Rachel Bilson's drunken friend ruined her big moment with Justin Timberlake.

The 42-year-old actress has recalled a night out in the early 2000s when she and the NSYNC singer, also 42, were flirting before her pal Olivia Allen accidentally spoiled her chances.

Speaking on the 'Broad Ideas With Rachel Bilson' podcast, she said: "In our day (Justin) was very big, right? Like the biggest. Sorry, no disrespect – he’s still very big.

"We were all at a party or something, and he was there and I was so obsessed with him."

Co-host Olivia added: "We were kicking it with him. We were making friends with him. (Rachel) went up to him, obviously or he came up to (Rachel.)”

However, Olivia accidentally "embarrassed" herself by sitting between the pair and chatting to the 'SexyBack' singer instead of letting her friend carry on her conversation.

She recalled: "I got drunk and embarrassed myself a little because he was trying to flirt with Rachel.

"This is the truth. You want the truth. I was drunk and I [sat] in between them. I was just drunk and wanted to keep talking to him.”

Rachel added: "There was no room. Olivia planted herself (in the middle and) squeezed herself (in between us.)"

Her friend quipped: "He wasn't mad at me. You might have been."

However, Olivia admitted JT did jokingly reference the incident when they next saw each other.

She said: "He called me the enemy, The next time I saw him, he was like, 'What's up, enemy?'"

Justin went onto meet wife Jessica Biel in 2007, and the loved-up couple – who got married 11 years ago – have sons Silas, eight, and Phineas, two, together.

Rachel has daughter Briar Rose, eight, with her 42-year-old actor ex-fiancé Hayden Christensen.