Britney Spears stripped down to her underwear in a new Instagram video on Thursday to address the lasting damage from her 13-year conservatorship.
The 44-year-old pop superstar wore a black bra and skimpy panties as she reflected on how she was forced to perform despite feeling scared during the legal arrangement.
Spears wrote that early in her career she was painfully shy and would get asthma and start shaking if she had to meet more than 10 people during meet-and-greets. Her former assistant Felicia could see how frightened she was in her eyes.
Her father, Jamie Spears, insisted she meet as many as 70 people during those sessions. Spears said the experience hurt her soul, destroyed her sensitivity, and made her feel like a robot and a machine.
She said she felt proud of herself for shutting all that down because it was forced for too many years. She added that she misses the real relationship and sacredness she used to share with people before losing her sensitivity.
The Daily Mail reached out to representatives for Spears and her father for comment regarding her latest statements.
Rock 'n' Roll Outfit and Stage Persona
Spears also discussed her outfit in the video, sharing a conversation she had with a friend who questioned why she was wearing a rock 'n' roll bra when it was not her style.
Spears agreed with her friend, noting she would not normally wear such a bra, though she wore similar outfits every night while performing I Love Rock 'n' Roll on stage.
She reflected on how much she had changed, writing that she could barely believe she used to perform in front of massive crowds. Re-sharing the clip with a second caption, she stated that people still do not realize the real damage done to her heart and soul during the conservatorship.
Spears explained that while she was painfully shy in private, she was able to adopt a different persona on stage. However, she felt that game was overdone, silly, and embarrassing after she had children, noting it was easier to perform at a younger age.
Comparing the new clip to her past work, Spears noted the video was identical to her Gimme More music video, but showed a version of her with 6-year-old legs and looking much younger.
She added that she has been single for a long time and rarely shows her body online, apart from one occasion in a green bathing suit. She also commented on her height, revealing she is extremely short despite appearing to have long legs in paparazzi photos and her living room.
Meeting Shakira and LA Encounters
Spears recalled her early career in Los Angeles, where she constantly felt like the youngest and shortest person in any room until she met Colombian singer Shakira.
She remembered meeting Shakira on the set of her Whenever, Wherever music video, where Shakira wore colorful braids while Spears had just woken up from a nap in her car. Spears said finding out they were the exact same size made her finally feel normal.
Spears described Shakira as her twin in size, noting Shakira was even closer in height to her than Christina Aguilera, who is shorter than Spears.
Conservatorship Battles and Personal Struggles
Spears was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship in February 2008 following a series of public mental health crises, hospitalizations, and intense media scrutiny.
Her father, Jamie Spears, served as primary conservator for most of the arrangement. Attorney Andrew Wallet served alongside him as co-conservator from 2008 until his resignation in 2019.
Jamie Spears maintained that controlling his daughter's finances, career, and personal liberties was necessary to protect her wellbeing. Spears previously denounced the arrangement as abusive.
The legal arrangement was terminated in November 2021 after nearly 14 years. Fans had championed the FreeBritney movement for years and wept outside the courtroom when the conservatorship officially ended.
Spears has maintained a contentious relationship with her family in the years following the decision. Her family includes her father Jamie, her mother Lynne, and her brother Bryan.
The pop star has faced public personal struggles for nearly two decades. In 2007, at age 25, she suffered a breakdown after displaying worrying behavior, which included shaving her head and attacking a paparazzi vehicle with a green umbrella before checking into rehab.
In January 2008, she was placed on a psychiatric hold at a facility after refusing to surrender her young son to her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Spears shares two sons, 20-year-old Sean Preston and 19-year-old Jayden, with Federline.
Reckless Driving Arrest and Probation
More recently, Spears was arrested on the evening of March 4 near her home in Ventura County, California. Police responded to an anonymous report of a vehicle traveling at high speeds and swerving on the road.
Spears pleaded guilty to reckless driving as part of a plea deal. She was sentenced to 12 months of probation and one day in jail, which was credited as time served.
The court fined Spears $571 and ordered her to meet with a psychologist weekly and a psychiatrist twice a month. Following her arrest, Spears spent three weeks in a rehabilitation facility.
