What You Didn't Know About Britney Spears' Former Assistant, Felicia Culotta
A new New York Times documentary, Framing Britney Spears, reintroduces people to the singer's longtime assistant, Felicia Culotta (via Today). The mother-like figure in Spears' life says in the film about her relationship with the star, "I've known [Britney] since she was five" (via Pop Sugar).
That said, her role serving Spears wasn't exactly defined at first, with Culotta saying in the film, "I don't know that I ever really had any definition on what I was supposed to do with Britney. For a long time, they called me her chaperone and then at one point they wanted to call me her partner and we didn't think that sounded right. I definitely wasn't her mother or her big sister, so we settled on assistant" (via Us Weekly).
Meanwhile, Culotta parted ways with Spears' team in 2007 when her personal life began to unravel, saying, "There's just so much you can do to help a person — I don't dare want to be an enabler, and I cannot love her enough for the both of us." Sadly, Culotta added, "I cannot convince her in ANY way to love herself."
How Felicia Culotta feels about Britney Spears today
The former assistant shares in the documentary that she is baffled by Spears' conservatorship — which began in 2008 — noting she "doesn't understand." Incredibly, the situation is still in flux, with the issue surfacing back in court this week according to The New York Times. The future of the star's fortune — estimated at $115 million according to Celebrity Net Worth — and her schedule are at stake.
After Culotta left Spears in 2008, she would go on to assist the Jonas Brothers, only to return to Spears' team later, when she held a residency in Las Vegas, noting it was a different environment there once the conservatorship was in place, according to Distractify. The outlet notes Culotta has her own fans, who were happy to see her speak out in the new doc.
Today, the once crucial member of the star's team enjoys positive feelings toward her, saying she wanted to share her experience with the filmmakers "so we can remind people of why they fell in love with [Britney Spears] in the first place."