Christina Aguilera, pop icon and former Mickey Mouse Club co-star to Britney Spears, posted a passionate Twitter thread in support of Spears amid her battle to end her "traumatizing" conservatorship.
"These past few days I've been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through," Aguilera tweeted alongside an old photo of the two women. "It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish."
She continued, "To be silenced, ignored, bullied or denied support by those 'close' to you is the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable. The harmful mental and emotional damage this can take on a human spirit is nothing to be taken lightly. Every woman must have the right to her own body, her own reproductive system, her own privacy, her own space, her own healing and her own happiness."
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During her virtual address to the court on June 23, Spears called out her father, Jamie Spears, and the rest of her family for their alleged “abusive” treatment during her 13-year conservatorship. Among other claims, she alleged that she'd been forced to take lithium, and claims to be a victim of reproductive coercion.
"While I am not behind the closed doors of this very layered & personal yet public conversation – all I can do is share from my heart on what I've heard, read and seen in the media," Aguilera continued. "The conviction and desperation of this plea for freedom leads me to believe that this person I once knew has been living without compassion or decency from those in control."
"To a woman who has worked under conditions and pressure unimaginable to most, I promise you she deserves all of the freedom possible to live her happiest life. My heart goes out to Britney. She deserves all the TRUE love and support in the world," Aguilera concluded.
These past few days I’ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through.
— Christina Aguilera (@xtina) June 29, 2021
It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish. pic.twitter.com/NRhNwcJaD3
Aguilera and Britney had many parallels in their careers: After starting on The Mickey Mouse Club, they both dominated the '90s pop music space as teenagers and faced suffocating scrutiny and misogyny from the public and media as they matured and deviated from their perfectly manicured "good girl" images. However, instead of being able to publicly support one another, they were made out to be rivals (as is commonplace for powerful women in pop culture).
This powerful show of solidarity from Aguilera has been one of many from celebrities in Hollywood and Britney's contemporaries (Justin Timberlake included), but is one of the most meaningful — the support comes from someone who first-hand the formative experiences that led up to the court-approved arrangement in the first place.
Britney and her counsel still have yet to file a petition to end the conservatorship.