Last week, Justin Timberlake posted this ^^ photo on his Instagram. This is the first-ever appearance of Jessica Biel on JT’s social media and for the honor, JT posted the photo with a Ferris Bueller quote: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” JT and Biel have been pretty quiet lately, haven’t they? We get photos of Biel every now and then, and there are some rumors that she’s already pregnant or trying to get pregnant. I would believe that.

Back in late August/early September, there were different rumors floating around. Justin had been partying in Paris without his wife and Star Magazine and Heat (a UK tabloid) bought the photos of JT looking especially flirty and handsy with an unknown lady. Star ran a cover story about JT’s marriage shambles and Heat made the mistake of writing a story all about Biel being distraught over the photos. Something interesting happened – Justin and Jessica actually sued. And Heat settled… I think. The wording here is everything.

Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel make one heck of a team. The longtime couple, who tied the knot in 2012, scored a moral victory in a Dublin courtroom today when the British magazine Heat apologized for reporting that Timberlake was flirting with other women while partying in Paris in August during the European leg of his tour.

The following official statement was read aloud in court by the defense: “On 6th-12th September edition of heat magazine, the Defendant published an article under the headlines ‘Justin Timberlake gets flirty with another woman,’ ‘It is not his wife!” and ‘The flirty photos that rocked Justin and Jessica’s marriage.’ The article was based on an unfounded report regarding Justin Timberlake’s alleged behavior at a club following a performance in Paris, to celebrate a birthday and also included a number of purported statements improperly attributed to Jessica Biel, which heat now understands had never been made by her. The Defendant accepts that the article was false and withdraws any inferences that questioned the state of Justin and Jessica’s marriage. The Defendant regrets any embarrassment caused to the couple and unreservedly apologises to them.”

No details regarding any potential financial settlement were disclosed.

Paul Tweed, a senior partner at Johnsons Law Firm in the U.K., which was representing Biel and Timberlake, said in a statement that their clients “are very satisfied with this categoric retraction of what was a false and unfounded story, together with the comprehensive apology from Bauer Consumer Media, the publishers of heat magazine, as read before the High Court this morning.

“The couple will not be making any further comment in relation to this matter, but will not hesitate to take similar legal action if false allegations regarding the state of their marriage are repeated.”

[From E! News]

My guess is that the financial settlement was minimal because Bauer Consumer Media’s statement is like the motherlode of parsing. Heat is apologizing for attributing quotes to Biel when she never said anything like that on the record – probably because she doesn’t give a crap if Justin cheats on her just as long as she gets to be Mrs. Timberlake? Heat is apologizing for what they wrote, which was a make-a-story-up-to-go-along-with-the-photos deal. The photos speak for themselves. Justin was getting handsy with a lady. All of the stuff about what that means for their marriage was false.

Photos courtesy of WENN, Instagram.