During Britney's Vegas residency she wrote letters to a young gay fan who was struggling with mental health issues every year

[jonloch1]

i think i said on here last year. i watched Live and More for the first time in years last year and it was from 2000 and she was so caring towards her fans and hugged them and really engaged with them. and i honestly think the only reason shes not like that now is because people like her own father and Kevin have took advantage of her for years so her trust for people is gone

[MyQueenBritney]

I love reading stories like this.

She has done such sweet things for her fans. Britney has even been photographed wearing bracelets and necklaces given to her by fans.

 

 

[Slayer]

Full article:

Spoiler

So making a film like this about a celebrity with a rabid fanbase, and about someone who is both enigmatic and ridiculously over-exposed is a Monumental task. What made you decide to take the plunge and do it?

You know, it sounds naive, but I didn’t realize there would be this much interest in it. I’ve worked at The New York Times now for nine years, and done so many different things. People aren’t usually this interested in what I do. There’s a lot of pressure. I feel pressure no matter what project I’m doing, but this one has an extreme elephant in the room: it’s the only thing I’ve ever made where the person it’s about isn’t participating. So, trying to figure out how to tell a story about Britney that isn’t making any assumptions about Britney. I didn’t want anyone who didn’t “know” to be philosophizing around her not being on camera. And everyone wants to philosophize about her.

 

I’m sure.

So it’s trying to get people to stick to their area of expertise, and the people who really know her describe their experience.

Great answer. That brings up another burning question. You cover an immense amount of territory in the film, though some of the key elements of the Britney “narrative” you don’t mention. Why did you make the choice to not discuss her plastic surgery for example? Or her 55-hour marriage? Is this a conscious decision to avoid making the film tabloid, even if its subject is a tabloid figure?

To me, the film is about control. So I wanted the whole thing to be about who is in control of what, when. There are so many examples of people making fun of Britney Spears that I wanted to pick and choose the most surprising ones. For example, the Diane Sawyer interview was really surprising to me. Hearing her show Britney this footage of a governor’s wife saying “I would shoot Britney Spears if I could.” Diane’s reaction is you know, it’s difficult to be a parent.

[Laughter]

It’s like…what? To hear Diane Sawyer say that gives you more information and feeling as reading every plastic surgery/boyfriend story that everyone wanted to ridicule all the time.

Sure. It’s interesting that you mention that clip specifically. Watching that—I hadn’t seen it before—churned my stomach, particularly in the context of current events and our present cultural conversation about how words from politicians matter. Looking at that interview now, it’s amazing how much times have changed, and how young she was—18 or so at the time.

If we all remember from our gender studies classes, the virgin-***** dichotomy… It’s kind of a joke, but it really happened with her. We made a gigantic timeline of all the coverage of her to figure out the turning point between Britney the golden girl and Britney the horrible person. It did appear to be Britney cheating on Justin Timberlake, and how he was heartbroken narrative. You look at that now and see the premise of the music video [“Cry Me A River”] Justin made. I believe that was his first big hit on that album.

His first solo hit, yeah.

He’s stalking Britney. He breaks into her house, records a *** tape with someone else, following her home, watching her in the shower and hiding in her closet. Then he leaves the *** tape on her TV. I was screaming when I saw that. And nobody remembers it. I asked [the crew] what they remembered from the video, and they all remember it differently. Everyone was like isn’t that where you see a Britney look-alike cheating on Justin? It’s shocking to think everyone thought that was normal. It wasn’t that long ago.

Why did we think this was normal, that he wasn’t the creepy one?

Yeah.

It’s funny that you mention that, because it brings up two key elements here. One is ***ism. You make a very strong case that Spears has been the subject of ***ism in her entire life, not just for her performing career. Was it ***ism that led her to be marketed as a ***ual object? Let’s face it, without her being a *** object she wouldn’t have a career. There’s a paradox in that.

Well, I’m glad you asked. I wasn’t a Britney fan before [making the film]. I now am. Something that surprised me was interviewing Kim Kaiman, her marketing director who looked at Britney and tried to figure out who she is and how to market that. She talks about it very differently. So do older women around her.

Oh?

They say teenagers do have ***uality.

Sure, absolutely.

The reason she appealed to pre-teens so much is that she was in command of her ***uality, and showing her discovery of that. In “Baby, One More Time” we all remember the schoolgirl outfit. But there’s a basketball team as well. Britney played basketball in high school. She rolled down the shorts down to show her hip bones. Then that’s what all the girls did. I’m a year younger than Britney, and I remember we all rolled down our gym sweats after that to be ***ier.

[Laughter]

And that’s real. It’s part of being a teenager. There’s an idea that she exploded because she captured the space between a non-***ual kid and a ***ual adult. We’re not giving her enough credit in owning her ***uality. That’s something I realized in talking to all these people.

