Williams will narrate Spears’ highly anticipated upcoming book The Woman In Me, which is set to be released October 24. Spears will record an introduction to the book, with Williams taking over for the rest.
“This book has been a labor of love and all the emotions that come with it,” Spears said in a statement to People. “Reliving everything has been exciting, heart-wrenching, and emotional, to say the least. For those reasons, I will only be reading a small part of my audiobook.”
“I am so grateful to the amazing Michelle Williams for reading the rest of it.”
Williams, who is performing first-time duties as an audiobook narrator, kept her own statement short and sweet: “I stand with Britney,” she said.
Vanity Fair has reached out to Williams’ representatives for comment.
News of Spears’ memoir broke in February 2022 with a reported $15 million contract from publisher Simon & Schuster after a hot auction for the rights. It’s been a long time coming, first delayed by a paper shortage, before finally getting a release date in July. From The Mickey Mouse Club to her widely publicized legal conservatorship and her fight to be freed from it, Spears has lived plenty of her life in the spotlight. As recently as two weeks ago, barely a month prior to release, Spears posted on Instagram that she was “putting the finishing touches on my book.”
When the memoir was announced, Gallery Books (the Simon & Schuster imprint responsible for the memoir) senior vice president and publisher Jennifer Bergstrom released a statement hyping up Spears’ story and its impact.
“Britney’s compelling testimony in open court shook the world, changed laws, and showed her inspiring strength and bravery,” she said. “I have no doubt her memoir will have a similar impact — and will be the publishing event of the year. We couldn’t be more proud to help her share her story at last.”
Of course, it’s not necessarily a tell-all: Spears has already teased a Woman In Me Volume 2, writing in a since-deleted early October Instagram post, “Riding ‘n writing!!! All I’m doing at the moment … volume 2 coming after 1.”
For a moment there, it seemed as though everyone was quite quick to bill Christina Aguilera as the “classier” of the two 00s icons of pop stardom, with Britney Spears long ago billed as an “inbred swamp thing” (namely, in a 2007 Rolling Stone cover story). But now, all that “good faith” has officially gone to pot. An appropriate food-related idiom in this case as Aguilera has taken to shilling for Just Eat’s recently-acquired Australian outfit, Menulog. And, although she’s not alone in the endeavor (joined by Latto on rap vocals), something about her stooping to this level is more unexpected than it is from Latto. Some will probably read that as having racist undertones, but no, it’s more about the fact that rapping women of Latto’s generation, including Cardi B (who has plugged everything from Pepsi to Balenciaga) and Ice Spice (currently shilling for Dunkin’ Donuts), have never known an existence in which debasing oneself for money via over-the-top advertising endorsements wasn’t the norm.
To be sure, this has been happening since brands and celebrities long ago unearthed the financial possibilities of their collaborative partnerships but it seemed that, once upon a time, there was a touch more tact to these “synergies.” Even in Aguilera’s “heyday,” circa 1999 to 2006, there was a less schlock-y feel than what she’s just put out into the world with Latto. This could, in part, have to do with print ads being more viable back then, allowing celebrities to say more by saying nothing at all. Just sporting the wares. Of course, in Menulog’s instance, food can’t exactly be sported (unless we’re talking that quintessential scene from Varsity Blues). And so, instead, Aguilera and Latto opt to sing passionately about the many possibilities of the app when it comes to ordering food.
Not least of which includes, per Latto’s rap, “Oh you thought it was just burgers and fries?/They got more flavors than you tasted or you heard in your life.” Already, with the implication that flavors can be “heard,” it’s clear that “sensicality” isn’t exactly what matters. Not in this commercial, and certainly not in life. After all, if life made sense, those with greater privilege wouldn’t abuse those given little other choice but to do a job so abusive and low-paying (especially considering said abuse) as delivering slop for Menulog.
Aguilera is no stranger to the advertising game, of course. In 2003, she followed in Spears’ footsteps by promoting Skechers in a series of print ads (this after Spears had parted ways with Skechers, effectively making Christina Aguilera “sloppy seconds”). Then there have been her more recent ventures, including becoming a spokesperson for Playground (a sexual wellness brand) and Merz Aesthetics. The latter company had Aguilera focusing on the promotion of Xeomin, an injectable intended to reduce between-the-eyebrow-centered frown lines. Ironically, the campaign was called “Beauty On Your Terms.” Of course, if beauty were on anyone’s terms except the patriarchy’s, women wouldn’t be worrying so goddamn much about frown lines, and, in effect, might actually not have as many to try to hide.
At present, Aguilera appears to want to assure that people can “just eat” on their own terms as well. Even if Latto is doing most of the heavy lifting on the lyrical delivery, further assuring viewers, “Ooh, this is what the app do/It ain’t only fast food/Switchin’ styles like opera to rap tunes.” As for that mention of “opera,” this is where both Aguilera and the setting of the commercial itself come in. Presenting a world of “opulence” as both Latto and Aguilera appear in a Versailles-type palace wearing Marie Antoinette-inspired gowns. Because, evidently, when you order from Menulog, it makes you feel like a queen. Or such is the intended seduction of this capitalistic endeavor. One in which even food has to be weaponized as a “status symbol.”
That said, in every scenario where status is involved, someone has to play the part of “lowly servant” in order to make the bourgeoisie feel like they’re in their “higher echelon.” So it is that, whether realizing it or not, the creative team behind the commercial, directed by Dave Meyers, has effectively pitted the haves and have-nots against each other by featuring orange uniform-wearing (perhaps an unwitting nod to how work feels like a prison) delivery folk dancing around Latto and Aguilera, ultimately in a servile position (which includes pushing Latto in a cart). The previous celebrity commercials for Just Eat’s “Did Somebody Say” (featuring Snoop Dogg and Katy Perry, respectively), predicated on the same concept, didn’t parade servility quite so overtly, but when a baroque premise is involved, perhaps it’s more difficult to mask the fact that some people are eating and some people are just hustling to get this bread.
Especially now that delivery has expanded into the grocery store market, which Latto is sure to call out in the lyrics, “And it ain’t only restaurants anymore/We can go bananas at the grocery store.” Even Australian grocery stores, as Menulog is the Just Eat-owned brand being pushed here. And maybe some part of Aguilera agreed to sign on in the hope that the U.S. wouldn’t bother with watching the widely-available ad (such is the curse of the internet rendering all content as viewable to anyone, no matter what country an ad is really being catered to). Latto doesn’t appear to have any sense of shame about doing what needs to be done to collect her paycheck as she continues to do most of the work while Aguilera “ehs” and “ahs” bombastically in the background. However, for most of the “song,” it feels like a solo effort, with Latto also adding, “I’m a bad girl, but my takeout badder/What you need dude? I could cop a taco platter/Thai rice, sticky-icky/Gyoza on the side, fried right ‘cause we kind picky.” As the scene then cuts to the Marie Antoinette-attired duo riding in a gondola through a stream bedecked on either side with fountains, Latto continues, “Breakfast or lunch, hon/Dinner or brunch/Wanna find the finest dining?/I got a hunch.”
