Justin TimberlakeJustin Timberlake has compared his relationship with Britney Spears to a “high school” affair rather than a true adult relationship.

He told GQ magazine: “I was in love with her from the start. I was infatuated with her from the moment I saw her.”

He describes their break-up as a “distant thing” now but that’s not to say it was easy when it first happened: “When we initially parted ways I felt like she had a couple of opportunities to just sort of stick up for me, and she didn’t which is fine. But at that time, you know, I fought back. I used my mind. I came up with a song.”

Justin wrote and released a single ‘Cry Me A River’ about the split, suggesting that Britney was unfaithful to him.

Justin’s relationship with Britney also taught him the pressure of being in love in the public eye. He’s been with girlfriend Cameron Diaz since 2003 but the couple have rarely spokenly publicly about their relationship: “For me, this time around it’s been important to stay, at least as much as I can, out of the limelight and I think that’s made it more enriching.”

“I’ve received so much more from it by keeping it just between the two people it’s supposed to be between. There’s no pretense about anything. It’s just a sort of coming together of two people.”