One of the other contradictions of Britney is the idea that everyone was always fascinated by her ***uality and her relationship with Justin Timberlake. At the same time, she becomes the ultimate tabloid victim. We should say here that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time with the rise of TMZ, Perez Hilton and online celebrity gossip.

Mmmhmm.

But her career benefited in the beginning from the public fascination with her relationship with Justin. But then, later, she couldn’t control that fascination. What does it say about us as a culture that we want it both ways: we want to know about someone’s personal life, but then we punish her for it?

Yep. Tale as old as time. Watching all this footage, you realize from the time she was first starting out she was constantly, in interviews, talking about how she wanted to get married and have kids. By all accounts, she was heartbroken [when she split from Justin]. Something interesting I learned from talking to Kevin Tancharoen who was a backup dancer. At 19, he directed her Onyx Hotel tour, which was right after the breakup.

Yeah.

He said it just emboldened her to take less ****. She had a very strong period then where she was like I’m in charge. Kevin described how they conceptualized it. They were left alone with a bunch of money, not controlled. She’s been rebelling her entire career.

Reliving some of those moments of her downward spiral which I didn’t even remember, I kept asking myself: where is her family? Where are her friends? Where is her mother? Why is nobody helping this woman? Why did nobody say let me go to Starbucks for you? In your research did you ever uncover why it seemed like Britney was almost subjecting her self-consciously to some of this paparazzi nonsense?

I mean, I think the alternative for her was to feel like a prisoner in her own house. She wanted to leave. I think it’s quite rebellious to go to Starbucks herself. There’s also footage of her saying “I feel like a prisoner in my own home.” It’s interesting because that’s what a lot of people talk about has happened now.

Right.

I think it’s what happens when everyone is scared to talk to a person because she has a God created out of her. She becomes untouchable. I think it must be lonely to be surrounded by people all the time and not have anyone close to you.

To that point specifically, it’s public record at this point that she was surrounded by a lot of leches in her career. Victoria Grigoriadis wrote at length about this in Rolling Stone [in the now-notorious article “The Tragedy of Britney Spears”].

Everybody I’ve talked to, the one refrain I hear over and over is how nice Britney is. She doesn’t judge. She doesn’t talk bad about anybody. Felicia [Culotta, Britney’s longtime friend and assistant] even says “She was a stop and smell the roses kind of girl.” For someone to take that away from her really hurt. Meeting Felicia gave me a lot of insight into who Britney could be. Britney has a lot of exclamation points and emojis on her Instagram. That’s exactly how Felicia texts. And I’m not saying Felicia is running Britney’s Instagram.

I understand.

But it’s a sweet southern charm, a joyous attitude. It makes me understand Britney a bit more.

That’s interesting. I think the crux of the film in a way is this sealed report that was given to the judge that initiated her conservatorship. Mr. Streisand [Britney’s former lawyer] talks about it. It’s the document he was not able to read. We can say at this point that getting conservatorship in California is extraordinarily difficult. I have a friend who tried to get conservatorship of her parents who have Alzheimer’s and she couldn’t even do that.

Mmhmm.

I say this because whatever is inside that sealed file has to be something incredibly incendiary. No one in the film seems to know what it is. What did people tell you, officially or unofficially, about what’s in that file?

I don’t know. There are legal measures put in place. Doctors have to examine her. But it’s one of the big questions of the story. The central mystery of the film—Joe Coscarelli even says it—she lives the life of a busy pop star. Yet we’re told she’s at risk constantly. It seems there’s such a contradiction in that. As a journalist, to not be able to know: is there a reason? Conservatorships are meant for mostly elderly people who often die soon after. They’re not meant to be undone. So the question with a young person is, are they too difficult to get out of?

That’s a big question that no one case could address. It’s frustrating because we can only speculate. Would it have something to do with her bipolar disorder?

We don’t know that.

We don’t? I know it’s been widely reported that Britney Spears has bipolar disorder.

It has been, a lot. But we found zero evidence of any diagnosis, and that should be sealed via HIPPA.

Right.

And there’s a possibility that she does have a mental illness. That could be a reason for the conservatorship. It’s supposed to be a last resort because it so affects a person’s ability to make decisions for themselves. Another good question: what did they try first?

Sure.

It’s questionable whether if someone that young—someone that’s 26—should be put in a conservatorship. I think there’s room to question the criteria. And it is legal, but that raises the question: should it be? What are the flaws in this system? The thing I think about so much is the image of Britney shaving her head and hitting car with the umbrella. Those images went everywhere. And you don’t see what’s outside the frame. That’s what we’re trying to show with the film.

Of course.