We’re then taken back to the interior just after Aguilera softly sings, “And some hot tall dude’s bringing buns to the ballroom.” Heavy-handed sexual innuendo aside, this line also verbally calls out the visuals of servility we’ve seen already. Making it worse still as the rich fetishize the working class as something to be ogled while they work. Ergo, Latto building on that lyric right after by saying, “Got me a strong coffee/Let’s get it on, papi.” Unfortunately, for as harmlessly cracked-out as they thought the lyrics might be (including, “Ice cream with my magazine, who can stop me?”), it only ends up highlighting the chasm between those who work for Just Eat/Menulog and those who order from it. Never mind the fact that those who order from the app are laboring under the false illusion of “luxury” anyway, what with a large portion of restaurants that Just Eat peddles on their website not exactly being fully up to the most hygienic of standards. So there’s that for sticking it to the bourgeoisie, essentially paying to having it “stuck” to them.
As for the seeming “randomness” of tapping Aguilera and Latto for this ad, the entire concept of wielding celebrities to promote Just Eat also speaks to the blueprint of what Bonnie Fuller (the former editor-in-chief of Us Weekly) came up with via the magazine segment known as “Stars: They’re Just Like Us.” In the end, the hoi polloi wants to be reassured, despite all evidence to the contrary, that they’re not the only ones “relegated” to using something as middle-class as Just Eat. And the trick seems to have worked, with positive feedback in the comments section touting, “We want an extended single version of this! Christina sounds incredible and Latto is fire” and “This NEEDS to be a single!!!!”
Does it though? Because it’s rather superfluous to try to pass of the ad as anything other than another cringeworthy hurrah for capitalism (and its place within the celebrity-industrial complex). Aguilera didn’t get that message at all. For, soon after the commercial aired, she took to her Instagram to post a behind-the-scenes video of her and Latto on set, choosing “Can’t Hold Us Down” featuring Lil’ Kim to soundtrack it. Apart from the slightly racist implications of selecting one of her only songs featuring a Black woman to play up working with another female rapper in the present, Aguilera further insulted people’s intelligence by captioning it, “This is for the girls” (a nod to the chorus of “Can’t Hold Us Down”). Like, really, Xtina? Is a commercial about food delivery “for the girls”? Is this the best the feminist movement can do? Level the playing field for women to be as obsessed with “filling their bag” as men? If that’s the case, might as well get back in the kitchen. No need for ordering delivery then.
Ice Spice blew a metaphorical kiss to Britney Spears, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera at the 2023 MTV VMAs on Sept. 12. In honor of the trio’s iconic performance at the VMAs exactly two decades ago, the rapper walked the red carpet in a sheer bridal dress with lacy tights and a voluminous tutu. Spice’s style team completed the elegant ensemble with silver jewelry and strappy heels with rhinestone embellishments.
Spice’s dress featured a satin corset bodice with lacy sleeves that transformed into fingerless gloves at the ends of her wrists. At the waist, the dress puffed out in either direction, boasting multiple layers of floral lace. The delicate, sheer fabric appeared again along the neckline and on both sides of the bodice, marking two large cutouts along her back. Spice kept the ornate design going with a pair of see-through tights and bedazzled sandals. Around her neck, the rapper also wore a rhinestone collar and layered chain necklaces in silver, the perfect complement to her Moon Person for best new artist.
The frilly design is a clear homage to Spears and Aguilera’s outfits at the 2003 VMAs, which in themselves were nods to Madonna’s 1984 MTV VMAs performance when she sang “Like a Virgin.” The 2003 performance began with the megastars strutting onstage to the tune of “Like a Virgin” in full wedding dresses, complete with tulle veils and flower bouquets. As the track transitioned to Madonna’s “Hollywood,” the singer emerged in a groom-inspired tuxedo look complete with a top hat. The performance — including the trio’s outfits — has since been memorialized as one of the most iconic moments in award show history.
Though Spice’s outfit looked incredible regardless of its significance, the clear homage to such a historic award show makes her ensemble that much more special. Later in the evening, she changed into a sheer maxi dress with a plunging, lace-up design that stretched down either side of her silhouette. Along the back, the ruching of the transparent fabric split at the knees, creating a subtle slit that gave a glimpse at her white pointed-toe stilettos.
Ahead, admire Spice’s sartorial tribute to Spears, Aguilera, and Madonna, and take a closer look at its original inspiration.
The fitness trainer turned to his three million followers on Saturday to ask for help selecting an incognito outfit to help him outsmart the paparazzi just days after he filed for divorce from the pop star. The couple, who first started dating in 2017, called it quits after only one year of marriage.
“Help me choose paparazzi disguise,” wrote Asghari on his Instagram Stories alongside photos of him sporting multiple comical getups, according to Page Six.
In the photos, Asghari donned a gray wig and mustache, a short curly brown wig with sunglasses and a light brown wig.
Asghari’s post came just hours after Spears broke her silence about the divorce on social media.
“As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together … 6 years is a long time to be with someone so, I’m a little shocked but … I’m not here to explain why because its honestly nobody’s business !!!” the “Toxic” singer wrote on Instagram.
Spears thanked her friends for sending over heartfelt messages and revealed that her “Instagram may seem perfect but it’s far from reality.”
She wrapped up her message by telling her fans that she’s “actually doing pretty damn good.”
The news of the couple’s break up first hit the internet on Aug. 16.
Sources told TMZ that same day that Asghari recently confronted Spears about allegedly cheating on him, prompting him to move out of their home.
Insiders also alleged to Page Six that Spears physically assaulted him after the pair allegedly had frequent screaming matches.
After their breakup, Asghari addressed the split on social media last week in his own post.
“After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” Asghari wrote Thursday in an Instagram Story. “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always.”
“Shit happens,” he added. “Asking for privacy seems rediculous [sic] so I will just ask for everyone including the media to be kind and thoughtful.”
Representatives for both Spears and Asghari did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.
On Aug. 18, Britney Spears addressed her split from Sam Asghari for the first time. The pop star shared her statement via her Instagram, where she explained that she “couldn’t take the pain” anymore. News broke on Aug. 16 that the pair were separating after one year of marriage.
“As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together,” Spears wrote. “6 years is a long time to be with someone so, I’m a little shocked but … I’m not here to explain why because its honestly nobody’s business!!!”
She continued, “I couldn’t take the pain anymore honestly !!! In some sort of telepathic way I have been receiving so many messages that melt my heart from friends and I thank you !!! I’ve been playing it strong for way too long and my Instagram may seem perfect but it’s far from reality and I think we all know that !!!”
Spears added that she wished she could share her emotions more freely, but due to her life in the spotlight, she said she had been taught to be a “strong soldier.” The “…Baby One More Time” singer also referenced her 13 years in conservatorship and the impact it had on her ability to freely express herself. Ultimately, Spears maintained that she’s doing well under the circumstances.
“So I will be as strong as I can and do my best !!!” she wrote. “And I’m actually doing pretty damn good !!! Anyways have a good day and don’t forget to smile !!!”
