Britney Spears' Reaction To The New Documentary About Her Life
The "Free Britney" movement has been steadily gaining traction over the past year or so, but with the release of The New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, it's in major overdrive. As BBC noted, the film, which was released earlier this week, chronicles the legendary pop star's very public 2007 breakdown, while simultaneously interrogating the media's treatment of her and how it led to her controversial conservatorship. For the time being, Britney isn't working as she struggles to remove her father, Jamie Spears, as custodian of her life.
Celebrities including Sarah Jessica Parker and Bette Midler rallied behind the #FreeBritney hashtag, while Miley Cyrus gave the singer a shoutout during her Super Bowl pre-show performance. As for Jamie himself, he reasoned with CNN that he's simply acting in his daughter's best interests by "protecting" her from "those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her." Up until now, though, we hadn't heard anything from the "Toxic" hit-maker herself.
The iconic pop star found the film difficult to watch
Britney took to Instagram to share a live video from a few years back, noting she'll always love performing but, "I am taking the time to learn and be a normal person." The pop icon added, "Each person has their story and their take on other people's stories... 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." Naturally, fans flocked to the comments to declare it a conspiracy — there's an ongoing theory that Britney isn't the one actually posting on her accounts, or is crying for help when she does so, but her social media manager has denied such claims, according to Vanity Fair.
As for what Britney thought of Framing Britney Spears, a source told Page Six the singer was "emotional" watching it, but is now "hopeful she will finally be freed from the vice-like grip of her father." Additionally, Britney is reportedly working on her own documentary so she can finally tell her story. "There are parts of the film that were too hard and emotional for her to watch," the insider revealed. "But, she feels, for the first time in many years, that people are on her side and things will get better for her."
Britney is heartened by the public support she's received thus far, but continues to fight Jamie in court. The conservatorship has been in place since 2007.