Britney Spears Breaks Her Silence Amid Rumors About Her Well-Being
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Britney Spears has spoken out for the first time since she checked into a mental health facility earlier this month. After fans began to worry about her welfare, the singer posted a video of herself on Instagram, in which she assured them that "all is well," seemingly addressing the #FreeBritney movement that suggested she was being held against her will.
“Hi guys, just checking in with all of you who are concerned about me,” she said in the video. "All is well. My family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I just needed time to deal. Don’t worry, I’ll be back very soon."
She went on to write in the caption that she "wanted to say hi, because things that are being said have just gotten out of control."
"There’s rumors, death threats to my family and my team, and just so many things crazy things being said," she wrote. "I am trying to take a moment for myself, but everything that’s happening is just making it harder for me. Don’t believe everything you read and hear."
On Monday, about a dozen fans gathered outside of City Hall in West Hollywood, Calif. to demand Spears's release from a mental health facility, alleging that she was being kept from making her own decisions. Earlier in the month, the hashtag #FreeBritney began trending on social media after an episode of a fan podcast called Britney's Gram discussed allegations that the singer was being kept in the facility against her will.
Earlier this month, it was reported that Spears had checked into a mental health facility to deal with the emotional toll of her father's ongoing health problems. A source told People that she made the decision to seek treatment herself, and that "no one forced her to go."
In her Instagram post, Spears claimed that her former manager, Sam Lufti, had written and sent "fake emails" pretending to be her and communicated with her team with a fake email address.
Her post came after boyfriend Sam Asghari spoke about her condition, telling TMZ on Tuesday that the singer was "doing great," and that while "her fans are so amazing to be so concerned," there was no reason to worry.
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Spears seemed to echo those sentiments in her post, writing, "My situation is unique, but I promise I’m doing what’s best at this moment."
"You may not know this about me, but I am strong, and stand up for what I want!" she wrote. "Your love and dedication is amazing, but what I need right now is a little bit of privacy to deal with all the hard things that life is throwing my way. If you could do that, I would be forever grateful. Love you."