The singer’s statement comes just one day after Asghari addressed filing for divorce in his own Instagram Story. “After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” Asghari wrote. “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. Sh*t happens.”
He added, “Asking for privacy seems rediculous [sic] so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”
Fellow stars are supporting Britney Spears amid the singer’s divorce from husband Sam Asghari. On Wednesday, during her Detroit, MI, Summer Carnival tour stop, singer Pink changed the lyrics to her hit song “Don’t Let Me Get Me” to show Spears some love. Per a fan video, instead of singing the original line, “Tired of being compared to damn Britney Spears,” Pink swapped the last three words for “sweet Britney Spears.” She continued, “She’s so pretty. That just ain’t me.”
Back in February, Pink reflected on the song and her early friendship with Spears, telling People, “People think I was picking on Britney on ‘Don’t Let Me Get Me,’ but I’ve always felt like a big sister to her.” She added, “I’m very protective of her, and she’s the sweetest person in the world.” The outlet noted that the two were not in contact at that time, but Pink said, “I wish her well. I cover her in light all day long.”
“I wish her well. I cover her in light all day long.”
Pink isn’t the only celebrity who’s voiced support for Spears following news of her split from Asghari. On Aug. 16, comedian Loni Love posted a screenshot of a Page Six article on Instagram that alleged Asghari is threatening to release “extraordinarily embarrassing” information about Spears if their prenup isn’t negotiated. Love captioned it, “And it begins… #freebritney.” Octavia Spencer came to Spears’s defense in the comments too, writing, “Extortion is illegal.”
News of Spears and Asghari’s breakup arrived that same day, in which reports initially stated that the two were separating after 14 months of marriage. Just a few hours later, Asghari filed for divorce. Per court documents obtained by POPSUGAR, he listed the pair’s date of separation as July 28, 2023, and noted “irreconcilable differences” as the cause of the split. He’s also seeking spousal support.
Though Spears, 41, has yet to publicly address their divorce news, Asghari, 29, issued a statement on his Instagram Story on Aug. 17, writing, “After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together.” He continued, “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. Sh*t happens. Asking for privacy seems rediculous [sic] so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”
According to People, a source said that things between Spears and Asghari, who met back in 2016 and tied the knot in June 2022, had reportedly been “very toxic” for some time. “Their marriage has been on the rocks for months,” the insider said. “There has been constant drama. It’s sad. A divorce would be devastating for Britney.”
“After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together. We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always,” he wrote, adding: “Sh-t happens.”
Asghari asked for privacy, noting: “Seems ridiculous [sic] so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”
His statement comes one day after news broke that the two called it quits after one year of marriage. Asghari’s statement also comes hours after Spears took to Instagram to make an announcement, completely unrelated to the headlines surrounding the split.
Britney Spears‘ husband Sam Asghari has filed for divorce, in the latest personal crisis for the troubled pop star.
Asghari, a 29-year-old Iranian-born model, cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for ending the marriage, court documents filed Wednesday in Los Angeles show.
Asghari’s divorce petition says the two have been separated since last month. A statement sent by his publicist to CBS News on Thursday says: “There are many claims that Sam is challenging the prenup and threatening to exploit his ex-wife with videos. However, all these claims are false, as no negative intention has ever been directed towards her and never will be. Sam has always and will always support her.”
Earlier, Asghari released a statement on Instagram commenting on the news.
“After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” he posted. “Asking for privacy seems rediculous (sp) so I will just ask for everyone including media to be kind and thoughtful.”
Spears married Asghari at her home in Thousand Oaks, California, on June 9, 2022, in front of guests that included Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton and Madonna, in a wedding seen as a milestone in her newly reclaimed life after the dissolution just six months earlier of the court conservatorship that controlled her life for more than 13 years.
Britney Spears and Sam Asghari at the Los Angeles premiere of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” on July 22, 2019.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File
The pop superstar met and began dating Asghari, a model and actor, when he appeared in her video for the song “Slumber Party” in 2016.
She cited her desire to marry Asghari as among the reasons she wanted an end to the constraining conservatorship, which she said was preventing it. The two announced their engagement in September of 2021, as it became clear she would be freed from the conservatorship, which ended that November.
Spears said she and Asghari lost a baby early in her pregnancy in May 2022, about a month before they married.
Reports of the couple’s struggles had increased in recent months.
Their marriage is the first for the 29-year-old Asghari and the third for the 41-year-old singer. She was married for less than three days in 2004 to childhood friend Jason Alexander, who attempted to crash her wedding to Asghari and was later convicted of misdemeanor trespassing and battery.
In 2004, she wed dancer Kevin Federline. Their three-year marriage would come at a time of intense media scrutiny and increasing mental health struggles for Spears. Federline is the father of her two teenage sons, and has custody of the boys.
She would be placed in the conservatorship by her father in 2008. She did well under the arrangement at first, continuing to release records, make videos, and perform live, including a major concert residency in Las Vegas. But as she appeared less in public, fans began to demand that the court #FreeBritney, in what would eventually become a major movement.
Since the conservatorship ended, Spears has put out music, including a collaboration with Elton John in 2022, but has not performed live in years, nor announced plans to do so.
Her memoir, “The Woman in Me,” is scheduled to be released in October.
Pop queen Britney Spears, whose husband has filed for divorce after 14 months of marriage, has had a career worthy of a blues ballad. Along with a number of huge hits, the superstar’s life has been punctuated by equally huge struggles, most notably her high-profile battle to successfully end a 14-year conservatorship.
The turmoil in her private life may explain why Spears’ net worth far less than other major female pop stars, with her wealth standing at about $60 million in 2021, according to Forbes. By comparison, Rihanna is worth an estimated $1.4 billion, while Taylor Swift is valued at $740 million, Forbes notes.
Spears, 41, married Sam Asghari, 29, at her home in Thousand Oaks, California, in June 2022 — seven months after a judge terminated her conservatorship at the pop star’s request. The conservatorship, which was partly controlled by her father, put him in charge of her career and finances since 2008. It had been roundly denounced by Spears, who described it as abusive.
“I feel ganged up on, I feel bullied and I feel alone,” Spears told a court in 2021. “I shouldn’t be in a conservatorship if I can work and provide money and work for myself and pay other people. It makes no sense,” Spears said.
Spears was worth $60 million in 2021, as noted above, with Forbes noting that most of her wealth was held in brokerage accounts, real estate and cash.
Her real estate assets have included multimillion estates in California, a penthouse in Manhattan and more modest properties in Louisiana, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Not all of her property decisions have been lucrative, with the pop star selling an 11,600-square-foot home in Calabasas, California, for a loss earlier this year. Spears sold the home for about $10 million, or almost $2 million less than she paid for the property shortly after her marriage to Asghari, according to People magazine.
To be sure, most of her wealth stems from her music career. After a string of top-selling records starting in the late ’90s, Spears released her “Glory” album in 2016, but no new albums since. She also stopped touring in 2018, according to Forbes.
