Justin Timberlake Responds to 'Take Back The Night' Controversy
Justin Timberlake has addressed the latest controversy over the name of his new single, praising the work of the Take Back the Night Foundation. Controversy arose this weekend when the anti-sexual assault charity heard that Justin's new single shared the same name. They were allegedly considering legal action against him and criticized the move for failing to pay "due diligence" to their organisation.
Justin began streaming Take Back The Night on July 12 and the charity were quick to take action.
"Take Back the Night" is the first single from the second instalment of The 20/20 Experience, which arrives on September 30.
The charity's executive director Katherine Koestner said her organisation was "really shocked" and revealed: "We sent him a letter Friday (July 12) from our legal counsel saying 'You used our name without our permission'."
Justin has since responded to Koestner's comments in a statement released via Radar, saying he only became aware of Take Back The Night and its work upon the release of his single.
"Neither my song nor its lyrics have any association with the organisation," Timberlake stated.
"As I've learned more about the Take Back The Night foundation, I'm moved by its efforts to stop violence against women, create safe communities and encourage respectful relationships for women - something we all should rally around. It is my hope that this coincidence will bring more awareness to this cause."
Koestner has now confirmed that Take Back The Night won't be taking the issue any further.
"At this point, we're going to bow down gracefully, and accept that fighting this in court probably isn't the best use of anyone's time," she said.
"It's best to focus on the mission, and his stated support is important to us. Mostly, it was shocking that an institution that goes back to 1973 went unnoticed by the likes of Justin Timberlake. It shows how much visibility we really need. I think the best possible outcome is that more people know about our cause."