Married for 13 years, Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake are one of the longest standing golden couples in Hollywood. But maintaining the sought-after status as one of tinsel town’s hottest couples has come at a high price – and the duo have been marred by several controversies over the past few years.
Now, while they continue to pack on the PDAs, a source tells Heat that their relationship has reached crunch time as those close to the pair predict that Jessica is set to initiate ‘crisis talks’ with Justin following the close of his ‘The Forget Tomorrow World Tour’ on 30 July.
A source says, ‘The energy around them as a couple is really bad right now because they are on such different paths, and when Justin gets off the road and gets back to family life, there's going to be a reckoning. Even their closest friends are worried that it could all come apart before the end of the year.’
Ahead of their reunion with their two sons, Silas, 10, and Phineas, four, later this month, Justin, 44, and Jessica, 43, were spotted jetting from London on a helicopter last week ahead of Justin’s gig in Essex.
Their trip also comes after Justin surprised Jessica ahead of his concert in Napa Valley by inviting her into his dressing room and… unveiling a t-shirt with her image splashed over the front. Not to be outdone, Jessica then revealed her own custom tee of her husband’s face.
However, after months of reports that the couple have been leading increasingly separate lives as Jessica works hard on the publicity for her new Prime drama, The Better Sister, while Justin remains on tour, fans were not to be fooled by their sudden avalanche of affection.
‘When a couple tries too hard to show love and affection in public...we know what follows,’ wrote one sceptic.
And after taking an extended break from films since her last movie, Shock and Awe, back in 2017, a source revealed last month that Jessica has been determined to make her mark on Hollywood once again, telling us, ‘She’s really put her nose to the grindstone as a producer and actress, and she already has her next streaming series in the can’.
Now our source says Jessica’s growing independence has led her to rethink her relationship with Justin. ‘Jessica has been killing herself with her Emmy campaign for The Better Sister and Justin has noticeably not been a part of that on the whole,’ the source says.
‘She’s been going it alone and their time apart has worked wonders for Jessica. She's come into her own in her TV career and she's become known for her work ethic and eye for risky material.'
They add, ‘For so many years she was the more co-dependent one, now the boot is well and truly on the other foot. Justin has proven time and time again that he needs the structure of family life to not go flying off the rails and the question is whether Jessica is willing to put up with that anymore.’
The latest reports that all is not well in their marriage come six years after their relationship came under scrutiny when Justin was spotted cosying up to Shadowhunters actress and his Palmer co-star, Alisha Wainwright, with the pair holding hands during a night out in 2019.
Later taking to Instagram, Justin was forced to make a public apology to Jessica for the ‘embarrassing situation'. The ‘Selfish’ singer wrote at the time. ‘I should have known better…This is not the example I want to set for my son. I apologize to my amazing wife and family for putting them through such an embarrassing situation, and I am focused on being the best husband and father I can be. This was not that.’
Yet last year, Justin’s name again hit headlines for the wrong reasons when he pleaded guilty to Driving Under the Influence following an arrest after a night out in the Hamptons last June.
Justin was then pictured looking weary with dark bags under his eyes in South America in March, just weeks after he was forced to cancel a US concert for the second time due to suffering with the flu.
His unusually downcast appearance comes after critics labelled his tour, which has been plagued by cancellations and criticism, a ‘train wreck’.
But rather than spend his downtime with Jessica or their children before he headed off on the Europe leg of the tour later that month, Justin was instead seen partying and playing golf with Travis Kelce in Las Vegas.
However, while Jessica has routinely followed him around the world, the source says that with her own career blossoming again, Justin has been the one left ‘chasing’ his wife.
The insider tells us, ‘All of a sudden he’s the one chasing her for phone catch ups, asking for reassurances and quizzing her about what she’s been up to during this time apart. Jessica has been accommodating and they do check in plenty to discuss the kids and so forth, but there’s no sense at all that she’s pining for him. That’s a very positive thing from her friends’ point of view. ‘
Now with just days to go until he is set to fly home, the source warns that Justin may need to step up if he’s going to continue to win over his rather brilliant and talented wife.
‘The dynamic has totally changed,’ they tell us. ‘Jessica has got her confidence back and Justin is going to have to fend for himself. Undoubtedly he’s worried that his marriage is slipping through his fingers but there is still time.
‘Pals close to the pair are encouraging Justin to eat some humble pie and give Jessica the support she has always given him – something they fear may be a big ask for one of the world’s biggest music stars.’