Jessica Biel is mending her relationship with Justin Timberlake after he was spotted holding hands with his Palmer costar Alisha Wainwright.
“Jessica encouraged Justin to put out his statement on Instagram because she felt embarrassed by his actions and wanted him to take accountability,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively, noting that the couple are “still united.”
The Sinner executive producer, 37, and the Grammy winner, 38, have been married since October 2012, and they share 4-year-old son Silas.
Timberlake made headlines after he and Wainwright, 30, were spotted looking cozy during a boozy night out in New Orleans on November 21. They discreetly held hands under a table at the Old Absinthe House bar on Bourbon Street, and the actress also placed her hand on the former ‘NSync member’s knee.
In his Instagram apology on December 4, Timberlake acknowledged that he had “a strong lapse in judgement” after drinking “way too much that night.” However, he insisted that “nothing happened between” him and Wainwright.
“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,” he continued. “I am incredibly proud to be working on Palmer. Looking forward to continuing to make this movie and excited for people to see it.”
An insider previously told Us exclusively that the costars are “just friends,” while another source said they “are like brother and sister.” Wainwright’s rep also spoke out, saying in a statement, “There is no validity to this speculation. They are working on a project together.”
Timberlake returned to work on the set of Palmer on November 24, three days after the PDA-filled outing. Biel, for her part, has not publicly addressed it.
