Michelle Williams is receiving high praise for her audio version of Spears' book, while some could not get over Ginuwine's role in it all, with one writing: "I gagged when it was revealed who Justin Timberlake was throwing on a blaccent for."
And the Grammy goes to... Michelle Williams for best audiobook reading of all time.
Williams nearly broke the internet after a clip of her narrating Britney Spears' new memoir, The Woman in Me, went viral.
While the choice of Williams to narrate the book was newsworthy enough, there was a particular passage that stood out to readers, and it of course involves Spears' ex, Justin Timberlake.
In the newly-released memoir, Spears recounts a 1999 run-in between her, Timberlake and R&B singer, Ginuwine, prompting Timberlake, to speak with a "blaccent" -- when a non-Black person imitates Black English, also known as African American Vernacular English (AAVE) -- which Spears felt was inauthentic.
Accusing her ex of trying "too hard" to fit in with Black musicians during his time in *NSYNC, Spears wrote, "His band, *NSYNC, was what people back then called 'so pimp.' They were white boys, but they loved hip-hop. To me that's what separated them from the Backstreet Boys, who seemed very consciously to position themselves as a white group. *NSYNC hung out with Black artists."
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"Sometimes I thought they tried too hard to fit in. One day, J and I were in New York, going to parts of the city I'd never been to before. Walking our way was a guy with a huge, blinged-out medallion," the pop star recalled of the run-in with Ginuwine. "He was flanked by two giant security guards."
She continued, "J got all excited and said, so loud, 'Oh yeah, fo shiz, fo shiz! Ginuwiiiiiine! What's up, homie?'"
"After Ginuwine walked away, [Spears' personal assistant] Felicia did an impression of J...," Spears added. "J wasn't even embarrassed. He just took it and looked at her like, "Okay, f--k you, Fe.'"
Williams' unexpected impression of the anecdote quickly made the rounds online with some labeling the performance award-worthy.
Britney Spears Defends Book, Says It Wasn't Meant to 'Offend Anyone' or 'Harp on My Past' Amid Press Coverage
View Story"Britney writing about Justin's blaccent and Michelle Williams imitating it is HYSTERICAL. I am in shambles," one fan tweeted.
With another writing, "(white) Michelle Williams doing an impression of Britney doing an impression of Justin Timberlake doing an impression of a Black person -- this is art."
"Not Michelle Williams, a yt woman, narrating a book of Britney Spears, another yt woman, recalling Justin Timberlake, another yt man, using blaccent," another fan wrote.
Check out more reactions to the hilarious snippet below:
Oh my gawd I hope Michelle Williams gets an Audie Award for this narration. She's flayed JT wide open with this snippet! #MichelleWilliams #TheWomanInMe #BritneyBook https://t.co/M3fjwHLeF1
— CharChar (@bct123) October 25, 2023 @bct123
Give that woman an Oscar! #BritneySpears #TheWomanInMe #michellewilliams https://t.co/jzVR54GMmP
— Sylvia Tranganida #wearamask 😷 (@sylviatra) October 25, 2023 @sylviatra
Thank god #BritneySpears had ##MichelleWilliams read her audio book.
— daren (@darenreifs) October 25, 2023 @darenreifs
Oh yea fo shiz fo shiz Ginuwine what’s up homie #michellewilliams #foshiz #BritneySpears pic.twitter.com/F5P3kUYlcM
— thoughts not thots (@nestofhair) October 24, 2023 @nestofhair
If #MichelleWilliams doing an impression of #JustinTimberlake speaking in black inner city patois whilst talking to #Ginuwine isn’t Grammy worthy, then I don’t know what is. Also, take note, white boys. We’ve been laughing at y’all for years #foshizz #BritneySpears #TheWomanInMe https://t.co/qiNgLXePTJ
— Renka (@renka9903) October 24, 2023 @renka9903
And the Best Spoken Word Grammy goes to…#MichelleWilliams #Britney #BritneySpears pic.twitter.com/PZ9KVfc2qk
— Love It Or Lead It (@loveitorleadit) October 24, 2023 @loveitorleadit
Michelle Williams is doing performance art here, you see https://t.co/oEqFmQpOiL
— Charles PM (@CharlesPulliam) October 24, 2023 @CharlesPulliam
I gagged when it was revealed who Justin Timberlake was throwing on a blaccent for. 😠https://t.co/POQaheHzfz
— issa rae’s favorite interviewer. (@TheGreatIsNate) October 24, 2023 @TheGreatIsNate
Fo shizz fo shizz https://t.co/QbG4u8G9Zw pic.twitter.com/TUsG0NA2dq
— Ira (@iramadisonthree) October 24, 2023 @iramadisonthree