an abortion during her relationship with fellow singer Justin Timberlake.

"It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated," Spears wrote about the pregnancy itself. "But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young."

Spears went on to explain that she didn't really want to have an abortion.

"If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it," she wrote. "And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father."

Speaking of the abortion, she added, "To this day, it’s one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life."

This new revelation has led fans to look back at Spears' 2003 music video for "Everytime," in which a woman gives birth in a hospital, superposed with Spears being carried into an ambulance after nearly drowning in the bath. Viewers now believe that the song and video were addressing the abortion, as well as the strain it put on Spears and Timberlake's relationship.

Spears went on to have two sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline, Sean Preston, 18, and Jayden James, 17.

Timberlake shares sons Silas, 8, and Phineas, 2, with wife Jessica Biel.

The "Toxic" singer and NSYNC alum were together between 1999 and 2002. They were 20 and 21 respectively when they split.