“Each Person Has Their Story”: Britney Spears Breaks Silence Over Explosive New Documentary
"No matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens."
Britney Spears appears to have finally addressed the ongoing controversy and discussion surrounding the release of explosive new documentary Framing Britney Spears.
The documentary, produced by the New York Times in partnership with Hulu, focuses on the singer’s meteoric rise and the appalling treatment of her by the media — as well as the controversial conservatorship arrangement she is under the control of, and how that has spawned the #FreeBritney movement.
Britney’s father Jamie Spears has been in control of her assets and career since 2008, when he was temporarily installed as her legal guardian due to concerns about the singer’s mental health. That conservatorship has remained in place ever since. In 2016, the New York Times described Britney’s life under the conservatorship as being highly controlled. “Her most mundane purchases, from a drink at Starbucks to a song on iTunes, are tracked in court documents as part of the plan to safeguard the great fortune she has earned but does not ultimately control,” they wrote.
The film — which isn’t yet available in Australia — has prompted outrage and concern from fans and celebrities alike, reigniting the debate around #FreeBritney and throwing the highly questionable behaviour by her former partner Justin Timberlake into the spotlight for his involvement in the media slut-shaming the popstar.
— Sarah Jessica Parker (@SJP) February 7, 2021
Y’all..it’s plaguing me that nobody knows if @britneyspears is truly okay. Really hoping that if she isn’t she can formally vocalize it in some way and that she knows all of us on the outside really give a shit about her well-being. 😢
— K A C E Y (@KaceyMusgraves) February 8, 2021
Today, Britney appeared to respond to the ongoing discussions online, writing on Twitter that “each person has their story”.
“Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives,” she wrote. “Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens.”
Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives 🌹🌸🌷🌼!!! Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens 📷✨ !!!!
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) February 9, 2021
Page Six is also reporting that a source close to the singer says she is “hopeful she will finally be freed from the vice-like grip of her father” and is “emotional” seeing the outpouring of support for her.
“There are parts of the film that were too hard and emotional for her to watch — the scenes that describe the most difficult times of her life, the relentless media circus and the harsh focus on her as a young mother,” Page Six reported. “But, she feels, for the first time in many years, that people are on her side and things will get better for her.”
Read more about the campaign to #FreeBritney here.
Photo Credit: Valerie Macon/AFP/Getty Images