Britney Spears is an American singer, songwriter, and celebrity with a huge fan base and significant net worth. She's been making waves in the entertainment industry ever since she was a teenager. But past the spotlights and paparazzi, this article will explore the darker side of Britney Spears’ life: her addictions, mental illness, and more.
At Avenues Recovery, we share her story to offer hope and encouragement for people struggling in similar ways. You might just find parts of yourself reflected in Britney’s story - and we urge you to choose the path of recovery and freedom.
Here’s Britney’s story, as we know it.
Britney Spears broke out into the singing world in 1999 when she released her first album, Baby One More Time. She was just 16 years old, but her debut was wildly successful. Since that first album, she has released countless albums, singles, box sets, and more.
Britney is nicknamed ‘The Princess of Pop’ because she revitalized pop music - and to date, she has sold over 100 million records worldwide. She is a recognized pop star and influencer, with millions of adoring fans from every corner of the world. She was married three times, and had two boys with Kevin Federline.
Britney released a memoir titled The Woman In Me which hit the bookshelves in October 2023. In her book, she shared about her rocky path of mental illness, including her struggles with addiction. She denies having been addicted to hard drugs, but admits that she was secretly sent to rehab in 2014 and 2019 to address her addiction with over-the-counter energy pills.
She described her stints in rehab as traumatic. Of her experience at a rehab in Malibu, she writes, “a lot of people at the facility were serious drug addicts. I was scared to be there by myself.” She asserts that she was forced by her father to attend rehab, against her will.
In her book and on social media, Britney has admitted that she struggled with excessive drinking, although she never acknowledged an alcohol addiction. She claims she had ‘dabbled’ with drugs and is a ‘smoker,’ but hasn’t clearly stated that she has an addiction that she has to take care of.
Britney was first introduced to over-the-counter energy supplements by her then-boyfriend Charlie Ebersol, and used them to help perform better on stage. She claims she was in better shape than she had ever been when she was on the drug.
In her book, she posited that she was never addicted to alcohol, and that her drug of choice was "never as wild as the press made it out to be.” She says the only drug she ever used was Adderall. She wrote, "Adderall made me high, yes, but what I found far more appealing was that it gave me a few hours of feeling less depressed.”
Britney shocked the world and grabbed media headlines in a public mental breakdown in 2007. She shaved her head in a Los Angeles salon, and then attacked paparazzi with an umbrella in an embarrassingly public manic display. She also rammed at a photographer’s car with her umbrella a few days later.
At the time, she was struggling with a fresh divorce from Kevin Federline and ongoing battles around the custody of her children, as well as other mental health issues. It was clear to the public that Britney was struggling with pain and mental illness, which eventually led to her conservatorship. (Conservatorship is a legal arrangement where one person is appointed by a court to manage the legal, financial and personal affairs of another, because they are physically and mentally incapable of managing them on their own.)
Today, we know that Britney struggles with bipolar disorder, which was probably the cause of her first meltdown. She has shared that she struggled with depression and anxiety all her life, even stating that they are both conditions that are simply part of who she is. She has also battled eating disorders, and even entered a treatment center for anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
After Britney’s public breakdown, her father, Jamie Spears, filed for conservatorship. This allowed him to take control of her finances and decision-making, as he clearly felt she was unable to take responsibility for them herself. His conservatorship has drawn much criticism from Britney’s fans, who claim he just wants to siphon off her money and control her life.
Jamie, on the other hand, has asserted that the conservatorship was "necessary to protect Britney in every sense of the word." He felt that Britney was at risk of harming herself and making rash decisions that could end her wealth and pop star status. He was granted conservatorship by the court for over a decade, after which the FreeBritney movement took root.
What exactly was the FreeBritney movement? Britney’s fans, in response to her claims on Instagram that her father’s conservatorship felt "demoralizing and degrading," and other social media posts, started the FreeBritney movement to help Britney end her conservatorship. It finally ended in 2021, and Britney claimed that the fact that it ended “saved my life.”
While Britney has shared openly about her addiction, mental health struggles, and conservatorship battle, it is unclear whether or not she struggles with addiction today. She has mentioned attending rehab, but not recently. She also hasn’t announced whether or not she is in recovery, and if she’s sober.
Celebrities’ lives seem to sparkle with wealth, fame, and adoration, but under the attractive exterior often lies a painful reality. The stresses of performing on top of regular real-life challenges, coupled with maintaining a perfect public persona, leaves no room for celebs to experience their true selves in privacy.
The media uses every opportunity to get a scoop- even if it means ridiculing people, exposing raw and sensitive images, or endlessly speculating on their private affairs. This was displayed in Britney’s story, when the public gossiped constantly about her public breakdown and mental health - leaving her little space to work through her struggles with dignity.
At Avenues Recovery, we have helped thousands of people find recovery. Whether you’re a celebrity or not, you deserve to discover the freedom and serenity that comes with sobriety. At our rehabs, you will find thousands of people just like you, journeying together toward a new and better life.
You will also get to know our caring, experienced professionals who have guided countless people to recovery. Our therapists and mental health counsellors are compassionate and highly trained, and will guide you through the process of medical detox, one-on-one and group therapies, and more.
Reach out today to discover a life of sobriety, serenity, and freedom!