Skip to Content

Back in February, a New York Times-produced documentary about Britney Spears shed new light on the pop singer’s struggle for freedom.

It earned her thousands of new sympathizers worldwide. But now, a different film about Spears appears to be having the opposite effect.

The Battle For Britney is a BBC documentary which focuses less on Britney’s current plight.

Rather, it zeroes in on the circumstances that led her family to seek complete control over the life of a wildly successful grown woman.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

The Battle For Britney filmmakers take us back to when Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, was seeking a conservatorship.

As #FreeBritney fans know, that’s the legal term for granting him far-reaching powers over his daughter’s life and finances.

Back in 2008, he filled out a form in which he claimed that the reason for this request was “dementia placement or treatment.”

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

Obviously, that’s a shocking claim.

If Britney has been undergoing treatment for dementia all these years, then her story is even more tragic than we realized.

“There’s only two options with that. Britney might have dementia,” says journalist Mobeen Azhar who appears in the film.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

“Now I’m not a doctor but if that’s the case, then the world isn’t aware of that," he says, noting that the alternative is worse.

"The other option is actually more sinister,” Azhar adds.

Britney generally remains quiet about the media’s coverage of her life. This might be by choice, but fans believe it’s not.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

It’s widely rumored that Spears is essentially being held captive and is unable to communicate freely with the public.

Whatever the case, the latest documentary about the 39-year-old Britney earned a rare condemnation from the pop icon.

Of course, she worded her complaint in the sort of lighthearted, non-confrontational manner that fans have come to expect.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

“So many documentaries about me this year with other people’s takes on my life,” Spears wrote on Instagram on Monday.

“What can I say … I’m deeply flattered!!!!"

"These documentaries are so hypocritical … they criticize the media and then do the same thing," she continued.

Photo via Instagram

Rather than calling out the Battle for Britney doc for specific factual inaccuracies, Spears took a different approach.

She chose to call attention to the ways in which recent media coverage of her life has glossed over any positives.

Instead, it’s focused nearly exclusively on her hardships.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

“I don’t know y’all but I’m thrilled to remind you all that although I’ve had some pretty tough times in my life I’ve had waaaayyyy more amazing times in my life," Spears says.

"Unfortunately my friends … I think the world is more interested in the negative."

She doesn’t make a terrible point.

Photo via Instagram

“Why highlight the most negative and traumatizing times in my life from forever ago?” Britney pleaded?

Of course, conspiracy theories about Britney’s life are everywhere on social media these days.

It’s not surprising that fans immediately began dissecting Spears’ latest remarks for clues that she’s being manipulated.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

Many pointed out that Britney was silent on the Times documentary, which was more critical of her father.

Yet she spoke out against the BBC one, which offered a more sympathetic take on Jamie Spears’ actions.

But is that really proof of much of anything?

Photo via Instagram

We may never know for sure if Britney’s social media posts are all filtered through Jamie before they’re posted.

One thing is for certain, though: The public investigation into Britney’s circumstances will continue to intensify.

Another big test will come next month.

The Hollywood Gossip Logo

For the first time, we’ll hear from Britney herself when Spears addresses the conservatorship in a courtroom.

Grab a hat and hold the f–k onto it.