Britney Spears‘ “The Woman in Me” won’t hit the shelves until Oct. 24, the memoir has already made headlines for its shocking and scandalous revelations about the embattled pop star.
Spears is apparently not pleased with how she has been painted by the media thus far, as excerpts about her tumultuous relationship with Justin Timberlake, short-lived acting career and conservatorship make the rounds.
“My book’s purpose was not to offend anyone by any means! That was me then… that is in the past! I don’t like the headlines I am reading… that’s exactly why I quit the business four years ago!” Spears wrote in a statement posted to social media. “Most of the book is from 20 years ago… I have moved on and it’s a beautiful clean slate from here! I am here to establish it that way for the rest of my entire life! Either way, that is the last of it and shit happens!”
Spears continued, “This is actually a book I didn’t know needed to be written… although some might be offended, it has given me closure on all things for a better future! Hopefully I can enlighten people who feel particularly alone in most cases or hurt or misunderstood! Again, my motive for this book was not to harp on my past experiences, which is what the press is doing and it’s dumb and silly! I have moved on since then!”
The latest gossip from Spears’ memoir to stir up the internet is about her fling with Colin Farrell. Spears writes that after her relationship with Timberlake dissolved, she began seeing the Irish actor, with whom she “had a two-week brawl” (per Time magazine). “Brawl is the only word for it — we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight,” writes Spears.
Previously leaked excerpts revealed Spears’ thoughts about Timberlake’s 2002 music video for “Cry Me a River,” which Spears says turned her into a “harlot who’d broken the heart of America’s golden boy.” The video painted Spears as a villain in the mainstream media as it featured Timberlake dealing with an unfaithful girlfriend that looked more or less like the “Baby One More Time” singer. That seemed to confirm the song was inspired by Spears and perpetuated a rumor that Spears had cheated on Timberlake.
Spears also reveals in the memoir that she had an abortion with Timberlake, writing in an excerpt obtained by People magazine, “Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young. It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. I don’t know if that was the right decision. If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it. And yet Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father.”
Timberlake has yet to publicly respond.
Spears’ “The Woman in Me” will be released on Oct. 24, complete with an audiobook narrated by five-time Oscar nominee Michelle Williams.