Timberlake defends Britney in photo flap

Spears' ex-boyfriend says use of baby pix was ‘crossing the line’

Justin Timberlake, who once told ex-girlfriend Britney Spears to “Cry Me a River,” is coming to her defense.

Photos of Spears, her husband, Kevin Federline, and the couple’s infant son were published online Friday, but were taken down within hours after her record label, Jive Records, issued a statement threatening legal action.

“When a person like her, who’s obviously a sweet person, is having their first child, it’s like, ‘leave the girl alone,”’ Timberlake told “Access Hollywood” in an interview to air Monday. Excerpts were released in advance, MSNBC reported.