Britney Spears is having a baby one more time.
The star revealed she is expecting her third child with partner Sam Asghari in an Instagram post yesterday. She wrote: “I am having a baby”, announcing that “if two are in there... I might just lose it,” alongside a slew of pregnant women emojis.
The good news comes while the global popstar was holidaying in Maui, where she also let slip that her fiancé, 28-year-old Sam Asghari, is now her husband after referring to him as such in the announcement post.
“My husband said, ‘No you’re food pregant silly!” She wrote of Asghari‘s initial reaction.
As her 40.2 million Instagram followers will attest, Britney Spears is currently living her best life — and without even setting foot on a stage, she’s pulled off the biggest comeback of all time. It’s Britney 2.0, bitch. And we’re here for it.
Even while she found herself opposing a petition by her mum asking Britney to pay for the £460,000 legal fees she amassed during her daughter’s conservatorship battle, Britney has continued to live her best life — from acting out a Bridesmaids skit on her private jet to sharing bikini shots (and pics of her mammoth engagement ring).
Imagining how Britney must feel after 14 years of a court-ordered conservatorship is impossible, but it’s little wonder that she is throwing herself into every experience, including a third pregnancy. And if the rumours of collaborations, book deals and tell-all interviews are to be believed, brand Britney is set to go even more stratospheric.
“Her earning potential has never faltered — she’s just had her hands tied,” says Dean Piper, former showbiz columnist and PR company founder. “There are fashion houses, brands galore and a huge fanbase longing for her to come back. As a musician — nowadays, touring is the main way for a star like Britney to earn big. The music industry isn’t what it was when she started out, thanks to streaming. But whether she wants to hit the road in a gruelling manner like she has in the past is another question.”
Pre-conservatorship, Britney released five hit records and did six major tours. The conservatorship (an archaic form of court-appointed guardianship) was triggered in 2008 after police arrived at her California home and claimed she had been under the influence of an unidentified substance, leading to her hospitalisation. Amidst claims that she was struggling with mental health issues, before you could say “Toxic”, a court placed her under a conservatorship controlled by her father, Jamie Spears.
Appallingly, while her civil liberties were strictly controlled — Britney has alleged that her family and team used her credit card; that she was limited to a weekly allowance; forbidden to drive, prohibited from renovating her home and, most shockingly, forced into a mental health facility against her will and barred from removing her birth control — she was never deemed so mentally incapacitated that it prevented her from performing. In the decade after 2008, she completed four albums, four world tours and an exhausting five-year Vegas residency that grossed $137.7 million (£105 million).
“If she does [decide to go back to performing] it’ll be on her terms,” says Piper. “The performing puppet of her past is not going to be an option. It’s her way now.” There are rumours that she’ll be involved in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee concert but this seems unlikely, especially now she’s pregnant again, however fabulous the idea of the queen of pop performing for the actual Queen might be. But few would bet against her releasing new music or returning to the stage, albeit with more agency than she’s exerted before.
Elsewhere, as well as rumours of a tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, Britney also has a book in the works — one set to be so explosive that it will undoubtedly set the bestseller list alight, earning her tens of millions in the process (according to Page Six, the publishing deal alone has netted her $15 million). “Plus she’s settled in a relationship and just finding her feet and freedom again,” says Piper. “She might want to ensure her personal life comes first for once.”
Britney and Asghari are clearly loved up, and despite some commentators’ cynicism (the New York Times ran a gently ridiculing interview with him in November), the actor and erstwhile personal trainer has been her cheerleader and confidante for five years — and he seems to make her happy. Unlike her previous husbands Kevin Federline and Jason Alexander, Sam appears to provide a stabilising influence.
For when the couple decide to celebrate their nuptials, Britney’s wedding dress is to be designed by Donatella Versace: the two have long been friends, with Britney documenting Donatella’s visit to her LA home on Instagram. But while the dress is done and dusted, the guest list is set to be less straightforward. Happy as Britney is at being free, she can’t go for long without venting her fury towards her family — dad, Jamie; mum, Lynne and sister, Jamie Lynn — on Instagram.
It also didn’t help that Jamie Lynn, 30, released her own tell-all book in January, prompting Britney to label her a “selfish little brat” who is “f***ing hateful”. Was Britney silent or was she silenced? That’s one question that Oprah won’t need to ask. She deserves her say and then some. Whether she speaks her truth on TV, in print or via the drip-drip feed of social media, the world is waiting with baited breath.
“If I was Britney’s manager, I’d be advising her to increase her engagement with both old and new fans through the many new mediums available,” says Hester Bates, brand and communications director for Influencer.com. “There are huge opportunities for her to re-engage with her followers in a meaningful way, both on traditional social media platforms and through newer opportunities like Web3. Even if she wasn’t ready to perform in front of huge live audiences, there are incredible opportunities for artists to perform in the Metaverse. This would allow her to engage with millions more fans. That said, I think Britney’s fans just want to see her happy and healthy.”
Indeed. Whether she turns her hand to acting, like Lady Gaga; fashion and beauty, like Rihanna; or writes a revenge album, like Taylor Swift, or simply takes time out to raise a family, like Beyonce, her fans will lap up all she has to offer. So long as Britney’s happy, we’re happy.