Still, there are signs she is refocusing on her music career, such as her 2022 single with Elton John “Hold Me Closer” and her 2023 single with will.i.am, “Mind Your Business.”
Spears’ husband
Spears’ husband Sam Asghari is an actor and model who has appeared on shows such as “The Family Business” on BET+. The pair met on the set of Spears’ 2016 video “Slumber Party,” according to People magazine.
Asghari told Men’s Health that he was born in Iran in 1994 and moved to the U.S. when he was 12. As an adult, he focused on fitness and worked as a personal trainer, but he recounted to the magazine that he fell into financial stress before trying out for modeling and acting jobs.
Spears has a prenuptial agreement with Asghari, according to multiple publications.
The agreement allegedly provides Asghari with $1 million for every two years of their marriage, with the amount topping out at $10 million after 15 years, according to US Weekly. He also agreed to waive claims to Spears’ music catalog, the publication reported.
Britney Spears’s husband of a little over a year, Sam Asghari, has reportedly filed for divorce. On Wednesday, TMZ’s “sources with direct knowledge” told the outlet that Asghari confronted Spears “about a week ago” about rumors that she “stepped out” on him, and it spurred a fight, which in turn spurred his moving out. The source added, “It’s only a matter of time before Sam files for divorce.”
Several hours later on Wednesday, Entertainment Tonight confirmed Asghari had filed the paperwork. According TMZ, he cited “irreconcilable differences,” and is asking for Spears to pay spousal support and attorneys fees. The outlet also reports that he listed the date of separation as July 28, 2023. Spears has reportedly hired Hollywood’s go-to divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, who previously helped her fight for custody of her sons amid her split from ex-husband Kevin Federline.
The former couple have a prenup, according to TMZ, one that protects Spears’s assets up to the day they were married. However, Page Six reports that Asghari has threatened to release “extraordinarily embarrassing” info on the performer if their prenup is not renegotiated. (Vanity Fair has reached out to both Spears and Asghari for comment.)
The same day the news broke, Spears posted on Instagram a message about a horse. “Buying a horse soon!!!,” reads the caption. It continues:
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Spears and Asghari met in October 2016 on the set of her music video shoot for “Slumber Party,” in which he played the mysterious love interest with a big scar. They didn’t immediately get together, but reconnected after five months, and announced their relationship on Instagram on New Year’s Day 2017.
For the majority of their time together, Spears’s father Jamie Spears controlled her financial and physical life through the conservatorship she’d been placed under in 2008. In September 2021, right before Spears was officially released from the conservatorship, Asghari proposed. He had a custom ring designed by Roman Malayev, and he had it engraved with his nickname for Spears, “Lioness.”
The pair were married in June of last year in a backyard ceremony at Spears’s mansion in Thousand Oaks, California. Selena Gomez, Madonna, Paris Hilton, Drew Barrymore, and Donatella Versace attended (Versace made Spears’s dress too). It was fairy-tale-themed, complete with horse-drawn carriages.
Speculation has been circling for months that the fairy tale was coming to an end. In late July, Asghari’s mother was involved in an accident and hospitalized, and he logged off social after posting that he had to “prioritize what truly matters.” The tabloid media made a big deal of the fact that he wasn’t wearing his wedding ring in the photo with his mother.
In the past, Asghari frequently defended Spears publicly. He’s issued a strongly worded statement about her ex-husband Kevin Federline’s claims that Spears’s two sons didn’t wish to see her, and another when TMZ released TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom, a documentary on the performer.
Britney Spears rode a horse on the beach in a yellow plaid bikini amid the news of her breakup from Sam Asghari after 14 months of marriage. The 41-year-old artist and author of “The Woman in Me” teamed her triangle string top with a pair of dark-wash denim shorts for extra skin protection while in the saddle. Accessorized with leather woven platform slides, a tall, sand-colored sun hat, and oversize aviators, Spears’s look marked a decidedly boho moment. She added several rope bracelets and a red choker necklace, and her hair was tied up for a day of activity.
The star, who is no stranger to posting dancing videos on her Instagram in striking (and oftentimes revealing) swimwear, shared some interesting news with her fans: “Buying a horse soon 🐴 !!! So many options it’s kinda hard !!!” she wrote in her caption. One day prior, she posted an ode to polka-dots, uploading some photos of herself rocking the print in the early 2000s. So far, she has been silent on social media about her split from Asghari.
The couple got married in June 2022 at their private residence in Los Angeles, with Spears selecting a Versace wedding dress for the big day that came in an off-the-shoulder silhouette and featured a thigh-high slit and long train. The custom outfit was replete with a veil, thick white choker, pearl-beaded hand gloves, and satin pumps. Designer Donatella was even a guest at the ceremony, with Spears having announced her decision to wear Versace in November 2021.
Scroll up to see Spears’s beachside shoot in her yellow plaid bikini, and stay tuned for her next equestrian look. According to her Instagram, it won’t be long before we’re graced with another.
Sam Asghari, the husband of pop star Britney Spears, has filed for divorce after 14 months of marriage, according to numerous reports.
Rumours of the couple’s allegedly tumultuous relationship have circulated online since they wed in June 2022. The Associated Press reported Asghari, 29, filed for divorce on Wednesday.
In his filing, Asghari cited “irreconcilable differences” as reason for the divorce, according to NBC News. He is reportedly seeking spousal support from Spears, 41, and has requested she pay his legal fees.
“Petitioner has yet to determine the full nature and extent of the separate property assets and obligations of each party,” the filing reads. “Petitioner reserves the right to amend this Petition or to conform the Petition to proof.”
The conservatorship was held by Spears’ father Jamie Spears, and allowed him to make medical, financial and personal decisions on the star’s behalf. Outrage over the conservatorship swelled amid the #FreeBritney movement, which saw the singer’s fans demand the legal arrangement be terminated.
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Even Asghari and Spears were seen sporting #FreeBritney T-shirts as the court proceedings came to an end.
About six months after her conservatorship was dissolved, Spears and Asghari married in a star-studded ceremony at the Toxic singer’s California home. Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton, Madonna and Selena Gomez were in attendance.
Since news of Asghari’s divorce filing surfaced, Spears has been active online but has not made any mention of her love life. Instead, Spears told her Instagram followers on Tuesday that she plans to buy a horse.
“Buying a horse soon !!! So many options it’s kinda hard !!!” the pop star wrote in an emoji-filled caption.
Asghari is Spears’ third husband.
The Oops!…I Did It Again singer was infamously married to her childhood friend Jason Alexander for only 55 hours before filing for divorce in 2004.
Later that year, she married Kevin Federline, with whom she has two teenage sons. Spears and Federline divorced in 2007. Her conservatorship began the following year in 2008 after several months of her strange behaviour in public.
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Spears’ highly anticipated memoir, The Woman in Me, is set to hit shelves in October.
Just hours after news broke on Aug. 16 that Britney Spears and Sam Asghari are separating after 14 months of marriage, People reported that 29-year-old Asghari filed for divorce on Wednesday. TMZ was first to report on their split.
