Britney Spears and her new memoir The Woman In Me are setting the record straight on some much-discussed celebrity rumours surrounding the singer over the last 25 years.
The title – lifted from the lyrics of her anthem I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman – indicates that she’s telling her own side of the story, her own truth from the woman inside her. And we applaud her for recounting these sometimes heartbreaking realities from her side.
She has cast a light on her relationship with Justin Timberlake and its traumatic aftermath, the rationale behind her infamous head shaving and the horrendous impact of her conservatorship – here are the most shocking revelations.
1. Cry Me A River proved Justin Timberlake’s power to “shame” Britney, stopping her from telling her side of the story
The star spoke out about her the aftermath of her relationship with Justin Timberlake, pointing out that he still doesn’t understand the impact it had on her to this day, particularly the public reaction to Cry Me A River, which was a nod to their break up.
“Everyone felt very sorry for him. And it shamed me,” she wrote. “I felt there was no way at the time to tell my side of the story. I couldn’t explain, because I knew no one would take my side once Justin had convinced the world of his version.
“I don’t think Justin realised the power he had in shaming me. I don’t think he understands to this day.
“After Cry Me A River came out, anywhere I went, I could get booed. I would go to clubs and I would hear boos. Once I went to a Lakers game with my little sister and one of my brother’s friends, and the whole place, the whole arena, booed me.”
Britney added that Justin broke up with her over text, after three years together, while she was filming her music video for Overprotected. She had to carry on with filming, despite being devastated about the break up.
2. Britney and Justin did, in fact, cheat on each other
It was hinted in the music video for Cry Me A River that Britney was unfaithful to Justin Timberlake during their relationship – but it seems that there were two sides to that story.
According to her memoir, Justin cheated with “another celebrity” that Britney didn’t name, as they have a family and she didn’t want to embarrass them.
In turn, she also confessed that she kissed choreographer Wade Robson on a night out while with Timberlake.
3. The real reason why she shaved her head back in 2007
She explained that the impact of her being “eyeballed” and “looked up and down”, led to her shaving her head as a way to “act out” and hit back against all the scrutiny she had received for years. It was her breaking point.
4. She had an “agonising” secret abortion while she was with Justin Timberlake
Britney has revealed in the memoir that she terminated a pregnancy while in a relationship with Justin Timberlake, at 19 years old, according to People.