Love is dead. The statement sounds melodramatic, but any teenybopper who heard of the break-up of pop starlet Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake of the group *NSYNC probably uttered just those words.

Before you insensitively joke: “The only duet those two will be singing is ‘Bye, Bye, Bye,’” think back on the history between Spears and Timberlake, and you will realize just how many strings were attached to their relationship.

Spears’ and Timberlake’s choice to go public with their relationship was a move that first needed approval from their public relations people. As Prince of Pop, Timberlake reigns over adolescent subjects who are both fiercely protective of him and hopelessly in love with him. These juvenile judges decide who is right or wrong for Timberlake. They will attack women whom they deem undeserving without remorse or mercy. The proliferation of Willa Ford hate websites, created upon the discovery of her abusive treatment of Backstreet Boy (now ex) boyfriend Nick Carter, shows how obsessively loyal twelve-year-olds can be. Like any competitors, these prepubescent players would only acquiesce to someone they deemed worthy.

Britney Spears was that person. The coincidence of her status and Timberlake’s affections for her was every publicist’s dream match: Pop’s royal couple. The background story—their years shared on the set of the Mickey Mouse Club—seemed almost too perfect to be true, and the fans and the media were understandably skeptical. The relationship was often labeled one of the most insulting phrases that can be hurled at public figures: “a publicity stunt.”

Over the course of their relationship, Spears and Timberlake were forced to prove their love in order to dispel such slanderous rumors. What could have been a normal, healthy relationship went overboard in displaying what it means to be in love. At every interview or public appearance, they mentioned the other; at every free moment, they stole away to see each other. They even wore matching outfits to many awards shows. Reports came out that they were going to publish a book of their love letters. And just when the last Doubting Thomas was becoming a true believer, the relationship appears to be over.

The “public end” to the relationship has been as difficult as its beginning. Heartless reporters ignored requests not to ask Spears or Timberlake about the relationship. Denials of a break-up came from both camps. While Spears sidestepped direct confirmation of the abounding rumors, her spokesperson—seemingly unable to let the relationship die—chimed in with declarations of Spears’ undying love for Timberlake.

Amidst all the confusion, the tabloids swept in for the kill. Pictures of Timberlake dancing and lunching with another girl were splashed across their front pages. Somewhere in the carrion of what was once true love, diggers have unearthed the most plausible reason for a Spears-Timberlake separation: busy schedules make it too difficult to be with each other.

Underneath all the make-up and silicone, Spears and Timberlake are just two kids who fell in love. However, their celebrity status, a demanding public and a hounding media prevented their relationship from being anything close to normal. Although the love was their own, everyone but them controlled how it was presented under the harsh lights of fame. Aren’t they lucky?