A source told People that things have reportedly been “very toxic” between Spears, 41, and Asghari for a long time. “Their marriage has been on the rocks for months,” the insider said. “There has been constant drama. It’s sad. A divorce would be devastating for Britney.” Reps for Spears and Asghari did not immediately respond to POPSUGAR’s requests for comments.
Spears and Asghari first met on the set of the singer’s “Slumber Party” music video in 2016. The pair, who still follow each other on Instagram, announced their engagement on Sept. 12, 2021, exactly two months after the singer’s 13-year conservatorship ended. They tied the knot on June 9, 2022, in an intimate Los Angeles ceremony with 60 guests.
Shortly after their wedding, Asghari opened up about married life in a “Good Morning America” interview, saying, “It’s just surreal. It was way overdue for us, and we imagined this thing being a fairy tale, and it was. We wanted to just celebrate, and that’s what we did.”
Two months after exchanging vows, Spears wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post, “Guys just two months ago I got married 🎉🎉🎉 !!! Can you believe it 🙈🙈🙈 ???” alongside photos from her “fairytale wedding.”
While Spears has yet to publicly address the split, the singer is slated to drop her tell-all memoir, “The Woman in Me,” this fall. According to publisher Simon & Schuster, the book “is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.”
With Britney Spears’ upcoming memoir release in October, speculation is rife as to whether the pop star will sit down for a candid televison interview. Rumors suggest that iconic host Oprah Winfrey might lead the conversation. However, conflicting reports debate the feasibility of such an interview due to the sensitive nature of Britney’s recent struggles.
Britney Spears and Oprah factor
Britney Spears, whose memoir’s release was delayed, is reportedly mulling over the idea of an interview to coincide with the book’s debut. The suggestion that she might engage in a televised conversation, possibly with Oprah Winfrey, has sent waves of intrigue among fans. If realized, this would mark Britney’s first televised interview since her conservatorship ended in November 2021.
Fans’ miixed Reactions on the Internet
Sources paint a complex picture of the situation. On one hand, various networks and streaming platforms are allegedly eager to secure a revealing interview with the star, offering substantial sums of money. Oprah Winfrey is reportedly one of the interested parties. Yet, conflicting reports highlight the challenges that Britney may face in opening up about her life. Some sources express concerns about the toll such discussions could take on her mental health, emphasizing that her trauma isn’t something that can be over
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Balancing mental wellbeing and opportunities
While a traditional news-style interview might be deemed “problematic,” a more controlled and feature-style conversation is being considered as an option. This approach would allow Britney and her team to navigate the narrative carefully. Amidst the allure of Oprah’s offer, it’s clear that Britney’s mental wellbeing remains a priority. Experts weigh in, suggesting that while opportunities are tempting, the decision ultimately hinges on what is best for the star’s overall emotional health.
As Britney Spears navigates the aftermath of her conservatorship and the anticipation surrounding her memoir, the potential for a revealing interview raises questions about how public figures find the balance between sharing their stories and safeguarding their mental wellness.
In an unfortunate turn of events, the mother of Britney Spears’ husband, Sam Asghari, was rushed to the emergency room in Los Angeles after a major accident, leaving fans and followers concerned. However, thanks to the incredible efforts of the medical staff, she is now on the mend.
Sam Asghari expresses gratitude and updates all
Taking to his Instagram on July 29, the 29-year-old fitness trainer and actor expressed his heartfelt thanks to the staff at Cedars-Sinai hospital for their exceptional care during this challenging time. Sam wrote, “Today my mother was involved in a major accident. With the amazing help of the medical staff and some friends she’s doing okay.” While Sam didn’t provide specific details about the accident, he did share the positive news that his mother is on the road to recovery and is currently “resting it off.”
Despite the distressing situation, there is some relief as it appears that Fatima Asghari is now on the road to recovery. Sam’s reassuring words of her “resting it off” provide some comfort to those concerned about her well-being.
Meanwhile, in the midst of her professional achievements, Britney is also celebrating her first wedding anniversary with Sam. Having tied the knot in 2022 after five years of dating, the couple’s love for each other shines brightly through their heartfelt social media updates. On June 9, Sam posted an Instagram story and shared his joy. He wrote, “Happy 1 Year to me & my better half. One year married to the woman of my dreams. Happy anniversary my Love.”
Britney also expressed her joy on Instagram, sharing snippets of their spectacular wedding day. The couple’s journey of love and happiness has been a source of inspiration for many, showcasing the power of standing together through thick and thin.
For those who were worried that the 2000s might never come back authentically (instead having to settle for ersatz imitations like the makeup aesthetic on Euphoria), Britney Spears, the decade’s foremost representative, has decided to return with non-remake music (no shade at “Hold Me Closer”). Though, depending on who you ask, it’s some “fake version” of her still being controlled by members of her family and/or her new husband, Sam Asghari (or maybe even her gay bestie du moment, Cade Hudson). In short, that she hasn’t “returned” at all. Worse still, that the vocals on “Mind Your Business” are recycled from what Myah Marie, a singer who recorded many of the demos on 2013’s Britney Jean (which will.i.am executive produced), already did.
And yes, 2013 was the last time Spears and will.i.am collaborated via “It Should Be Easy,” another EDM-centric ditty for Britney Jean that was released as the final single. However, “Big Fat Bass,” from 2011’s Femme Fatale, was not. Perhaps because both Brit and Will knew they would have something better to offer in their 2012 collaboration, “Scream & Shout” (from which “Mind Your Business” takes many sonic cues). A song wherein Britney repurposes (most of) her immortal 2007 line, “It’s Britney, bitch.” This hailing from “Gimme More,” the lead single on her fifth album, Blackout. The one her then-paparazzo boyfriend, Adnan Ghalib, says she wrote portions of on a Starbucks napkin (“iconic,” as Paris Hilton would remark). And it was “Piece of Me” that came after “Gimme More,” both songs exuding a tongue-in-cheek irreverence that showcased just how little Spears could bother to give a shit about her public image anymore. One that had been tarnished and tainted into oblivion by that point already anyway. After all, the head-shaving incident had occurred in February ‘07, along with her lip-syncing flop of a VMA performance in September, making “Piece of Me” an ideal track to unleash later that year in November.
It is the spirit and sound of “Mind Your Business” that echoes, once more, Spears’ “fuck you” defiance on “Piece of Me.” And yet, at the same time, it has to be said that the frozen in time quality of Spears’ sound on “Mind Your Business” makes one wonder if she is truly still “relevant” or simply catering to what longtime fans continue to want from her. We won’t use the term “cashing in,” for that’s a bit too crass in this case. Britney, after all, has been given the tacit sanction to cash in all she wants after being exploited for so many years. But, in all those years of being “handled,” forced to do things without being allowed to put in much creative input of her own, did she become trapped in the age she was effectively enslaved at (twenty-six) and in (2008)? Is that, in the end, what “Mind Your Business” embodies about Spears returning to the music business as a free agent?
