Beverley Mitchell is reminiscing about an unforgettable time during her friendship with 7th Heaven co-star Jessica Biel back when Biel started dating Justin Timberlake. During an appearance on the Pod Meets World podcast Mitchell explained how she reacted to the news back in the early 2000s.
Mitchell who played Biel's older sister on the beloved television series said there was a moment when Timberlake's mother asked her what she thought about Timberlake dating Biel. Mitchell's response was fun and light-hearted but protective: "If he hurts her, I'll kill him." The comment was said in a joking manner but it described that there was some closeness between the two actresses in their time of working on such a long-running family drama.
Mitchell already knew Timberlake because of her affiliation with NSYNC through her friendships with the band members. She and Biel had previously joked about her hanging out with the boy band. When Biel started dating Timberlake, it was the other way around, Mitchell explained, recalling how she had teased the actress about their relationship years later, "Now you are married to one."
Their relationship was not singularly shaped by the time spent together working. Mitchell revealed she always thought of Biel as a real sister and while life has shifted, that friendship has remained.
In addition to recounting stories about Biel and Timberlake, Mitchell offered a snapshot of life as a young actor in the early 2000s. She narrated her experiences in Challenge for the Children, a charity event organized by NSYNC that required participating celebrities to travel cross-country and participate in various scavenger/raiding activities.
Mitchell specifically recalled driving through the streets of Las Vegas or Miami during the event - sometimes underage and with no cell phone - and racing through city streets as a part of the scavenger hunt. Mitchell reflected how fun and bizarre it was compared to today’s frenetic, digital world of life captured at every moment on social media.
Other stars, including Cameron Diaz and Timberlake himself, participated in the event Mitchell described as both fun and chaotic, devoid of online pressure and documentation. It gave young stars a chance to play outside of work and the public eye.
The story also presented a more personal version of Timberlake before he became one of the biggest stars in both music and film. Mitchell’s friendship with Timberlake and the rest of NSYNC added another dimension to her close association with Biel, merging their lives in a plethora of ways.
Years later, Timberlake and Biel would marry and then raise a family; Mitchell’s story, however, gives readers an infrequent glimpse into the early stages of their courtship and a perspective on the friendships that lives behind the Hollywood scenes.
