American pop star Britney Spears stirred up a media duststorm this week by announcing she was moving to Mexico.
On the occasion of her 43rd birthday on Monday, Spears posted a video on Instagram in which she declared that the paparazzi have “always been incredibly cruel to me” with their “pictures and the way they’ve illustrated me.”
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“I know I’m not perfect, at all, by any means, but some of it is extremely mean and cruel,” the pop icon continued.
“And that’s why I’ve moved to Mexico.”
The story was picked up Tuesday by multiple media sources after TMZ published new photos in which Spears is seen landing in Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur — reportedly one of her favorite vacation destinations. The photos showed a smiling Spears sporting a white trench coat, black hat and sunglasses.
Monday also marked the day on which her divorce from husband No. 3, Sam Asghari, became legal.
However, in an update posted early Wednesday morning, TMZ wrote: “Despite what she posted on IG, Britney hasn’t actually moved to Mexico. Sources told us she was just saying quirky things online, and she’s actually on a solo birthday trip for a few days.”
In another video posted on her birthday — also criticizing the paparazzi for publishing photos that make her look like she’s wearing “a white Jason mask” — the Mississippi-born, Louisiana-bred artist said, “I’m turning 5 this year. I’m turning 5 years old, and I have to go to kindergarten tomorrow.”
Britney Spears seen looking the healthier and happiest she has been in a long time while dancing at a hotel bar in Los Cabos, Mexico.
This new sighting comes just weeks after her husband demanded she give him a substantial settlement after claiming she physically abused him. pic.twitter.com/lS1wO4g8tj
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) September 9, 2023
Cabo San Lucas is reportedly one of Spears’ favorite vacation destinations.
Nicknamed the “Princess of Pop,” Spears became a star by captivating audiences with her dance moves, innovative videos, catchy songs and fashion.
Her 1998 breakout hit “… Baby One More Time” — included on an album that was No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks — launched her to superstardom as a 17-year-old. Then her 2000 hit “Oops! … I Did It Again” solidified her status as a pop icon.
Over the next 12 years, she had more big hits — including “Toxic” in 2003 and “S&M” with Rihanna in 2011 — but controversy became her calling card.
In addition to mental health problems and rocky marriages all played out in the public eye, Spears in 2008 lost control of personal, professional and financial affairs when a conservatorship was granted to her father, Jamie Spears, and other designees. This sparked outrage among her fans and the emergence of the #FreeBritney movement.
In 2021, a court ended the conservatorship, and in 2022, she went on to have a duet hit with Elton John, “Hold Me Closer” — for which the video was filmed in Mexico City and México state.
With reports from E! Online, TMZ, Infobae, Variety and El Universal
¡Bravo! ¡Bienvenida Britney!