It was Taylor Swift who once said, “There’s this thing people say about celebrities, that they’re frozen at the age they got famous.” In Spears’ scenario, not only does that hold true (based on her perpetually childlike nature), but it also applies to the age she got frozen at before losing her agency. The age she last recognized herself as, well herself. Not to mention one of the last instances where she had more control over the music she released (even if it wasn’t enough control to get Original Doll out there). So it’s only natural to want to return to that state (as natural as Britney wanting to revert to being twelve years old on her forty-first birthday). “Mind Your Business,” for precisely that reason, sounds like it could be straight outta 2007 far more than it sounds like “fresh content.” The same goes for the puzzling cover art, which makes some of the half-assed PicsArt offerings Lana Del Rey has been known to “create” look positively effort-laden. Where “Mind Your Business” is concerned, the image for the single is confirmed to feature a photo of Spears (or at least her face) from 2003 taken by Mark Liddell (from the same photoshoot Spears favors using an image from for her Instagram profile). Which, again, speaks to all the ways that everything about this single seems to want to freeze Spears in that decade. A freezing that appears to be of her own making.
And, as alluded to before, it might not technically even be “fresh content,” with the possibility that it was first “generated” in the Britney Jean era and “laid down” by Myah Marie. A woman, incidentally, who once uploaded a parody of “Piece of Me” called “Don’t Take the Kids From Me.” Removed at some point after it was initially posted in 2011, the purported lyrics doing a sendup of Spears’ original song include, “I was miss preteen wet dream when I was seventeen/I lip-sang and pretended to sing/Got breast implants and a wedding ring/Then I flashed all my privates, they put pictures in the magazines/Don’t take the kids from me, don’t take the kids from me.” Then there was also the verse, “I started hittin’ the bottle/Lost all the titles of role model/Hitched in Vegas, forgot it/Did all the things that I wanted/And with a kid in the car/Don’t need a seat belt for protection/Don’t take the kids from me.” For a parody that came out in 2011, it has all the crisp mean-spiritedness that was plaguing Spears in ‘07-‘08. A time that would have also prompted Spears to repeat, “Mind your B, mind your B, mind your B” (the “B” obviously playing on the first initial of her infamous name—so infamous, in fact, that she often gets the “icon treatment” of being referred to by the mononym of “Britney”).
To that point, as Spears enters a new decade as a liberated woman, “Mind Your Business” feels decidedly “old hat” (though she did have some fire flat caps and fedoras in the 00s). By the same token, everything about it is “giving the people what they want”: 2000s hauntology. Although no one really wants something truly “new” from Spears, her uncanny ability to deliver the same themes and sounds from the 00s doesn’t quite work as well within the context of now, an era when, sure, she’s still occasionally “stalked” by paparazzi, but nowhere near the swarming level that was happening to her in 2007. To boot, those magazines that could once make so much coin off tracking her movements are no longer selling the way they used to. And websites like TMZ and Perez Hilton certainly have nothing close to their 00s-level influence. So, who then, is “Mind Your Business” really speaking to? Other than a need to dust off the time period in which Spears can last recall herself at her “best.” Or maybe she’s redirecting some of her ire toward the comments section (which she’s turned off at this point), where trolls abound in innovatively hateful ways.
And so it is that “Piece of Me” lyrics like, “Don’t matter if I step on the scene/Or sneak away to the Philippines/They still gon’ put pictures of my derrière in the magazine/You want a piece of me?/You want a piece of me” transmogrify into “Mind Your Business” lyrics like, “Uptown, downtown, everywhere I turn around/Hollywood, London, snap-snap is the sound/Paparazzi shot me, I am the economy [the “Britney economy” being the name of the entire career that cropped up out of documenting her in the aughts]/Follow me, follow me, follow me/Follow, follow me.” That last line having new meaning in the social media epoch.
Of course, a song like “Mind Your Business” exemplifies the great dichotomy of fame. Of how, on the one hand, a celebrity craves the kind of attention that secures them millions (or even billions of dollars), yet on the other, they just want to be treated like a “regular person.” A.k.a. have the financial/influence-related benefits of fame, along with anonymity and privacy in their “off” hours. Alas, being famous is a 24/7 occupation (but at least the pay grade somewhat matches that grueling schedule more accordingly than it does for others).
Britney once likened her life to a “Circus” and having all eyes on her in the center of the ring. To some extent, that’s made her world-weary. To another, it’s part of the “I’m paid attention to, therefore I am” mentality that many celebrities can’t ever shake once they find their fame. And, talking of circuses, the intro to “Mind Your Business” has a very circus-y, zany type of sound—with a sinister undertone that the Joker could probably get on board with. For that’s what belies the “glitz” and “glamor” of fame: a seedy, nightmarish underbelly. It then concludes with a choir-y repetition of “mind your B.” This after the final verse delivered by Spears that somewhat unfortunately echoes another 00s song, Baha Men’s “Who Let the Dogs Out?” Namely, when Spears, likely referring to her current coterie of canines, warns, “If they don’t get up out my face, then send the dogs out (woof)/Five seconds and then the dogs come out (woof)/You know what happens when the dogs come out/None of your business-ness.” The playful nonsensicality of it harkens back to Spears’ tone on “Work Bitch” (among the few standout tracks from Britney Jean) when she says, “I bring the treble, don’t mean to trouble ya/I make it bubble up, call me the bubbler/I am the bad bitch, the bitch that you’re lovin’ up.”
Elsewhere, it’s not as though will.i.am’s lyrics do much to update the sound of the song either, with Big Brother-y nods like, “They watchin’ me, they watchin’ ya/They got eyes up in the sky/So pose for that camera” channeling Snoop Dogg and Justin Timberlake’s 2005 single, “Signs,” on which the former raps, “Now you stepping wit a G, from Los Angeles/Where the helicopters got cameras/Just to get a glimpse of our Chucks/And our khakis and our bouncer cars.” Much as they tried to get a glimpse of Britney doing just about anything banal (usually leaving Starbucks)…circa the 00s.
In the present, Spears still refers to unflattering paparazzi photos she sees of herself (though it’s hard to say where), as though despising, more than anything, not being able to sustain the image she has of herself as that twenty-two-year-old from 2003 (hence, the picture chosen for the “Mind Your Business” cover art). Madonna, too, has a similar problem, but in contrast to Britney’s idol, there seems, here, to be a lack of any attempt at reinvention (both image-wise and in terms of experimenting with a different sound), so much as a leaning further into the decade that made her an icon in the first place. Because maybe, in the end, the early and mid-aughts are the last time she can remember, like so many of us, feeling any sense of “normalcy.” For, as skewed as her (and humanity’s) “normal” was back then, it’s undoubtedly even more oblique now.
In an interview with Variety completed before the actors’ strike, Spears recalled drama surrounding the end of Zoey 101 after four seasons—a decision made prior to her pregnancy, but announced alongside news that she was expecting a baby at age 16. “I think when I wrapped Zoey there were all these plans of things like, ‘Let’s go do movies.’ I was reading scripts for things I was excited about,” she told the outlet.
