Britney Spears is back in the news once more – but not for releasing new music, shaving her head or getting married. Well yes, for getting married, but this time with a twist: she’s gotten married to herself.
Over the weekend, the singer posted an image of herself wearing a white wedding dress and veil, as well as a photograph of an empty church. “The day I married myself,” she wrote on Instagram. “Bringing it back because it might seem embarrassing or stupid, but I think it’s the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done !!!”
It’s not the wildest thing the star has done by any means, but still – the images do prompt a flicker of unease. Spears’ life has been one of soaring highs and crushing lows: mega-fame at a young age, followed by spiralling mental health troubles caused by that same fame.
It culminated in the infamous conservatorship that gave control of her life over to a board including her father, Jamie Spears and former manager, Lou Taylor. Set up in 2008, it lasted until the #freebritney movement gained traction and the case finally made its way to the courts.
As thousands of fans waved placards outside, Spears testified (via video-link) that her father had controlled every part of her life. According to her lawyer, she had “been faced with a decade-long nightmare, Kafkaesque nightmare orchestrated by her father and others,” that Spears herself said had left her “traumatised.”
She won: the conservatorship was lifted later in 2021, giving her full control of her life for the first time in 13 years.
So: how has Britney been doing lately?
Life post conservatorship
When the conservatorship was lifted, the outlook for Spears was rosy. She got engaged to her partner of five years, the 27-year-old Sam Asghari. There were rumours of an Oprah interview and a tell-all memoir, and Spears herself was busy on social media, showering her 42m followers with images of herself living her best life on holiday, at home, with her fiancé. Fans (many of whom had long campaigned for her freedom) were thrilled.
There was also the lavish marriage to Asghari, which happened in June 2022 at a star-studded ceremony in her mansion and was attended by celebrities including Madonna, Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton and Donatella Versace.
With brands lining up to work with her, a bestselling memoir in the works and even rumours of an Oprah interview, Spears was glowing. It was official: this was the Great Britney Comeback, Britney 2.0, and she looked to be living her best life.
Divorce
Alas, it was not to last. In August 2023, Spears and Asghari called time on their fairytale romance: Asghari filed for divorce.
"After 6 years of love and commitment to each other my wife and I have decided to end our journey together,” he wrote on Instagram. “We will hold onto the love and respect we have for each other and I wish her the best always. Shit happens.”
Spears herself didn’t immediately comment on the divorce, instead writing that she was “buying a horse soon” in a social media post.
Later on, however, she wrote that “six years is a long time to be with someone so I’m a little shocked but … I’m not here to explain why because it’s honestly nobody’s business !!! But, I couldn’t take the pain anymore honestly!
“In some sort of telepathic way I have been receiving so many messages that melt my heart from friends and I thank you,” she added. “I’ve been playing it strong for way too long and my Instagram may seem perfect but it’s far from reality and I think we all know that!”
Spears’ long-awaited memoir, The Woman in Me, was published two months later. In it, she opened up about her troubled childhood, relationship with Justin Timberlake and shaving her head as a “f*** you” to the world.
"Everyone thought it was hilarious," she writes. "Look how crazy she is! Even my parents acted embarrassed by me. But nobody seemed to understand that I was simply out of my mind with grief. My children had been taken away from me."
She also talked about the miscarriage she’d gone through with Asghari in 2022, and gushed about her newly ex-husband.
“I have an appreciation for how stable he is,” Spears wrote at the time. “I love that he doesn't drink. He's a gift from God.”
Recent troubles
Since news of the divorce emerged in August 2023, things seem to have been up and down for Spears.
In recent months, she’s reportedly struck up a relationship with 38-year-old handyman and former felon Paul Soliz: they reportedly got together just after her split with Asghari. Soliz has allegedly been in trouble with the law before, for charges including disturbing the peace, child endangerment and possession of a firearm by a felon.
The pair met when he came to do maintenance work at her home, and despite Spears claiming in July that she was “single as fuck”, they were spotted the same month together at Soho House in Malibu.
She was also seen with his children at a trampoline park in August – while Soliz’ wife, Nicole Mancilla, filed for divorce in October, citing “irreconcilable differences.” She added to the Daily Mail that “my husband fell in Britney Spears' p**** - he was married, and now he denies his children. He neglects his children for her.”
In May, police were also called to the 5-star Chateau Marmont hotel in Los Angeles after reports of a disturbance, sparking fears among her fans of a mental breakdown similar to the one she went through in 2007.
At 1am, Spears was seen being ushered barefoot out of the hotel wearing little more than a pillow and a blanket. According to the Daily Mail, she had an argument with Soliz, which resulted in her causing a scene. An eyewitness reported a woman – believed to be Spears – “harassing and threatening hotel employees and guests.”
A source later revealed to TMZ that the pair reportedly returned to their hotel room to party and drink, before getting into a "huge physical altercation in which Spears 'may have hurt her leg.'"
Emergency services were called, though they left without taking anybody with them. But in an Instagram post, Spears shared an image of her injured ankle, and downplayed the rumours.
"I know my mom was involved,” she wrote about the altercation. “I haven’t talked to her in 6 months and she called right after it happened before the news being out !!! I was set up just like she did way back when !!!" She continued: "I wish I had grandparents !!! I can’t stand her !!! I honestly don’t care I will say it !!!"
In an accompanying video, she could be heard crying and explained how she "really twisted her ankle last night like an idiot”. The injury, she said, came from trying to leap into the living room of her hotel suite and falling.
“Paramedics came to the door illegally and caused this huge scene and it was so unnecessary and all I needed was ice,” she said in the video. “It is pretty mad but s***t happens.”
That was in May. Since then, Spears has kept a relatively low profile – barring of course her wedding to herself.
“When people get emotional and say you are so seen and so loved, I’m like — I haven’t even begun to be seen ,” she wrote on Instagram last week. This week, she’s jetting off on her solo honeymoon in the Turks and Caicos. Here’s hoping her period of newlywed bliss is long and happy.
