Britney Spears is using her Instagram profile — a platform so rife with content worth studying that has inspired its own podcast — more than ever before in her post-conservatorship freedom. Today, the pop star has taken to her account to air out some years-old grievances, specifically, that one Primetime interview with Diane Sawyer from 18 years ago.
The interview, which originally aired in 2003 on ABC, has been criticized as a slut-shaming, misogynist attack on Spears, with Sawyer posing intrusive questions about the pop star's sexuality, her relationships, shopping habits and more, seemingly in an effort to elicit an emotional response from the then-already highly scrutinized singer.
Spears has now opened up about apparently being "forced" to participate in the interview by her father and management, during a period that coincided with her intensely vulnerable emotional state following her split from Justin Timberlake. The singer also specifically calls out Sawyer for making her cry, blaming her for her breakup and criticizing her for doing semi-nude photoshoots.
"Do we dare forget the Diane Sawyer interview in my apartment almost 20 years ago?" Spears wrote in the lengthy Instagram post. "What was it with the 'you're in the wrong' approach? Geeze… and making me cry?? Seriously though… I lived in my apartment for a year and never spoke to anyone… my manager put that woman in my home and made me talk to her on national television. She asked me if I had a shopping problem!!! When did I have a problem with shopping??"
She continued: "Something I never shared when I had that big breakup years ago was that I couldn't talk afterwards… I never spoke to anyone for a very long time… I was in shock… pretty lame of my dad and three men to show up at my door when I could hardly speak… two days later they put Diane Sawyer in my living room… They forced me to talk!!!"
"I was a baby… I was almost 22 and didn't understand… but I fucking know now," she added alongside a middle finger emoji. "She said 'a woman or a girl…' I would like to say now, 'Ma'am, I'm a Catholic slut!!! You wanna join me at a mass and I can serve your husband my certificate on shopping for anonymous players???' I should spend a thousand dollars if I want every day of my life and she can kiss my white ass."
Elsewhere in the post, Spears writes about her newfound financial freedom and being able to withdraw money from her own bank account — which she says she's using to buy chocolate, Christmas socks and white wine.
See Spears' post and revisit the 2003 interview below.
The interview, which originally aired in 2003 on ABC, has been criticized as a slut-shaming, misogynist attack on Spears, with Sawyer posing intrusive questions about the pop star's sexuality, her relationships, shopping habits and more, seemingly in an effort to elicit an emotional response from the then-already highly scrutinized singer.
Spears has now opened up about apparently being "forced" to participate in the interview by her father and management, during a period that coincided with her intensely vulnerable emotional state following her split from Justin Timberlake. The singer also specifically calls out Sawyer for making her cry, blaming her for her breakup and criticizing her for doing semi-nude photoshoots.
"Do we dare forget the Diane Sawyer interview in my apartment almost 20 years ago?" Spears wrote in the lengthy Instagram post. "What was it with the 'you're in the wrong' approach? Geeze… and making me cry?? Seriously though… I lived in my apartment for a year and never spoke to anyone… my manager put that woman in my home and made me talk to her on national television. She asked me if I had a shopping problem!!! When did I have a problem with shopping??"
She continued: "Something I never shared when I had that big breakup years ago was that I couldn't talk afterwards… I never spoke to anyone for a very long time… I was in shock… pretty lame of my dad and three men to show up at my door when I could hardly speak… two days later they put Diane Sawyer in my living room… They forced me to talk!!!"
"I was a baby… I was almost 22 and didn't understand… but I fucking know now," she added alongside a middle finger emoji. "She said 'a woman or a girl…' I would like to say now, 'Ma'am, I'm a Catholic slut!!! You wanna join me at a mass and I can serve your husband my certificate on shopping for anonymous players???' I should spend a thousand dollars if I want every day of my life and she can kiss my white ass."
Elsewhere in the post, Spears writes about her newfound financial freedom and being able to withdraw money from her own bank account — which she says she's using to buy chocolate, Christmas socks and white wine.
See Spears' post and revisit the 2003 interview below.