Britney Spears in 2017. (Scott Dudelson/Getty)
Britney Spears has condemned loved ones who “ignored” her when she needed them most in a furious Instagram post.
The singer shared an image on Friday night (16 July) on Instagram that read: “Never forget who ignored you when you needed them and who helped you before you even had to ask.”
“There’s nothing worse than when the people closest to you who never showed up for you post things in regard to your situation whatever it may be and speak righteously for support,” Britney Spears captioned the post.
“There’s nothing worse than that!!!! How dare the people you love the most say anything at all… did they even put a hand out to even lift me up at the TIME!!!???
“How dare you make it public that NOW you CARE… did you put your hand out when I was drowning???? Again… NO…”
Britney Spears urged loved ones to stop with their ‘righteous approach’
She continued: “If you’re gonna post something… Please stop with the righteous approach when you’re so far from righteous it’s not even funny… and have a good day!!!!”
Closing out her post, Spears wrote: “PS if you’re reading this today and you can relate… I’m sorry because I know what it’s like… and I send you my love.”
In the comments, countless fans suggested Britney’s post could be about her sister Jamie Lynn Spears, who has been speaking out on behalf of the singer following her bombshell court testimony in June.
Others identified Justin Timberlake, Britney’s mother Lynn and other high-profile figures who have spoken out on the singer’s behalf in recent weeks as possible targets.
Britney Spears’ latest Instagram post comes after a turbulent few weeks for the singer. On 23 June, she appeared virtually in court, where she spoke out publicly against her conservatorship for the first time.
Speaking to a Los Angeles judge, Spears said the complex legal arrangement that has controlled her life for over a decade was “abusive”, claiming she wasn’t allowed to have children or marry her boyfriend Sam Asghari.
She also criticised her court-appointed lawyer Samuel Ingham III, suggesting that he never told her she could petition to have the conservatorship terminated.
Weeks later, Ingham resigned from Spears’ case. At a court appearance on Wednesday (14 July), she was granted permission to hire her own legal counsel for the first time.
Going forward, she will be represented by Hollywood legal powerhouse Mathew Rosengart, whose past clients include Sean Penn and Steven Spielberg.