Music video director Chris Applebaum says Britney Spears received a breakup text from Justin Timberlake while she was on set filming the “Overprotected” music video. Applebaum’s account places the moment in 2002, during production for the Darkchild remix of “Overprotected,” directed by Applebaum. According to the director’s recollection, Timberlake’s message arrived while Spears was working on the video, marking a personal milestone amid the shoot. The reports describe the specific connection between the two pop stars’ breakup and the timing of the video’s production, tying Spears’ professional schedule to a private event. Both outlets present the same core details: Applebaum is the source for the story, the message is characterized as a breakup text from Timberlake, and the setting is Spears’ filming of “Overprotected” in 2002 under Applebaum’s direction for the Darkchild remix. The accounts focus on the director’s recollection rather than providing additional context about the message itself.