The Complicated Life of Pop Superstar Justin Timberlake

In 1997, his younger half-sister Laura Katherine died shortly after birth. She was the daughter of his father, Randy Timberlake, and stepmother Lisa, and she is sometimes mistakenly described as Timberlake’s twin, though that is not accurate.

Her death became a quiet family tragedy behind his rising public career. He later mentioned Laura in *NSYNC album acknowledgments, showing that the loss remained part of his personal life even as fame grew around him. At the same time, his professional world was about to become louder than ever.