In the new Gossip With Celebitchy podcast coming out this weekend, we talked about Britney Spears’ memoir and how I can’t wait to read what Britney writes about Colin Farrell. Hours after we recorded, Time Magazine published a preview of the Colin Farrell section of Britney’s memoir. In 2003, after Justin Timberlake dumped Britney, she had a weeks-long fling with Colin. You have to remember, this was when Colin was at the peak of his messiness, when he was still drinking, when he was banging everything with two legs and a pulse. He was a big ball of Irish charisma and chaos. For the brief moment that Colin and Britney were hanging out, it was particularly crazy. To be fair, Colin always spoke highly of Britney and, in her memoir, she basically says it was a hot fling but she was still nursing a broken heart because of Justin.
In her new memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney Spears details a brief fling she had with the actor Colin Farrell in the early 2000s. The pair met while Farrell was filming the movie S.W.A.T., following Spears’s very public breakup with Justin Timberlake. Writing that Timberlake slept with “six or seven girls” in the weeks after they “officially” ended their relationship, Spears says she was still torn up about her ex. “He was a girl’s dream. I was in love with him.”
To try and move on from the relationship, Spears writes that she decided it was time to start dating again and was set up with Farrell through a “club promoter friend.” They connected, she visited him on the set of his movie, and the pair “had a two-week brawl,” Spears writes. “Brawl is the only word for it—we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight.”
When they attended the premiere of Farrell’s 2003 movie The Recruit, Spears recalls that she was not fully over Timberlake. “As I had before when I’d felt too attached to a man, I tried to convince myself in every way that it was not a big deal, that we were just having fun, that in this case, I was vulnerable because I wasn’t over Justin yet.”
At that premiere, Farrell told reporters that their relationship was casual. “We’re not dating. She’s a sweet, sweet girl. There’s nothing going on—just mates,” he said at the time. Entertainment Weekly reported that Spears left the event “as soon as the paparazzi were gone.”
Later that year, Spears spoke to W Magazine about the brief relationship, saying, “Yes, I kissed him… He’s the cutest, hottest thing in the world—wooh!… But it was nothing serious.”
She doesn’t detail the end of her relationship with Farrell in The Woman in Me, except to say that “for a brief moment in time, I did think there could be something there. The disappointments in my romantic life were just one part of how isolated I became. I felt so awkward all the time.”
Sounds like neither of them was ready to be in a serious relationship but they had some fun together and… yeah. The very definition of a low-drama fling. Every reason to bang and no reason to be together in a real relationship. The Recruit premiere photos were from January 2003 – reportedly, Justin broke up with Britney in March 2002. Is it wrong that I keep thinking about everything else that was happening in this time period? Like, the Bush administration falsified intelligence to make the case to invade Iraq during this exact timeline. Less than two months after Farrell and Spears went to his premiere, the US invasion of Iraq began.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Well this sounds pretty normal. You get out of a relationship and you bang the hell out of the next few guys to make you forget . So who was next? Will wait for more excerpts to be released.
Yes, the passionate, brief, lust-filled flings people have after getting out of a long, serious relationship. I’m old enough to remember this – Colin was at peak Irish bad boy/tortured artist and all my friends, both male and female, were like “yeah, I’d hit that.” Since then, Colin has been respectful of Britney and I’m glad she didn’t bash him, but simply described what it was.
Ahhh…Colin. He was just so messy and sexy and everything. I’m very happy for him that he’s found sobriety and seem so healthy and content.
I hope that for Britney.
He looks so sloshed in those pix! Hilarious
I have always stanned Colin and the thing that I love about him is how he owns his mistakes. Glad that he’s doing well and has a good career.
Same and he’s more attractive because of it. I like the way she’s doing this memoir, from what I’ve seen so far. Vulnerable and real. I hope it’s healing too.
Yes! I wasn’t a fan back then, but I really like him now.
I respect Colin for being honest about his past mistakes. He has grown into a good actor who makes interesting choices: he doesn’t have to be the center of attention, just wants to do good work. By all accounts, he is a decent, respectful, polite man and a hands-on, involved father.
I hope Britney is able to find peace and happiness in her life. Maybe this memoir will help her deal with the past and move forward.
I would have hit that even I’d only been broken up with my long-term ex for a week. He was THAT attractive and sexy to me. Still is, honestly (and maybe even more so since he’s sober and mellowed). I’m long married and never even think about cheating but technically? He’s on my Hall Pass List.
DITTO!!!! Who can blame Britney for a 2 week fling with Colin Farrell? He was a mess at that time but he was literally a HOT SEXY mess lol. And he is still definitely on my hall pass list hahaha.
Hahaha – yes, a mess or not I’d have done the same. He has always been on my list, even with the bad hair he’s had for roles.
Wait! Did the Bush regime invade Iraq because Timberlake and Spears broke up or because Farrell and Spears were having a “brawl”? 🤔 I always knew it was some stupid reason.
Poor Britney looks so uncomfortable in these pictures.
I definitely would have a few weeks of fun with Colin then I would set him free. I’m glad Britney had the sense to see it for what is was and not fall for him. She seems to have a weakness for men that are not good for her.
Also Britney but Colin on the map, he was known in the uk for one tv show before that and then his fame skyrocketed.
Wait…what? His brief fling with Britney did not put him on the map, he was already there with roles in Tigerland, Phone Booth, Minority Report….these photos are from the premiere of The Recruit, the film he costarred in with Al Pacino. His Hollywood Bad Boy/Next Big Thing rep was fully in place by the time they started hooking up. But I definitely agree with your opening statement 😉
I remember very well I never heard of him until Britney, then all these films came out around the same time. He might have already shot these films, but he wasn’t tabloid fodder until Britney. Then he became knows as this heartthrob everyone wanted a piece of. I just remember people in the uk being shocked to see Britney with the guy from ballykissangel.
Colin was a HOT rebound fling. I would have hit it too…..as much as possible.
Colin is, and always has been hotter than hot! He gives credence to the idea of “burning down the sweetie shop”, (thanks to the Fassbender)!
Dude was a red hot mess but at least he was always respectful towards her.
You did Colin dirty with these photo selections. 🤣
He was at the height of his “bad boy” time but he was still a much nicer boy than Justin!