I think there’s room to wonder how much those images affected what happened to her. People make all kinds of assumptions. The transformation when it comes to mental illness—and I don’t know if she has a mental illness—but the way we see people who look “crazy.”

Good point.

Watching that—it’s a huge thing to see someone given so much shame for being ***ual. Also, even when she got chased by the paparazzi and shaved her head, I think that vulnerability made people double down on loving her. I heard this story that didn’t make it in the film: Felicia said Britney was judged for being herself. So if you were judged for being yourself, you related to her. She related to you. Felicia recounted many times queer people would tell Britney “You gave me courage because they judged you too.” And Britney was very moved by it.

That’s lovely.

One time this 14-year-old boy named David came in—this was during her Vegas residency—he wrote Britney this letter that he was struggling because he was gay and having mental health issues. He had attempted suicide. He expressed his love for her in this message, that as a kid, he had a lunchbox with her on it. And none of the kids would eat with him, so he would pretend to eat with Britney. In this letter, he wrote that her message made him want to live.

Beautiful.

Felicia said that he gave her the letter and left. Britney read it and started crying and sent Felicia to get his address. Then Britney wrote him a letter back, and proceeded to write him every year. And she gave him tickets to come back. He said that he came back for the meet & greet, and said “If no one else ever says they’re proud of you, know that I’m proud of you.”

That’s sweet.

And this was in Vegas when she’d been under conservatorship. So it’s confusing to hear these cognisant, emotional stories about how she’s helping another person. And then she’s in this system designed for people who don’t know how to act in their own best interests. I think she’s made a really strong connection in a way that’s different from Gaga or Madonna. It’s a you got so judged. You’re so vulnerable. It’s more of a camaraderie.

That’s very interesting. You mention Madonna & Gaga, both of whom have stood up for their queer fanbase. Britney’s fans, listening to you tell this story…it’s almost like they don’t identify with Britney. They identify as Britney on some level.

Totally.

I don’t know what that says.

I totally agree. It’s hard for me to understand fan culture. I feel like I’m not a big fan of somebody. Every piece I ever do, I want to identify with everyone in it. So I thought so much about how to identify as a fan. I think that all these things you say, and this idea that she was sold as your best friend—it’s like [fans] are fighting for themselves also.

Interesting. That also begs the question: the #FreeBritney movement—the strange theories that have emerged from this about her sending coded messages in Instagram posts—first, is there any credence to these theories? And what is it about Britney Spears and her situation that lends itself to conspiracy theories?

First, I wouldn’t describe them as “conspiracy theories.”

That’s fair. Why so?

I think “conspiracy theory” is a statement that lets you not take something seriously. It’s outlandish. A lot of the stuff that [#FreeBritney activists] are concerned about is stuff that they find in actual legal documents. This is also putting a lot of scrutiny on the conservatorship system.

Certainly.

I also think that we don’t know what Britney wants. There’s such a tight circle around her. Because of the conservatorship, we can’t ask her. As a journalist, I have been trying to figure out what she thinks about all this, what’s true, and what’s not. And now I find myself checking her Instagram daily. There’s no other way to see her.

Literally, true.

In the documentary, Joe Coscarelli says he’s never interviewed Britney Spears. Which is shocking for a pop music reporter. He used to interview everybody. I’ve heard that since the For the Recorddocumentary in 2009, she hasn’t done an interview that wasn’t closely watched. I uncovered many stories that say her team has to have final cut over what goes out. And at The New York Times, we haven’t interviewed her because we won’t agree to those terms.

Can’t blame you for that one.

At this point, nobody is interviewing her at all. So it lends itself to all these theories because we can’t ask her.

That’s true. Now, you say you’ve become a Britney fan over the course of making the film. How did that emerge? When did you realize you’d fallen in love with her?

I mean, from the stories that I’ve heard from all these people that have known her, I love the idea that she was rebelling the entire time, and that part of the reason she rose to fame was because of this strength she was presenting. I love that she’s vulnerable all the time. I love that she’s one of the only people you hear about who doesn’t talk **** about other people. But, 100%, the biggest thing is the stories I heard about her relationship with her queer fans.

Source:

https://www.queerty.com/britney-spears-prisoner-samantha-stark-investigates-myth-framing-britney-spears-20210205#.YB27ZH-unqg.twitter

I posted the article here incase they ever delete it because of Loucifer

[FreeLou]

16 minutes ago, jonloch1 said:

it doesnt surprise me. i do believe Britney is such a  caring and kind person. The only reason she acts guarded with fans in her meet and greets is because people have took advantage of her many times in the past and she doesnt trust people anymore

We should ALL keep that in mind before we rush to comment about her “awkward” pictures or videos. She’s literally a prisoner in ways none of us can understand. I just hope she gets the freedom and respect she deserves ASAP.

