Britney Spears has responded to claims made by fellow singer Kelly Clarkson that she might have faked her infamous 2007 mental health breakdown – during which time she was filmed shaving all of her hair off and attempting to smash a paparazzi's car window using an umbrella – for publicity.
To recap, in 2007 Britney's declining mental health triggered concern amongst fans and the following year she was hospitalised under a temporary psychiatric assessment ruling later being placed under a conservatorship which allowed her father, Jamie Spears, to control her freedom and finances.
But, just weeks before the singer was placed under the conservatorship, American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson made comments in the press that suggested Britney might have faked the ordeal. "Man, but wouldn’t it be funny if she’s just totally screwing with everyone?" she said during an appearance on The Bert Show "Because it'd be real funny if she were like, 'Just kidding!'"
Later in the interview, Kelly went on to point out the timing of Spears' Blackout album, which had been released around the same time. "I mean, think about it. She’s done no press for her album — which I love, by the way," she told the show's hosts. "She's done no press, just gets so much press off all this other stuff."
Now, almost two decades on, Britney has called out Kelly over her comments, taking to Instagram to give her opinion on the suggestion she might have faked her breakdown for publicity. "I don’t forget… don’t you just wish she would say she’s kidding???" Britney wrote in a now-deleted caption on Instagram. "Clarkson… in a world where bullying has been heartbreaking, I’ve had my share… Can we get an AWW??? Psss… I’m not kidding… play on friends, play on!!!"
But in the comments section, Britney fans weren't so keen on her decision to call out Kelly, with some pointing out that the American Idol winner had defended her on many other occasions. "Kelly was repeatedly asked to say nasty things about you in 2007-2008 and not only didn’t take the bait, but called you hot and complimented your music," one person commented, as someone else said: "If you’re talking about Kelly Clarkson this is so unfair, she was defending you, always has. If you took the time to watch the full argument she gave, you’d know."
Here's hoping these two can work things out with each other...
