What We Know About Cameron Diaz And Justin Timberlake's Relationship

The mid to early-2000s was a transformative time, holding some of the most incredible memories in pop culture history, especially when it comes to Hollywood couples. Remember when Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt were Hollywood's power duo? And K-Fed and Britney Spears were madly in love? Fast forward 15 years and many celeb couples have come and gone, including a pair you may have forgotten even dated: Justin Timberlake and Cameron Diaz.

During the early aughts, Diaz and Timberlake were a buzzworthy couple, often the topic of juicy (and untrue) gossip. In fact, a few British tabloids even landed in hot water for spreading rumors about the pair (per The Guardian). Despite the drama, they lasted a solid four years before calling it quits. Even though their public breakup was 15 years ago, we can't help but look back on their four-year love affair with nostalgia and break down everything we know about Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake's relationship, from beginning to end.

The couple met at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards in 2003 when the "Charlie's Angels" star announced the winner on stage for the "best burp," which was awarded to Timberlake (via IMDb) after he received the highest votes for belching mega-loudly on stage during the award show. Right away, this seemed like a gassy match made in heaven – as Diaz won the same award the year prior in 2002 (per People).

Although they have a nine-year age difference, which Diaz later felt the need to defend in an interview with W Magazine (via People), the couple's whirlwind romance quickly took off, as she joined him on the Justified and Stripped tour with Christina Aguilera just two months after meeting (via ET). During their four-year relationship, Diaz and Timberlake were seemingly inseparable. Not only did Timberlake travel back and forth from Montreal to Los Angeles during the filming of the film "Edison" just to be with Diaz, according to People, but the pair even appeared on "Saturday Night Live" together in 2005 (via InStyle).

Diaz and Timberlake had all the makings of a seemingly perfect relationship, showing plenty of apparent support and encouragement for each other. According to People, not only did the pair often attend sporting activities, surf, travel, and party together, but they were often seen at each other's events, cheering each other on from the audience and on the red carpet. The two were even seen house-hunting together in 2005 and sparked wedding rumors when Diaz was seen sporting a sparkly ring on her left hand.

However, the two just couldn't seem to solidify that next step – and were both very vocal about it. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, those engagement rumors were put to rest when Timberlake let it be known that a wedding was not to be expected anytime soon (per Yahoo). "I need to know, should I get a bridesmaid dress now or not?" the talk show host teased. Timberlake responded, "Know what? Go ahead and reserve one. The only thing is, you'll have to stay the same size for the next 15 years." Ouch. Two months later, Diaz told DeGeneres, "I'm a commitment-phobe. Just can't do it."

Fame is often paired with constant chatter from outside sources, including downright untrue rumors. While many celebs often undergo slews of hate comments for participating in risqué unfaithful actions, Timberlake was having none of it concerning his relationship with Diaz. In 2004, the News of the World paper claimed that Timberlake was having an affair with model Lucy Clarkson. Timberlake filed a lawsuit against the tabloid, which later admitted they intentionally shared false information and offered an apology and a "substantial undisclosed sum" to the Grammy-award-winning actor.

The next year, Diaz followed suit (literally) when she sued both the Sun and the National Enquirer over allegations that she had an affair with her married MTV producer (per The Guardian). Much like in Timberlake's case, the magazine later apologized and paid their owed amount in damages. If this isn't proof that Diaz and Timberlake were serious about keeping their relationship intact, we don't know what is.

Diaz and Timberlake had a very public relationship, so it's no shocker that their eventual breakup in 2007 would also spend time in the spotlight. Although it's impossible to know precisely what happened between the pair, several stories circulated the media that led to a pretty good idea. The most sensationalized theory suggests the couple's downfall began when the gorgeous actress Scarlett Johansson appeared in Timberlake's 2006 music video, "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" (per Yahoo). According to a source at US Weekly (shared by MTV), "Scarlett has always liked Justin. They've always had a flirtation," which made Diaz feel threatened, pushing her over the edge and eventually leading to the couple's separation.

It's unknown whether there is any truth to that rumor. Still, in a public breakup statement made by Diaz and Timberlake, they state: "in light of recent speculation and the number of inaccurate stories that are being reported by the media, we have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship, and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another." One week later, the exes were seen engaging in a very heated 40-minute argument at Prince's Golden Globe after party (per People).

Over the years, Diaz and Timberlake have considered each other "friends" and have since gone on to grow in their personal and professional lives individually. By 2011, the two were back to working together as costars in the hilarious film "Bad Teacher," making it clear that there's no bad blood between them.

In a 2014 interview shared by Cosmopolitan, Diaz admits that she's still friends with all of her exes, including Timberlake. "I feel like all my relationships are strong – friends, family. I've invested in my people, and they're invested in me." In 2020, after she quit acting, Diaz welcomed a baby daughter with her rocker hubby Benji Madden, lead guitarist from the band Good Charlotte (per Hello Magazine). As for Timberlake, he proposed to actress Jessica Biel in 2011 and has since become a father of two (via Glamour).

In 2014, according to The Guardian, Timberlake and Biel filed a suit against British gossip magazine Heat for sharing false information regarding the status of their marriage — showing the world that he's still not afraid to keep his love life rumors in check.