[Groundbreaking]

I'm crying. Britney's so pure and kind. She's an angel.  #FREEBRITNEY

[(You Drive Chris) Crazy]

They should have included this oh my god 🥺

[pieceofbritUK]

1 hour ago, Oxic said:

Yesterday, Samantha Stark gave an interview in which she shared a new story provided by Felicia that didn't get the cut:

One time this 14-year-old boy named David came in—this was during her Vegas residency—he wrote Britney this letter that he was struggling because he was gay and having mental health issues. He had attempted suicide. He expressed his love for her in this message, that as a kid, he had a lunchbox with her on it. And none of the kids would eat with him, so he would pretend to eat with Britney. In this letter, he wrote that her message made him want to live.

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Beautiful.

Felicia said that he gave her the letter and left. Britney read it and started crying and sent Felicia to get his address. Then Britney wrote him a letter back, and proceeded to write him every year. And she gave him tickets to come back. He said that he came back for the meet & greet, and said “If no one else ever says they’re proud of you, know that I’m proud of you.”

That’s sweet.

And this was in Vegas when she’d been under conservatorship. So it’s confusing to hear these cognisant, emotional stories about how she’s helping another person. And then she’s in this system designed for people who don’t know how to act in their own best interests. I think she’s made a really strong connection in a way that’s different from Gaga or Madonna. It’s a you got so judged. You’re so vulnerable. It’s more of a camaraderie.

You can read the full interview here: https://www.queerty.com/britney-spears-prisoner-samantha-stark-investigates-myth-framing-britney-spears-20210205#.YB27ZH-unqg.twitter

Thoughts? 

Something got in my eye  WE DON'T DESERVE U QUEEN

[Look But Don't Touch]

She has such a pure heart 

[BritneyLVR]

She’s literally an angel 

[Johanpapz]

I'm so upset they didn't include it. Felicia said she wanted to do this interview to remind people why they felt in love with Brit in the first place and this beautiful story was a perfect exemple of it... Why it didn't make the cut?

She's so kind... And this is how the world, even some fans thanked her? Gosh, it's broke my heart! People are making fun or making weird comments about her Insta post... But she's just a SIMPLE girl, who is amazed by SIMPLE, little things! Who see beauty in everything, who has an incredible strenght, who loves everybody and try to always do the good thing, like with this little boy!

She loves her fans, she's not an ungrateful woman. If she can act weird sometimes it's only because she's affraid, after all she has been through it's totally normal. But she loves us for sure! Plus we clearly know now that the meet&greet never was her idea. Off course team con pushed for it.

[Applejack]

lmao the one comment. can someone comment on queerty linking to the guardians documentary????

[Tetris]

Excellent interview. Queen Samantha Stark!

Godney is real, y’all. 

[Mario]

I just love her more and more everyday. She is so strong and such a good person. I hope she gets the justice she deserves.

[FreedBrit]

Who is cutting onions in here? Beautiful. Inside and out. ❤️

[Alio]

Watching the doc, reading all this now ....arghghgh  all I want to say is I am proud of her, I'm proud for her ! 

 

[Watch Me Work It]

So beautiful and touching story

 

53 minutes ago, MyQueenBritney said:

I love reading stories like this.

She has done such sweet things for her fans. Britney has even been photographed wearing bracelets and necklaces given to her by fans.

 

 

 every week I would read someone on twitter freaking out because she was wearing their gifts. She's so sweet

[Seel]

I'd love to, but I'm not gonna cry right now. I'll cry when she gets real freedom. #freebritney 

[Glorious Exaholic]

As much as I love this story I just don‘t see Britney doing this.  Britney was never THAT hands on with her fans. She was always nice and polite but that story would fit the „free“ Britney better than Cship Britney. She was disconnected with most fans as seen in the m&g pics and wasn‘t comfortable (which is totally fine) and then to write one fan annually? But I still hope it‘s true 

[Slayer]

25 minutes ago, Glorious Exaholic said:

As much as I love this story I just don‘t see Britney doing this.  Britney was never THAT hands on with her fans. She was always nice and polite but that story would fit the „free“ Britney better than Cship Britney. She was disconnected with most fans as seen in the m&g pics and wasn‘t comfortable (which is totally fine) and then to write one fan annually? But I still hope it‘s true 

There have been LOTS of stories like this.

I've personally had M&G's with Britney and she was sooo lively and friendly! She is such a sweetheart, we had a full on conversation and she was asking me questions about England etc and laughing and joking!

I think people only focus on the small minority of negative stories about M&G's but many were great, I had one in 2015 & another on the POM tour in 2018 and both were great. Humble and sweet as ever!

 

[Mr_Steven_Spears]

Wow 😭😭 

 

She’s such a sweet woman ❤️