Jessica Biel Leaves Supportive Comment After Justin Timberlake Apologizes to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson

Justin Timberlake Apologizes to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson for His 'Ignorance': 'I Have Failed'

"As a man in a privileged position, I have to be vocal about this," Justin Timberlake wrote in a lengthy apology on Instagram Friday

Jessica Biel is supporting husband Justin Timberlake.

In a lengthy Instagram post on Friday, the singer and actor, 40, issued an apology for his past "ignorance," specifically addressing Britney Spears and Janet Jackson for his past behavior toward them.

"I am deeply sorry for the times in my life where my actions contributed to the problem, where I spoke out of turn or did not speak up for what was right," Timberlake wrote. "I understand that I fell short in these moments and in many others and benefited from a system that condones misogyny and racism."

"I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed," he added. "The industry is flawed. It sets men, especially white men, up for success. It's designed this way. As a man in a privileged position, I have to be vocal about this."

As the post came to a conclusion, Timberlake acknowledged that he has "not been perfect in navigating all of this throughout my career," and that "this apology is a first step and doesn't absolve the past."

"I want to take accountability for my own missteps in all of this as well as be part of a world that uplifts and supports," Timberlake wrote. "I can do better and I will do better."

In response to her husband's post, Biel left a supportive comment. "I love you," the actress, 38, wrote.

Justin Timberlake/Instagram

Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel

RELATED: Justin Timberlake Apologizes to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson for His 'Ignorance': 'I Have Failed'

Timberlake's post came on the heels of the release of Framing Britney Spears, the unauthorized New York Times documentary that included, in part, a section exploring his former romantic relationship with Spears, 39.

The documentary included his hit "Cry Me a River" song and music video that seemed to reference their breakup with a lookalike actress and a message that, to many, seemed to blame Spears and depict a revenge fantasy on Timberlake's part.

Ron Galella/Getty Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in 2002

The documentary also featured a clip of a 2002 interview with Star and Buc Wild in which Timberlake admitted he and Spears had had sex — and the private nature of the revelation upset many fans of the "Toxic" singer.

Want to get the biggest stories from PEOPLE every weekday? Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday. Get a taste of the podcast below.

Kevin Mazure/WireImage Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson in 2004

Jackson, meanwhile, was at the center of controversy after her 2004 Super Bowl set with Timberlake, during which she suffered a now-infamous wardrobe malfunction with seemingly no similar repercussions for Timberlake.

During a 2006 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Jackson stated that she felt "all the emphasis was put on me, not" following the controversy "as opposed to us."

Asked if she felt like Timberlake had "left her hanging," the singer replied, "to a certain degree, yeah."

Ahead of his own Super Bowl halftime show performance in 2018, Timberlake told Zane Lowe that he had "absolutely" made amends with Jackson, adding: "I don't know that a lot of people know that. I don't think it's my job to do that because you value the relationships that you do have with people."