Last week, Britney Spears broke her (allegedly forced) silence about the decade-plus conservatorship she’s endured, and the details alleged by the embattled pop star were astonishingly grim. In a 20-minute remote testimony to an LA judge, Spears begged for an end to her father’s traumatizing control of her finances and personal choices, alleging she has been forced to perform against her will, involuntarily medicated and even forbidden from removing an intrauterine device (IUD).
It marked the peak of the #FreeBritney movement, which rose to prominence in the aftermath of the 2008 conservatorship that granted Spears’ father Jamie control over Britney's life choices following a public breakdown. Earlier this year, the movement picked up steam via the Hulu/New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, which shined an investigative light on the star's conundrum.
With #FreeBritney trending throughout the week, many stars jumped on social media to voice their support, among them Justin Timberlake and Perez Hilton, both of whom have endured accusations of misogyny directed at Spears in the past. One celebrity that was not in the fray was fellow pop star and The Voice host Christina Aguilara… until now.
These past few days I’ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through.
— Christina Aguilera (@xtina) June 29, 2021
It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish. pic.twitter.com/NRhNwcJaD3
The "What a Girl Wants" singer posted a lengthy Twitter thread expressing passionate support for her co-star, saying "It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish."
Aguilera and Spears' ran parallel career paths in the '90s and early aughts. Both emerged from child stardom to release breakout albums in 1999 — Spears with …Baby One More Time and Aguilera with a self-titled album led by the single "Genie in a Bottle — and transitioned into global superstars and sex symbols.
Throughout their careers, the two were intrinsically linked, with fans and the media often pitting the two against one another as rivals, despite the two seeming very friendly offstage. Famously, the two shared a kiss with Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, generating headlines and controversy while cementing the moment among the most iconic of the awards' history.
"To a woman who has worked under conditions unimaginable to most, I promise you she deserves all of the freedom possible to live her happiest life, "Aguilera continued in her thread. "My heart goes out to Britney. She deserves all the TRUE love and support in the world."
Spears' conservatorship hearing is ongoing, with Jamie Spears maintaining his innocence in a renewed bid to control his daughter's finances and personal affairs. The hearing will conclude after testimony from mental health professionals.
Spears' sister, Jamie Lynn, meanwhile, has also broken her silence on her older sister's current situation through a video message posted to instagram (carried via People).
"The only reason I hadn't before is because I felt like until my sister was able to speak for herself and say what she felt she needed to say publicly that it wasn't my place and it wasn't the right thing to do," Jamie Lynn Spears said. She continued, "I don't care if she wants to run away to a rainforest and have zillion babies in the middle of nowhere, or if she wants to come back and dominate the world the way she has done so many times before… I'm only her sister who's only concerned about her happiness."
The hard-hitting Framing Britney Spears is a must-watch documentary
Stars come out in full support of Britney following her hearing