Britney Spears opens up about her breakdown: ‘I was lost and being controlled by too many people’
By Joshua Haigh
Britney Spears has opened up about her breakdown.
The legendary pop icon spiraled out of control in 2007. She temporarily lost custody of her children, had several upsetting run-ins with paparazzi, and infamously stunned the world when she visited a hair salon and shaved off all her hair.
Following a brief stint in rehab, her father James Spears and lawyer Andrew Wallet were granted a permanent conservatorship in 2008, which gave them complete control of her assets.
Britney has kept tight-lipped about that tough period in her life, but in a new interview the star has given fans a rare insight into her mindset at the time, and what drove her to the brink.
She told Yediot Ahronot: “My life was controlled by too many people and that doesn’t let you be yourself. I was lost and didn’t know what to do with myself. I was trying to please everyone around me because that’s who I am deep inside. There are moments when I look back and think ‘what the hell was I thinking’.
“I had to give myself more breaks and take responsibility for my mental health.”
The Toxic singer went on to admit that she still finds her level of fame hard to deal with, and revealed that she’s in a good place in her life right now.
“All this fame is way too much for me, as it’s really hard to grasp its magnitude. When you’re young and in the beginning of your career it’s understandable that you’ve just stepped into this world. I have these moments where I just want to dress up like a normal person and walk in the street. It goes through my mind quite a lot.
“Each and every one of us that starts at a young age needs to take account that you’ve gotta be balanced in order to stay in this industry and to manage your personal life. Sometimes that’s very challenging. I think I was very different back then, younger, not always knowing what’s good or bad, very instinctive.
“Today I’m at a better place in my life. My kids shaped my personality and filled me. They made me not worry about what was happening to me,” she added.
We love you, Brit.