Britney Spears biopic star says the Lifetime movie is ‘a feminist story at its core’
Britney Spears, our omnipresent pop idol, had one of the biggest selling singles of all time, “…Baby One More Time.” Her debut album, which was released in 1999, was one of the best-selling ever by a teenage artist.
The one time Mickey Mouse Club ingénue went red leather raunchy for the “Oops … I Did It Again” music video and then donned a bedazzled nude bodysuit for “Toxic.” She was also one half of an early ’00s pop power couple with then-*NSYNC member Justin Timberlake. Then in 2007, almost 10 years ago to the day, Spears shaved her own head in a California salon, leading many to wonder if the pop princess was headed for a major nervous breakdown.
All of these moments –- and many more — have been recreated in “Britney Ever After,” the unauthorized Lifetime biopic, airing Saturday night.
“[She was] a prisoner of celebrity,” said director Leslie Libman. “She can’t go anywhere, she can’t do anything … it’s like living in a glass box.”
Natasha Bassett, a 24-year-old Australian actress, plays Spears and said the movie is not meant to trash the pop star.
“This [movie] is a love letter to Britney,” she said. “I think she got into something at a very young age that almost cannibalized her.”
In real life, Spears seems to have stability, with a performing residency in Las Vegas and she often post photos on social media of her home life with her two sons. In response to the biopic, a Spears spokesperson told ABC News in a statement that “Britney will not be contributing to the project in any way, shape or form nor does it have her blessing.”
The fact that the biopic is unauthorized didn’t bother Libman.
“I didn’t find it as challenging because I didn’t have to stay true to exactly what was…