Justin Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel have been married since 2012, but their love story almost ended the year before their wedding.
Five years after he ended his relationship with Britney Spears – which is covered in her new book The Woman in Me – the Cry Me A River singer met the Total Recall actress at a mutual friend's party in 2007.
Their relationship seemingly went from strength to strength over the following years, but they shocked fans by confirming they had separated in March 2011.
Rumours began swirling regarding the end of their relationship, with some claiming it was due to spending time apart due to their work schedules while others suggested there was a third party involved.
© Axelle/Bauer-GriffinShutting down these reports, Justin and Jessica's reps released a statement that read: "Addressing the media speculation regarding Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake's relationship, we are confirming that they mutually have decided to part ways. The two remain friends and continue to hold the highest level of love and respect for each other."
Just five months later, they appeared to have rekindled their relationship after being spotted at a restaurant date in Toronto. Around the same time, Justin hinted that he still had feelings for Jessica during an interview with Vanity Fair, where he sweetly said: "She is the single-handedly most significant person in my life. In my 30 years, she is the most special person, okay? I don’t want to say much more, because I have to protect things that are dear to me—for instance, her."
By November, notoriously private Jessica fuelled reconciliation rumours by telling Elle magazine: "A girl doesn't kiss and tell."
© Christine Chew/UPI/ShutterstockWhile neither of them have commented on their brief split, it's clear it made them closer than ever as Justin proposed in December 2011 during a wintery trip to Montana.
"We were in Montana on a piece of property that we owned at the time," she said on The Late Late Show. "We had snowboarded all day. It was in the middle of the winter. Waist-high snow. We were [in] head-to-toe snowboarding outfits — hats, gloves, everything.
"And we go up to the property to just check out how the foundation is looking. And all of a sudden, he gets down onto his knees and just sinks into the snow."
© InstagramThe My Love hitmaker and the 7th Heaven actress exchanged vows in an intimate ceremony at the Borgo Egnazia resort in Puglia, Italy in October 2012. In photos shared exclusively with HELLO!, the bride looked radiant in an unconventional pink Giambattista Valli gown while Justin wore a tux and bow tie.
"I had a little bit of butterflies," Jessica told PEOPLE. "I was about to stand up in front of my friends and family and bare my soul for the person I love. It was terribly emotional."
© InstagramThey went on to welcome children Silas and Phineas, but they continued to keep their home life under wraps. However, Jessica made an exception in 2022 when she revealed they had renewed their vows to mark ten years of marriage. "From our wedding vow renewal this summer—in Italy where it all went down," she captioned an Instagram Stories photo.
"We almost canceled it," she elaborated on the Today Show. "We thought, ‘This is silly, are we going to feel goofy doing this?’ And actually, it was so moving. I felt like, ‘Wow, we're going to keep doing this. Look at us!’ It felt really nice."
DISCOVER: Why Lenny Henry and Dawn French divorced after 25-year marriage
