‘Framing Britney Spears’ takes us all back to some of her biggest controversies
With the New York Times-produced documentary being released, Britney Spears makes it to popular memory and headlines once again. Here's all the highlights of the "Princess of Pop's" life for you!
Britney Spear’s rise to fame and success is the stuff of dreams. Most of us live in the hope to attain what she did while just being a teenager. “……Baby One More time” the album which catapulted her to fame at 16, was an international sensation. She became one of the best-selling artists of all time. From there on, began a string of dramatic controversies which led to the #FreeBritney campaign launched by her fans in 2019.
Here’s all you need to know:
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Britney-Jason Marriage
In January 2004, Britney married Jason Allen Alexander, her childhood friend, The marriage was annulled 55 hours later and the petition to the court stated that Spears “lacked understanding of her actions”.
Britney’s first reality show
In July 2004, Spears got engaged to American dancer Kevin Federline, whom she had met three months before. The romance grabbed a lot of eyeballs, especially from the media, since Federline had recently broken up with actress Shar Jackson, who was still pregnant with their second child at the time. The story of their romance was unveiled in Spear’s first reality show, “Britney and Kevin: Chaotic”, which premiered on May 15, 2005.
Jamie Spears taking control of Britney’s finances and health
In 2007 and 2008, there were reports about her drug and alcohol abuse and erratic behavior. That led to multiple psychological evaluations which culminated in a court-ordered conservatorship for her. Conservatorship is designed for those who are unable to take care of themselves and hence put under the charge of a guardian, in her case, her father, Jamie Spears. This meant that he would be the one in charge of her finances, physical as well as mental health.
Custody of her sons
In January 2008, Spears refused to relinquish custody of her sons to Federline’s representatives after her divorce with Federline in 2007. This came after an appalling appearance with her son seated on her lap while driving the car instead of a car seat. She was hospitalized after police that had arrived at her house noted she appeared to be under the influence of an unidentified substance. The next day, Spears’s visitation rights were suspended at an emergency court hearing, and Federline was given sole physical and legal custody of their children. She was committed to the psychiatric ward and put under an involuntary psychiatric hold.
“Britney’s Gram”
On January 4, 2019, Spears announced an “indefinite work hiatus” and the cancellation of her planned Las Vegas residency after her father, Jamie, suffered a near-fatal colon rupture. Spears entered a psychiatric facility amidst stress from her father’s illness, once again. A podcast titled “Britney’s Gram” alleged that Jamie was behind the cancellation of the planned residency and that he had been holding her in a facility against her will. Her conservatorship was supposed to end in 2009 and this led to her fans starting the #FreeBritney movement. It was supported by a number of celebrities as well as the American Civil Liberties Union.
Taking to social media to comment about the documentary, Spears said, “Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories !!!!,” along with a video of herself performing “Toxic” live three years ago. “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 !!!!” Her current boyfriend, Sam Asghari also voiced his support.