Justin Timberlake Ditches His Low-Key Life for a Grammy Surprise

The musician who had to hibernate right after his tour last year couldn’t pass up this golden opportunity to show Pharrell Williams how much he cared right before the Grammys started.

Justin Timberlake revealed to his fans after his last tour on July 31, 2025, that most days while the shows were happening, he found himself dealing with endless pain and fatigue due to the illness.

The former boy band member surprised Williams at the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective event at the Fairmont in Los Angeles, held in honor of the producer.

William would have received the Dr. Dre Impact Award, which celebrates Williams’ musical achievements and entrepreneurial innovations, as well as her notable philanthropic efforts and cultural influence across the globe.

Timberlake reportedly took the mic just before the award was presented to Williams and performed a 15-minute set of songs they had worked on together over the years, including hits like “Rock Your Body” and “Señorita.”

While presenting the award, Timberlake said anyone who crosses paths with Williams will forever experience a positive change in their life thanks to her impeccable character and talent.

As reported PEOPLEremembers the singer during his meeting with Williams, at a time when he was finding his feet, and the warmth that the producer brought to him made all the difference.

“You changed my life. You changed my life. And I will be forever grateful. And I know so many people in this room, and you can make some noise if you’re inspired by this man,” Timberlake concluded.

Timberlake joined a host of other talents for the tribute session, which saw performances from Leon Thomas and Clipse, alongside other songs like “Happy”, “Beautiful” and “I Just Wanna Love You” from his discography.

In accepting the award, Williams praised Timberlake for showing up to the community and proving how much he loved everyone. Williams and Timberlake’s friendship grew stronger over two decades, during which they collaborated on impressive musical projects.

The Neptunes, Williams’ former production duo with Chad Hugo, produced more than half of Timberlake’s 2002 solo debut album, “Justified.” The Neptunes also worked with Timberlake’s former boy band NSYNC in 2001 and produced their hit song “Girlfriend.”

It’s no wonder Timberlake described Williams as one of his favorite people, who believed in him and taught him so much, from music to simple conversations.

The star took to Instagram on July 31, 2025, with a candid confession about the end of her tour and, more specifically, her experiences on stage and dealing with a serious health issue. As shared by The explosionTimberlake described his touring experience as very fun, emotional, rewarding and physically demanding.

“I’ve been doing this for over 30 years (which sounds crazy to say) and I gave everything I had for it. I couldn’t have done it without my family, my friends, TN Kids and all of YOUR support,” the star added.

He then continued that although everyone knows him as a very private person, it became essential for him to reveal, in a spirit of reflection, that he was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

Although Timberlake doesn’t want the sympathy that comes with such revelations, he acknowledged that living with the disease can be a nightmare, but he chooses to be resilient.

He noted that he suffered from nerve pain and fatigue following his shocking diagnosis, and was stuck between quitting smoking and battling his problems.

“Stop the tour? Or keep going and figure it out. I decided that the joy that performing on stage brought me far outweighed the temporary stress my body was feeling. I’m so glad I kept going,” Timberlake said amid immense appreciation for fans and everyone who made the “Forget Tomorrow World Tour” a success.

When Timberlake’s tour ended, sources said he could count on his wife’s unwavering support to keep their family together. “Since Justin finished his tour this summer, they’ve been focusing on spending time with family. The tour has been difficult for everyone,” a source explained.

The explosion The tipster shared that Timberlake and the rest of his family spent time together in Montana and Colorado.

At the same time, they celebrated their 13th anniversary of married life last October. The source pointed out that “Even when life is bad, they are very committed to their marriage. They are happy and united.”