Britney Spears addressed the New York Times documentary about her directly for the first time this week, confessing to her fans that she still feels very judged and vulnerable when it comes to the media criticism that has always surrounded her high-profile life.
The pop star shared a video of herself dancing on Instagram on Tuesday alongside a lengthy caption expressing how she felt watching the story of her career and conservatorship unfold on screen. “My life has always been very speculated,” Spears began. “Watched…and judged really my whole life!!!” Which is why she says she dances to Steven Tyler‘s music every night “for my sanity” and because it makes her “feel wild and human and alive!!!” She continued, “I have been exposed my whole life performing in front of people!!! It takes a lot of strength to TRUST the universe with your real vulnerability cause I’ve always been so judged…insulted…and embarrassed by the media…and I still am till this day!!!! As the world keeps on turning and life goes on we still remain so fragile and sensitive as people!!!”
She confessed that while she didn’t watch the whole documentary, “from what I did see of it I was embarrassed by the light they put me in…I cried for two weeks and well….I still cry sometimes!!!! I do what I can in my own spirituality with myself to try and keep my own joy…love…and happiness!!!! Every day dancing brings me joy !!! I’m not here to be perfect…perfect is boring…I’m here to pass on kindness!!!”
While this is the first time Spears has addressed Framing Britney Spears directly, in February shortly after the film’s release, she seemed to obliquely reference the continued public interest in her private life. The singer told her fans, “Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives!!! Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens!!!!”
Since the release of the documentary, there have been numerous rumors that the pop star is working on telling her story in her own words. However, it seems Spears is currently much more focused on the ongoing battle over her conservatorship and the role of her father, Jamie Spears. Last month, she won the right to have a wealth-management firm put in charge of her finances, allowing them to act as co-conservator of her estate alongside Jamie. And last week, the singer officially “requested the resignation” of her father as her permanent conservator, asking that her care manager, Jodi Montgomery, be installed in his place.
— The Shockingly Melancholy Britney Spears Doc You’ve Never Heard Of
— R.O. Kwon’s Letter to Asian Women Whose Hearts Are Still Breaking
— Angelina Jolie Offers to Testify Against Brad Pitt in Drawn-Out Divorce
— The 14 Best Retinol Products for a Skin Reboot
— A British Constitution Expert Explains Why the Royals Are Trapped
— Cracking the Case of London’s Acrobatic Rare-Book Thieves
— How a Jurassic Park Roller Coaster Got Attacked by Actual Raptors
— From the Archive: The Ominous Signs in Ted Ammon’s East Hampton Murder
— Serena Williams, Michael B. Jordan, Gal Gadot, and more are coming to your favorite screen April 13–15. Get your tickets to Vanity Fair’s Cocktail Hour, Live! here.