Yesterday, we offered a preview of Us Weekly’s cover story this week, thanks to LaineyGossip. So we already knew part of the story – namely, that Justin Timberlake had dumped Jessica Biel, and that the split happened “a month ago”. Now Us Weekly has just released the online version of their cover story, and there are even more sketchy details! First of all, when Justin dumped Jessica “a month ago”, he did over the phone! Yikes. They’ve been going out for nearly three years, and Jessica doesn’t even warrant a face-to-face dumping? Very sketchy. The other piece of interesting news is that an unnamed “mutual friend” of Justin and Jessica claims that Jess is in “severe denial and won’t accept” the split. Girl, he wasn’t all that. Move on, honey.

After a rocky three-year relationship, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel have called it quits, Us Weekly reports in its latest issue (on newsstands now).

A mutual pal of the pair tells Us Weekly that Timberlake, 28, has told friends, “it’s over,” and that he ended it for good — over the phone.

“It was about a month ago,” the pal says.

While he was in NYC in September to show his William Rast clothing line at Fashion Week, “Justin was clearly on the hunt,” the pal tells Us Weekly.

At a club September 9, he dirty-danced with a tall blonde in a short black dress. At one point, she turned to her friend and mouthed, ‘Oh, my God!’

It was reminiscent of Timberlake’s guys’ night out in June when he was allegedly spotted kissing a girl at NYC hot spot Avenue. Fellow clubgoer Lindsay Lohan Twittered that night, “So dark — where’s jb cheater?” She later claimed her account had been “hacked,” though another source tells Us she panicked after Timberlake “told all his people” to ban Lindsay and make her life miserable.”

Meanwhile, Biel, 27, is in “severe denial and won’t accept” the split, their mutual pal tells Us Weekly. Another source says, “There’s no way of knowing if it’s a firm breakup, because with them it’s so hot and cold.”

For more — include how Biel’s insecurities drove them apart, how his wandering eye left her “in tears” and why she refuses to let him go — pick up the new Us Weekly today!

[From Us Weekly]

Maybe I’m being harsh, but I am totally willing to believe that Jessica would be delusional enough to think that Justin wasn’t really dumping her. This is, after all, the girl who repeatedly tells reporters that her extreme beauty keeps her from being the next Natalie Portman. Yeah. They make pills for that kind of delusion.

As for how this whole split is going to play out, and how it’s already playing out in the media, I have some theories. I think Jessica will end up getting some public sympathy if she stays quiet and doesn’t do a pity party round. People will feel bad for her, especially if Justin really did dump her over the phone – just like people had sympathy for Jessica Simpson when Tony Romo dumped her the day before her birthday. There is a right way and a wrong way to break up with a girl, and over the phone isn’t the right way. Now, will Justin’s reputation take any kind of hit? Probably not. Especially if he moves on from Jessica straight to Rihanna – I think most people will look at that alleged relationship as Justin trading up.

UPDATE: Alright, after I wrote this whole thing, People Magazine put a story from some more unnamed sources claiming that Justin and Jessica are still together, saying “They’re together. They’re not breaking up. Any time they spend time apart it’s because they’re working.” Although, People has another source who claims that they’re going through a “rough patch”. Considering it’s People, I’d say that this is the closest thing we’re going to get to an official statement on the breakup rumors. Either that, or Jessica’s publicist is in “severe denial” too. People’s source claims: “Things have been a bit up in the air recently…They’ve been spending more time apart – more time with each of their friends, and they’ve been reevaluating [their relationship]… Jessica has felt like they haven’t been on the same page – haven’t had the same priorities.”

Here’s Justin leaving Madison Square Garden after seeing Jay Z’s concert on September 11th. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .