For decades, America has been captivated by the rise and fall of young women in the spotlight. From Judy Garland to Frances Farmer and Dorothy Stratten, these stories have often been marked by exploitation, abuse, and tragedy. The latest addition to this list is none other than Britney Spears, whose new memoir, “The Woman in Me,” sheds light on a life that reflects a distressing lack of progress in how society treats its female icons.
Britney Spears, born just a year after the tragic death of Dorothy Stratten, entered the music scene with unparalleled fame and success. However, her journey took an unexpected and heartbreaking turn, as she fought for the basic human rights she had been deprived of for over a decade.
In 2021, at the height of the COVID pandemic, Britney Spears appeared virtually in a Los Angeles court, a stark contrast to the worldwide stages she had once dominated. In that courtroom, she was not seeking fame or fortune; she was pleading for her freedom. The woman who had sold millions of records, filled arenas with her global tours, and held a lucrative Las Vegas residency was now begging for independence from her own father, who had controlled her every move for thirteen long years.
Spears began her plea with a palpable sense of fear. She had been silenced and manipulated for so long that she wondered if anyone would recognize her true voice. “What if they called me crazy? What if they said I was lying?” she wondered. Her speech was not dominated by financial losses due to her father’s conservatorship, but rather by a plea to be treated like a human being. “I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does,” she passionately asserted. She yearned for the simple joys of having a family and living life freely.
The journey of the biggest female pop star of the post-Madonna era is a poignant tale of adversity, filled with Faulkner-esque family history and post-modern turmoil reminiscent of Nathaniel West. Britney Spears, born in Kentwood, Louisiana, grew up under the thumb of her tyrannical and alcoholic father, James Spears. He had experienced his own hardships growing up and had seen his mother institutionalized against her will, leading to her tragic demise at the gravesite of his infant brother.
Spears’ early memories include being awakened by her mother’s screams as she confronted her incoherent and drunken father. She vividly recalls telling her mother to feed him and put him to bed, fearing for her family’s safety. Her father often disappeared for days, and, to her, it was a relief when he was not at home. The fact that James Spears, who had been far from an ideal father, was given conservatorship over Britney’s life for thirteen years remains a bewildering paradox.
Britney’s life story is laced with male figures who have played instrumental roles in the control and manipulation of her life. The narrative includes unsettling encounters, such as Ed McMahon making inappropriate advances when she was just a prepubescent girl. Justin Timberlake, her first love, pressured her into having an abortion, which she went through in painful silence to protect the image that she was a virgin at 20. Timberlake subsequently portrayed himself as the lovelorn, wronged party in his album “Justified,” further tarnishing Britney’s reputation.
The infamous Kevin Federline, who withheld information about having children and later fathered two more with Britney, used her as a stepping stone for an unsuccessful rap career while keeping her away from her own children. The male-dominated paparazzi relentlessly hounded her, and late-night male talk show hosts made a mockery of her distress. All the while, male interviewers made lewd comments about her appearance and speculated about her plastic surgery.
Throughout her memoir, Britney Spears recounts these experiences with a matter-of-fact tone, avoiding personal attacks. However, her disdain for her sister, Jamie-Lynn, is palpable, describing her as a “narcissistic sponge” and even resorting to using explicit language to convey her feelings.
Britney Spears’ harrowing journey took a dark turn after giving birth to her sons, Sean and Jayden, in quick succession. She fell into postpartum depression, and her ex-husband Kevin Federline swiftly gained custody of their children for reasons that remained unclear. In her vulnerable state, she began to think more like a child due to severe postpartum depression, abandonment, and paparazzi harassment. A desperate act in 2008, locking herself in a bathroom with one of her children, led to a sequence of hospitalizations, all at the behest of the men in her life. The reasons behind these hospitalizations varied from a supposed nervous breakdown to Adderall abuse and, later, taking over-the-counter energy supplements.
Over time, she reluctantly complied with treatments as she feared that non-cooperation would lead to complete loss of access to her children. Spears traded her freedom for the opportunity to nap with her children, understanding that she could be physically restrained when necessary.
One baffling aspect of Britney’s life is that her father, who had security guards control her every move, deemed her unfit to make personal decisions, such as her choice of boyfriend. Yet, paradoxically, she was considered healthy enough to perform in world tours and a Las Vegas residency. The inconsistency in the treatment she received is baffling.
Even during her performances, Spears remained a captive artist. She was not allowed to alter her set list or background music during her Las Vegas residency, highlighting the extent of control imposed upon her.
Her turning point came when she was prescribed Lithium, the same drug given to her grandmother, who now rests under a gravestone that reads, “THY TRIALS ARE OVER, THY REST IS WON.” With parental controls placed on her phone, her freedoms were further restricted. It was during this time that she learned about the growing #FreeBritney movement, which ultimately led her to dial 911 in 2021, reporting her father’s abusive conservatorship.
However, emancipation did not instantly lead to a fairytale ending for Britney Spears. She recently separated from her third husband, and there are rumors that her sons are no longer in contact with her. Migraines, which she attributes to her years of family struggle, continue to trouble her. “I don’t think my family understands the real damage that they did,” she laments.
Britney Spears’ life post-emancipation is still filled with challenges, but it is her life to live. The world has witnessed the turmoil she endured, but no man should ever hold the power to take away her freedom and basic human rights.
As we reflect on Britney’s journey, it’s essential to recognize the impact of society, talk show hosts, and paparazzi in turning a pop princess into a hunted and scorned individual. We must consider if we have truly learned our lesson, and the hope that we have, indeed, progressed. However, the reality suggests that we shouldn’t be too optimistic.
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