An expert in public relations has advised Justin Timberlake to “take control of the narrative” in light of the allegations made by his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears in her new book.

The Woman in Me will be released by Britney, 41, the following week. Ahead of its release, passages have been made available, some of which mention Justin, a 42-year-old fellow musician with whom she had a relationship from about 1999 until 2002.

According to one extract, Britney had an abortion when they were dating.

She claims Justin said they were “too young” to be parents. Britney added that she wouldn’t have gone through with it if it had been “left up to [her] alone.”

Additionally, it is alleged that he had an affair with “another celebrity”. She reportedly stated that she didn’t want to embarrass the subject because they have a family now and she didn’t want to name them in the memoir.

The creator of PR with Perkes and PR consultant Laura Perkes has offered advice for publicists working with Justin in the wake of the publication of parts from the memoir. She advised him to “take control of the narrative” at this point.

Sharing her thoughts, Laura told us: “Britney’s bombshell revelations couldn’t have come at a worse time for Justin Timberlake, right before his musical comeback. Despite the fact he’s stayed silent about his relationship with Britney, the revelations can’t be ignored, nor should they.”

She added: “The media will want answers and their (Justin and Britney’s) fans will also want answers. While Justin may be tempted to hope it all blows over, ignoring the situation won’t make it go away. If anything it will make it worse.”