Justin Timberlake Once Cursed Out Michael Jackson During Prank Call Mix-Up

Justin Timberlake I Once Cussed Out Michael Jackson ... Thought It Was Prank Call! Published November 6, 2026 2:15 PM PST Justin Timberlake once told Michael Jackson to get lost ... only to realize he'd just cursed out the King of Pop himself. JT shared the wild story on Complex's "Re-Rank" ... revealing Michael called him out of the blue about *NSYNC's hit "Gone," which Justin had originally written for MJ. JT had no clue he was cursing out MJ 😭 Justin Timberlake recalls writing “Gone” for Michael Jackson in the latest episode of #ReRank, powered by @metaglasses. https://t.co/fH71ru1Mr8 @ComplexMusic Justin said he pitched several songs to Michael, but when "Gone" got rejected, he handed it over to *NSYNC ... and it landed on the group's 2001 album "Celebrity." Then his phone rang from an unfamiliar number ... and when the caller greeted him with "Hi, Apple Head," JT assumed it was a prank and let a few choice words fly. Turns out, it was Michael ... sending Justin into full apology mode. As JT put it, "I just cursed Michael Jackson out." But MJ wasn't calling to complain ... he actually loved "Gone" and wanted to rerecord it as a duet with Justin, even though *NSYNC had already released it. Justin suggested including the whole group, but Michael wasn't having it ... he wanted just the two of them. And in a surprising twist, JT turned him down ... saying he couldn't abandon the fellas, even for the King of Pop. He told Michael he hoped they could collaborate down the road ... but the duet never happened. Related articles Justin Timberlake Michael Jackson Pop Music Remembering Michael Jackson Musicians Viral Music 'NSYNC