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Anti–Sexual Assault Organization Doesn’t Want to Be Confused With Justin Timberlake’s New Song

Not related to the fight against sexual violence.

Some listeners of Justin Timberlake’s new single, “Take Back the Night,” might find themselves wondering what the hot dance song has to do with ending sexual and domestic violence, since the song shares a name with a pretty well-known organization aimed at doing just that. Unsurprisingly, there is no relationship between the track and the movement, and TBTN isn’t pleased with the prospect of Timberlake’s song — which contains lyrics such as “use me up until there’s nothing left” — obscuring their message. “For example, all of a sudden on Wikipedia, Take Back the Night has a different definition,” explained the group’s executive director, Katherine Koestner, to Radar Online. “Normally, we get asked when people want to use the name,” said Koestner, who said the people behind CSI and The Devil Wears Prada had done so in the past. (Plus, they donated some money.) Koestner said that when TBTN learned about the the song’s title, they tried to contact Timberlake through his website but got no response, so they had their lawyer send him a letter pointing out that their name was used without permission. According to Koestner, Timberlake’s agent responded by apologizing and claiming they’d never heard of the organization. “Justin’s a good guy! He’s a family man!” he unhelpfully pointed out. “Usually people are pretty mindful because no one is actually ‘for’ sexual assault,” Koestner explained, adding that “we’re hoping [the Timberlake issue] can be amicably resolved.”

Anti-Assault Group Unhappy With Timberlake Title