In an Instagram post that featured a Rodney Dangerfield quotation, Britney Spears denied body-shaming Christina Aguilera.
On Tuesday, the “Toxic” singer clarified remarks that she claims caused Christina Aguilera to stop following her on Instagram. “By no means was I being judgmental of Christina’s lovely figure, it is what it is!!! I flew to watch her show once and the primary thing I noticed was the difference of our people on stage,” Spears wrote in her most recent post.
I was inspired by Christina’s show and she is a beautiful woman of power, so please don’t think I even mentioned her in my post, said Spears. “Thank you @xtina for motivating me,” she continued.
Spears referenced the lack of freedom in her 13-year conservatorship in her post from Monday, saying, “I wish I could have chosen the nannies for my children… my dancers… I mean if I had Christina Aguilera’s dancers I would have looked extremely small.” Spears’ caption included a quote from Rodney Dangerfield that read, “I found there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people.”
Why not talk about it, she continued. If I had been able to select where I lived, what I ate, who I called on the phone, who I dated, and who was on stage with me, don’t you think my confidence would have been a little bit higher?
Fans criticised Spears for what they thought was fat shaming. Focus on your healing. There’s no need to make another lady feel bad about herself. One fan wrote, while another said, “This is so poisonous. Gotta pass on this one…yikes.”
After the post, rumours that Aguilera had unfollowed Spears on Instagram appeared, prompting Spears to explain her remarks.
What I posted is a projection of the insecurities I battle with constantly as a result of how my parents and the media have treated me, she said. “To be honest, I’m not trying to be critical of anybody,” she said. I struggle with this because of how I feel about myself, not because I think anyone is ugly. I would never purposefully body shame anyone because I know how it feels.
Although the two singers have been friends since they were Mickey Mouse Club co-stars in the early 1990s, Spears has never shied away from criticising her longtime companion. When asked about the end of Spears’ 13-year conservatorship, Aguilera remained silent, thus she did so back in November 2021.
“I love and adore everyone who supported me… But refusing to speak when you know the truth, is equivalent to a lie!!!!! 13 years being in a corrupt abusive system yet why is it such a hard topic for people to talk about??? I’m the one who went through it!!!! All the supporters who spoke up and supported me, thank you… Yes, I do matter!!!!!” Spears wrote alongside a clip of the interview on her Instagram Story.
When Aguilera was questioned while on the red carpet at the Latin GRAMMYs, she appeared to look at a member of her crew, who abruptly ended the interview.
Aguilera made an appearance on The Enrique Santos Show almost exactly two months later and was questioned once more if she had contacted Spears after her 13-year conservatorship. This time, Aguilera offered words of encouragement.
Every woman deserves to feel strong and to embrace that for themselves, however they see fit, and I couldn’t be happier for her, she said.