In the new FX documentary Framing Britney Spears, The New York Times explores the pop singer's origins in an attempt to trace where exactly things may have gone wrong. As the project exposes the many people and institutions that failed Britney Spears, her celebrity peers are speaking up in support. #FreeBritney continues.
A collaboration between the NYT, FX, and Hulu, Framing Britney Spears uncovers a pattern of disturbing power plays and misogyny throughout Spears' career. Since making her debut as a solo artist at the age of 16, much of about Spears' life was controlled by her then-manager and father Jamie Spears. As she got older and came into her own, the singer's personal life became fodder for news headlines and gossip stories tinged with sexist sensationalism that would follow her for years to come.
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When Britney went through a public mental health crisis in 2007, her father and personal attorney Andrew Wallet were granted a legal conservatorship over her empire, giving them complete control over her assets. The move, which many people didn't know about at the time, further prevented Britney from being able to live her life the way that she pleased.
The world has been tuning into the documentary, and women in Hollywood are particularly unnerved by the details revealed throughout the project and are speaking out in support of the pop diva.
Hayley Williams
the Framing Britney Spears doc holy fuck.
— hayley from Paramore 🥀 (@yelyahwilliams) February 6, 2021
no artist today would have to endure the literal torture that media/society/utter misogynists inflicted upon her.
the mental health awareness conversation, culturally, could never be where it is without the awful price she has paid.
"No artist today would have to endure the literal torture that media/society/utter misogynists inflicted upon her," the Paramore frontwoman wrote of Britney after watching the Hulu special. "The mental health awareness conversation, culturally, could never be where it is without the awful price she has paid."
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves supporting Britney pic.twitter.com/lsMGdrs6Mg
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) February 8, 2021
After watching the stunning documentary. Kacey Musgraves urged her Instagram followers to do the same. In a post shared to her Instagram story, the singer expressed sadness about the issues that Britney has dealt with while being in the public eye.
"Never has a person been so used and abandoned by every facet around her," wrote Mugraves of the pop star. "My heart goes out to her...wish she could get a re-do."
Sarah Jessica Parker
— Sarah Jessica Parker (@SJP) February 7, 2021
The Sex and the City star kept it short but impactful by tweeting "#FreeBritney" without any context.
Rico Nasty
Free Britney . Like what the actual fuck are y’all doing to that woman ....
— TACOBELLA (@Rico_nastyy) February 7, 2021
"Free Brtitney," tweeted rapper Rico Nasty. "Like what the actual fuck are y'all doing to that woman..."
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Miley Cyrus
“We love Britney” Miley during Party In The USA #FreeBritney #SuperBowl pic.twitter.com/Wsh6rJFsOy
— Miley Nation (@MileyNation13) February 7, 2021
Miley Cyrus was tapped to perform at a Super Bowl TikTok pre-game show on Sunday February 7, and she gave Britney a shoutout during a performance of "Party in the USA."
"We love Britney!" she cheered after mentioning the singer in the pre-chorus.
Busy Phillips
This breaks my heart. https://t.co/GepX8Sdw2y
— Busy Philipps (@BusyPhilipps) February 9, 2021
A clip circulated of 17-year-old Britney being inappropriately interviewed about possibly having a breast augmentation — why would they ask a teenager about her breasts?? — prompting Busy Phillips to tweet about the interview "[breaking her] heart."
Courtney Love
#freebritney
— Courtney Love Cobain (@Courtney) February 8, 2021
Thank you @nytimes you did what you could. 🎀💔#wearesorrybritney pic.twitter.com/F8TZnXyyAa
After watching Framing Britney Spears, Courtney Love thanked the NYT for bringing Britney's story to light and shared a graphic apologizing to her fellow singer on Twitter.
"We are so sorry, Britney," the image read.
Dionne Warwick
I hope that @britneyspears is having a wonderful day. 💗
— Dionne Warwick (@dionnewarwick) February 10, 2021
The pop hitmaker sent Britney love and well-wishes on Twitter.
It's important to note that most of the A-listers publicly supporting Spears right now are women, and it's likely because many of them can relate to being subjected to overwhelming sexism and intense scrutiny as a result of working in the entertainment industry. Almost every woman who has worked in Hollywood has been on the receiving end of industry abuse, mistreated for the simple fact that they were women. Britney's extenuating circumstances serve as the most extreme case study for what happens when women are not allowed to hold the reigns of their own narratives.
The #FreeBritney movement is still happening; Britney's father remains the primary conservator over her assets, and she is reportedly "afraid" of what he may to do her and to her legacy. But even as Britney continues fighting for her rights, the world would do well to learn from her troubling story, giving women the opportunity to control their lives from the insidious misogyny that derailed Britney's career.