One such script? “I did read for Twilight,” Spears said. “This was before vampires had really made their mark. Now we all love to watch stories about vampires, but I literally was like, ‘Vampires? Are you kidding me?’ I remember reading it and going, ‘Who is going to watch these vampires?’ Boy, was I wrong.”
Spears previously recalled this experience to Nylon, revealing that she was unknowingly pregnant during the audition. “I remember sitting in this little room, and I think Lily Collins was there, and I felt so sick. Little did I know, I was pregnant,” she told the publication in 2020.
Instead of appearing in Twilight, Spears retreated from the spotlight to Mississippi, where she welcomed her daughter Maddie, now age 13. “I was so concerned about bringing another human being into this world, but I needed to figure out who I was. And the press wasn’t exactly very nice,” Spears said. “I wanted to get as far away from it as I could.”
Spears maintains that while raising her daughter “was not something that I regret or held me back,” she did harbor fears that her acting career wouldn’t bounce back. “I was like, ‘What if it doesn’t work out?’ But it was something I always wanted,” Spears said. “I think I was afraid to admit it to myself because I didn’t wanna give everybody the satisfaction of saying, ‘It’s not gonna happen for you. You had a baby, remember?’”
Since returning to the screen in 2020, Spears has appeared on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, which returns for a third season on July 20, and stars in Zoey 102, a revival of her hit show that debuts via Paramount+ on July 27.
It’s never too late to apologize, but Victor Wembanyama is keeping Britney Spears waiting.
In exclusive footage obtained by TMZ, the 7 ft tall San Antonio Spurs player, who recently played an underwhelming debut NBA match, could be seen refusing to apologize to the pop icon, despite her many online pleas for one.
Spears and Wembanyama made headlines everywhere this week when the Mississippi-born Spears alleged that the France-born basketballer’s security slapped her in the face when she approached him at a restaurant in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
There wasn’t much of a clear picture of what went down until TMZ released footage of the incident, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that Spears had inadvertently struck herself in the face when the athlete’s security swatted her away.
Fast forward to Saturday, and Wembanyama stopped by a local gym to meet some adoring fans, and it appears he’s still rolling with the same level of security following the fiasco and potentially the same security guard who guarded him from Spears.
As fans were mobbing him, one of them loudly asked him if he wanted to apologize to the “Toxic” singer directly, but Wemby walked away without acknowledgement, possibly his answer to the question.
Despite Spears’ attempts to file for a police report, Las Vegas authorities decided not to go through with the case.
For those who have followed the latest in an endlessly bizarre series of celebrity news items, perhaps the most unexpected of late has been Britney Spears getting backhanded by one of the security guards for current NBA darling Victor Wembanyama. The French nineteen-year-old might not have even been born when one of Spears’ biggest hits, “Toxic,” was released, but he certainly knew 1) the meaning of that song and 2) who he had trifled with the day after the “incident” in question made worldwide headlines.
Spears, who everyone knows is mild-mannered and sweet as pie when it comes to being a fangirl (see: Britney iconically trying to imitate Julia Roberts with a rose in her mouth on the December 2007 cover of Vanity Fair), perhaps made the rookie mistake (pun intended) of assuming that she still lives in a time when it was safe to perform even the simplest of gestures (i.e., shoulder tapping). Not to mention one of the most traditional in terms of “celebrity honoring.” And that is: wanting to ask for her picture to be taken with Wembanyama. Next to requesting an autograph, it’s about as wholesome as you can get when it comes to being a fan. Because fans are, increasingly (as many know post-Items Being Launched at Singers While Performing Live), pretty fucking weird and demanding. But Spears, a famous person that has experienced her own fair share of fans wanting a “piece of her,” didn’t seem up to date on the reality of post-social media, post-woke life/exchanges with another human in the evermore irascible public space. That in the contentious, constantly-about-to-reach-a-boiling-point climate of now, everyone—especially those in the public eye—are on their ultimate defense (no basketball position reference meant).
Living in a society like ours, American or otherwise (but particularly American, if we’re being real), every interaction has somehow transformed into a potential for danger, liability. Something Spears didn’t have to deal with quite so much in her proverbial heyday. This being part of why the security guard’s unwarranted assault felt so jarring to her, and why, roughly two days after the scuffle, she continued to openly comment on the matter by writing on her Instagram, “I’ve been working in the industry for years and have been with some of the most famous people in the world…NSYNC at one point were like The Beatles [a big stretch, but let’s pretend]. Girls would throw themselves at them everywhere we went…not one time in my life has a security guard ever hit another person!!! I’m not sharing this to be a victim … I SIMPLY GET IT HONESTLY … my reaction was priceless … BAD ??? YES … I’ve had documentaries done about me and none of which I approved … I have felt helpless in most situations and my experience in Vegas and my reaction was a cry out on all levels.”
A cry that, once again, has gone mostly unheard, with media outlets using terms like “alleged assault” when referring to what the director of security for the San Antonio Spurs, Damian Smith, did to Spears. Physically lashing out at her without assessing the situation whatsoever and causing her to hit herself in the face with her own hand (giving new meaning to the phrase, “Hit me, baby/One more time”). All the while, Wembanyama remained blissfully unaware of the chaos (per his account, with Brit contrarily stating, “Watching the player laugh was cruel and demoralizing”) he was indirectly causing, continuing on his merry way without ever turning around at all. Because it becomes so easy to be oblivious when The Fame arrives and, with it, a series of handlers to deal with the things you were once forced to as a “peasant.” It’s like Wembanyama forgot that he grew up in Nanterre at all.
Although Spears has been sure to highlight that she’s never witnessed such knee-jerk violence from a security guard before, perhaps she missed the main headline from 2018’s New York Fashion Week, during which a vaguely similar event occurred. Similar in that it also involved two famous people and a security team lash-out. Granted, two famous people on a level playing field (for, no matter what any basketball fan tries to tell you, Britney Spears is the superior icon here): Nicki Minaj and Cardi B. In this scenario, Cardi filled the Britney role (eerie, when considering she recently wrote a verse wherein she raps, “I feel like Britney Spears”) by actually trying to attack Minaj, whose security team then intervened and escorted her out of the venue.
Of course, that scenario made slightly more sense (as things sort of still did in a pre-COVID world) in that Minaj and Cardi’s animosity had been stewing for a while (in spite of playing nice with each other by collaborating on “MotorSport”). The one that somehow involved Spears and Wembanyama ever crossing paths at all in the same place, at the same time (short of Spears actually attending a Spurs game) would not appear as “plausible” were it not so on-brand for 2023. Where the word “absurd” has lost all of its original meaning and instead been redefined as: “perfectly normal.” As it has long been just that to not only publicly humiliate Spears, but also twist everything she does in such a way as to make her come across as the villain. The “bad guy,” as Billie Eilish would say (and yes, Spears has displayed an affinity for that song in the past).
