Los Angeles, Jan 20 (IANS): Pop singer Britney Spears took to Instagram to shut down claims that her new ink was for former flame Justin Timberlake.

The pop sensation, 41, revealed she'd had a new tattoo at a similar time to she posted about the former N*Sync man - an upload she has since deleted, reports 'Mirror.co.uk'.

But now, she's confirmed it was purely a coincidence and the two snaps were in no way linked. Sharing a short message on her Instagram Stories, the hit maker wrote: "Just to clarify... my tattoo had nothing to do with an ex in the past !!!

She further wrote, quoted by 'Mirror.co.uk', "I simply did it because I wanted to !!! The pic with my ex is a time where there was less confusion on what it meant to be together ... it is what it is".

The singer uploaded a number of throwback snaps of her and Justin, who she dated between 1999 and 2002, playing basketball. The pair were seen in matching jerseys from a charity game in 2001. She began her now-deleted caption: "When we used to shoot hoops TOGETHER - that's when miracles happened."

And she went on to add a cryptic message about being "cast out," saying: "I came out of my mom's stomach just like we all did !!! Psss a why always cast me out ??? I'm equal as all !!!"

Shortly after, she shared a clip of her getting a tattoo while on holiday in Hawaii - something she now regrets. The 'Baby One More Time' singer was seen in her hotel room and she was joined by a tattoo artist. In the clip, she danced around her room before the artist started tattooing her arm.