Share

Britney Spears set to hit bestseller list with tell-all memoir

accreditation
0:00
play article
Subscribers can listen to this article
Britney Spears attends 2022 Sony Pictures Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood Los Angeles Premiere in Hollywood, California.
Britney Spears attends 2022 Sony Pictures Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood Los Angeles Premiere in Hollywood, California.
Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
  • Britney Spears recounts her years as a superstar who became a victim of her success in her upcoming memoir.
  • Spears has made numerous revelations in the book, made available through excerpts.
  • Spears looks to add a number one bestselling book to her list of artistic accomplishments.


Two years after escaping her father's guardianship, Britney Spears recounts her years as a superstar who became a victim of her success in a highly anticipated memoir being published on Tuesday.

One revelation from The Woman in Me has already made headlines, with Spears saying she felt pressured into having an abortion while dating fellow popstar Justin Timberlake between 1999 and 2002.

"If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it," she writes. "It's one of the most agonising things I have ever experienced in my life."

READ MORE | 'I became a robot:' 5 takeaways from Britney Spears' upcoming memoir

The publishers have kept a tight lid on most of the contents - unsurprising since Simon & Schuster reportedly paid more than 15 million dollars for the rights.

It was not a risky bet, however - the book is already topping the pre-sale chart at Amazon US. It is being released on Tuesday in around 20 countries and 10 languages.

"Reliving everything has been exciting, heart-wrenching, and emotional, to say the least," Spears told People magazine.

The emotional turmoil means the 41-year-old singer has only recorded a small section for the audiobook, leaving the rest to actor Michelle Williams.

"There are so many hard things to read in the news about my book," she wrote on her Instagram this week.

"Then I woke up this morning and said it's all relative... nothing really matters at this point."

Up and down

Spears came from a very humble background and found early fame on The Mickey Mouse Club alongside other future stars, Ryan Gosling and Christina Aguilera.

At 16, she became one of the most famous women on the planet with 1998's iconic ...Baby One More Time, which sold 10 million copies to become one of the biggest hits of all time.

Eight more albums followed, often selling in the millions, including Oops!...I Did it Again and In the Zone, combined with spectacular world tours.

Growing up in the media glare, relentlessly sexualised by her marketing from a young age, Spears lost her footing in 2007.

A highly public breakdown in which she shaved her head and was filmed attacking a paparazzi's car led to her father, Jamie Spears, taking legal control over her life.

It meant he controlled her finances, career decisions and even whether she could see her children or marry - which Spears described as tantamount to "abuse".

Her fans organised a campaign - #FreeBritney - aided by media investigations that finally led a court to remove her father as guardian in September 2021.

She apparently no longer speaks to her family.

Her life has hardly been smooth sailing since then - her marriage to model Sam Asghari ended in August after just 14 months.

But Spears at least looks set to add a number one bestselling book to her list of artistic accomplishments.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE