Britney Spears fans have demanded her ex Justin Timberlake apologise to the star for his handling of their breakup, in light of the documentary Framing Britney Spears.

The exposé explores the dark side of the 39-year-old singer’s fame, from her rise as a childhood star to her 2007 breakdown and her father Jamie’s controversial 13-year conservatorship, which launched the #FreeBritney movement.

However, a large number of viewers have accused Justin, 40, of having a hand in tarnishing Britney’s image following their 2002 split, while veteran journalist Diane Sawyer, 75, was branded a ‘sl**-shamer’ for her subsequent interview with the star.

During the teen years of Louisiana-raised Britney’s superstardom, she was heavily sexualized after publicly declaring that she was a virgin. 

As she grew into adulthood she was needled in interviews about her breasts and questioned on whether she had remained a virgin as her romance with Timberlake saw her hailed as one half of a pop world power couple.

However, once the pair eventually split in 2002, Justin all but accused his ex of cheating on him when he released his hit track Cry Me A River, which included a video of a Britney lookalike reaping the consequences of infidelity.

And while Britney had continued to publicly maintained that she was still a virgin, Justin suggested otherwise in post breakup interviews.

In a flash, Britney was widely seen as the one responsible for the split and even her interviewer Diane Sawyer took an accusatory tone, asking her: ‘What did you do?’ 

In 2003, Britney sat for an interview with Diane – who played a clip of Maryland’s First Lady Kendall Erlich saying figuratively that ‘if I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears I think I would’, a remark for which she later apologised.

Veteran journalist Diane appeared to gently justify the harsh and shocking statement – which was made in reaction to the star wearing ‘revealing’ clothes, which was cited as a bad influence on children – as she pressed Britney for a response.

When Britney got over her shock at the remark she managed to counter: ‘I’m not here to, you know, babysit her kids.’

After the airing of Framing Britney Spears, which aired in the US on Friday night, viewers took to Twitter in droves to strike out at Justin and Diane.

Wrote one: ‘Justin Timberlake laughed and got “revenge” in cry me a river …Britney had to go on TV with Diane Sawyer and break down crying in an interview after they broke up…That s**t would NOT fly in today’s culture. #FreeBritney’

Tweeted another viewer: ‘Nasty a*s old people asking a teenage Britney all the time if she was a virgin. How big her boobs gotten. And Justin Timberlake publicly announcing that he took her V card!!! The s**t she went through.’

‘I think it’s time for @DianeSawyer to issue a public apology to Britney Spears,’ said a third. ‘She treated her disgustingly and never once said sorry. Speak up sis. You were VERY wrong for the way you interviewed her.’

Penned another fan of the star: ‘Diane Sawyer literally tried to defend a woman who said “If it wasn’t illegal to shoot Britney I would” to Britney because Britney was wearing “revealing” clothes and mothers are worried about their children because of it? LIKE WTF???’ 

However, some fans jumped to former NSYNC frontman Justin’s defence, explaining that he was also young at the time of his split from Britney.

Explaining their stance, one wrote: ‘All this Justin and Britney shit was way too much for two young ppl. They were way too young for ppl to have so much expectations and so much judgement. #FreeBritney (sic)’

‘Am I the only Britney fan who also loves Justin Timberlake?’ queried another. I get he should have apologized for things he said but sometimes if the two parties involved have no ill will, doesn’t mean we have to put ourselves between their issue. She has moved on.’

Wrote a third: ‘I love @jtimberlake but in all honesty. He wouldn’t have had anything to write about for his 1st album if it wasn’t for the breakup with @britneyspears & @Pharrell giving him most of @michaeljackson demo songs. #JustSayThankYou’

At the time of Britney and Justin’s split, it was rumoured that she had cheated on the pop heartthrob with dancer Wade Robson, now 38.

However, it has also been claimed that Justin cheated on Britney multiple times in the year leading up to them calling time on their ill-fated romance.

In the years following the couple’s breakup, Britney would endure a very public unravelling, that culminated in her shaving off her hair in early 2007.

Shortly afterwards, she was placed under a conservatorship, handled by her father Jamie, which she remains under to this day – despite trying to fight it.