Wembanyama had no issue perpetuating that pattern by describing the situation that unfolded outside of Catch restaurant in Las Vegas’ ARIA hotel as follows: “Something did happen, a little bit [already downplaying it with that word choice, clearly], when I was walking with some security from the team to some restaurant. We were in the hall. There was a lot of people, so people calling me, obviously. There was one person who was calling me, but we talked before with the security. I couldn’t stop. That person was calling me, ‘sir, sir,’ and that person grabbed me from behind.” And with that one very pointed word choice—“grabbed”— Wembanyama proceeded to add himself to the list of people who, for whatever reason, get their kicks from portraying Spears as unhinged. If she is, well, then everyone is responsible for making her that way. And, in truth, it’s a wonder she hasn’t been institutionalized in the same mental hospital *NSYNC was admitted to by now. That’s what probably would have happened to anyone else enduring her circumstances that didn’t have a song called “Stronger.”
This perhaps also being why she could suffer such fools as Wembanyama insisting, “I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and didn’t stop. That person grabbed me from behind, not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind. I just know the security pushed her away. I don’t know with how much force, but security pushed her away. I didn’t stop to look so I could walk in and enjoy the nice dinner.”
Spears, on the other hand, was not able to walk in and enjoy what should have been her nice dinner. And all after she was just trying to be, what else, nice. Congratulate a bitch on his success and express her admiration. But she should have learned her lesson by now: no good deed goes unpunished (starting with honing her singing and dancing talents ultimately as a means to financially support her family). And she was punished with not only more public humiliation, but the insult to (literal) injury that was not being believed. Having people assume that Wembanyama’s account of things was the accurate one, just because it’s not only “easier” but “more fun” to believe in the “crazy” behavior of Britney Spears. The persona she’s been saddled and “entertaining” people with for longer than she was a tabloid-evading pop star.
In typical Britney fashion, however, she took the unwarranted assault as a chance to address a larger issue in our society at this moment. One that she seemed not to notice amplifying while she was under lock and key. And that is: everyone is extremely fuckin’ uppity. So concerned they’re going to be hurt that they end up hurting others. So it was that Spears took the chance to declare, “Physical violence is happening too much in this world. Often behind closed doors. I stand with all the victims and my heart goes out to all of you!!! I have yet to get a public apology from the player, his security or their organization. I hope they will…” It seems likely that they won’t. And that, if they do, it will be solely to “save face” (and after so egregiously endangering Britney’s). Not that a man can ever really lose any. Bringing us to another egregious reality of this entire situation: if a woman’s security had done the same to a man, she would automatically be reamed to no end by critics and commentators alike, while the man could enjoy the luxury of being portrayed as the innocent lamb-like victim.
Spears unwittingly pointed out the double standard between what’s expected of men versus women, even when it comes to how they “direct” their security. Remarking sadly of what happened, “I get swarmed by people all the time. In fact, that night, I was swarmed by a group of at least twenty fans. My security team didn’t hit any of them.” And that’s not just because Spears is kinder, but also because she probably knows, with her luck, she would be put in jail—held up as the responsible party. Not so for Wembanyama, just a blameless bystander with no control over the situation. And sure, one can pull the “he’s only nineteen” card as an excuse, but where was any such argument for Spears when she was nineteen? Or sixteen (her age when “…Baby One More Time” came out)? Or twelve (her age when The Mickey Mouse Club was on the air)? There have never been concessions for Spears’ faux pas, no matter how directly or peripherally involved she’s been in a scandal (usually amplified from a minor peccadillo). And the lack of compassion for that factor was no better exemplified by watching Spears’ hand get abruptly batted away as she was trying to make a connection with someone. If that isn’t symbolism for so much of her life in the spotlight, then what is?
That Spears’ altercation didn’t result in any charges being pressed against Wembanyama’s security member just goes to show that even when a woman’s word is forced to be believed due to video evidence, a man will still get off with a slap on the wrist. Just as that also seems to be the case for Spears’ father at this juncture, after all the years and all the money he robbed from his own daughter. Still, in the end, the biggest slap of all. But that didn’t make the one from Wembanyama’s “bodyguard” hurt any less. Nor the failed attempt at being “just an ordinary fan.” Nor the realization that Vegas remains a source of great pain for Spears regardless of her efforts to create more positive memories there. But, as she noted after being smacked, “That’s America for you! Fuck you!”
Britney Spears and rookie NBA player Victor Wembanyama are disputing the facts about an altercation in a Las Vegas restaurant that allegedly saw the pop singer nearly knocked to the ground on Wednesday.
Spears, 41, said she was “back handed” by a security guard for Wembanyama when she approached the much-hyped 19-year-old basketball star at Catch restaurant in the Aria hotel to congratulate him on his career success. Wembanyama was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs last month as the team’s first overall pick.
In a statement shared to social media on Thursday, Spears addressed the “traumatic experience” that saw Las Vegas police launch an investigation into alleged battery against Spears.
“Traumatic experiences are not new to me and I have had my fair share of them,” Spears wrote in an Instagram post on Thursday. “I was not prepared for what happened to me last night.”
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Spears said she approached Wembanyama and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
Wembanyama, in an interview with San Antonio sports anchor Nate Ryan, claimed Spears did not tap him on the shoulder, but rather grabbed him from behind.
“I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and was told don’t stop,” he said.
He confirmed his security “pushed” Spears away but said he did not know “with how much force.”
Wembanyama claimed not to have known it was Spears who had approached him until hours later when he was told by his security team.
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Moments ago,#Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama addresses the incident last night with Britney Spears in Las Vegas: pic.twitter.com/T33s7R4yUl
According to the Associated Press, Las Vegas police have said they obtained surveillance video that shows Spears inadvertently hit herself in the face. The authority claimed Spears hit herself when the security guard pushed her away from Wembanyama’s shoulder.
Spears wrote that Wembanyama’s security “back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd.”
She claimed she was nearly pushed to the ground by the force of the slap and had her glasses knocked off her face.
“It’s important to share this story and urge people in the public eye to set an example and treat all people with respect,” Spears said.
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She said she has yet to receive an apology from Wembanyama, his security or the Spurs. Spears filed a report with police after the incident on Wednesday.
On Friday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) said they would not file charges against the security guard who allegedly struck Spears.
“The LVMPD has concluded its investigation of the alleged battery that occurred on July 5, 2023, at 11 p.m., in the 3700 block of Las Vegas Boulevard. No charges will be filed against the person involved,” the department said in a statement.
Spears’ husband Sam Asghari, who was also present when she was allegedly struck, made a statement of his own about the incident.
“I am opposed to violence in any form, especially without justification in the defense of yourself or someone else who is unable to defend themselves,” Asghari, 29, wrote.
“Self-defense can be unavoidable, but the defense of any woman, especially my wife, is not debatable.”
Sam Asghari posted to his Instagram story on July 6, 2023, about an alleged altercation between Britney Spears and Victor Wembanyama’s security.
Instagram @samasghari
Wembanyama, currently the NBA’s tallest active player at an impressive seven feet four inches, is set to make his professional debut as part of the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas this Friday.
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Spears, whose 13-year-conservatorship ended in November 2021, recently reconnected with her mother after years-long drama surrounding Spears’ allegations of mistreatment at the hands of her family. She married Asghari, a model and fitness trainer, in June 2022.
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