Britney Spears Debuts a First Look at Her New Memoir with a Cover Story in PEOPLE

On June 23, 2021, Britney Spears gave a rare public speech.

Millions of people tuned in, but her focus was on an audience of one – the Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who will decide whether to end her 13-year guardianship. She spent years “trying to be so good and beautiful. So perfect,” she said, adding, “I just want my life back.” One of the things on her wish list: “To be able to share my story with the world.”

The judge granted her request, and a year and a half ago she set out to make that wish come true. The result is her new memoir The woman in me published on October 24. The book details the highs and lows of Britney’s life, including the happiness she found as a Mouseketeer alongside Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling, early dates with Justin Timberlake and as a mother to sons Sean Preston and Jayden James, now 18 and 17. But she also reveals some of her darkest days and the endless control she was exposed to. (Auditioning before music company executives at age 15, she writes of “men in suits looking me up and down in my little dress and high heels.”)

Britney Spears Opens Up: ‘Free at Last’ to Share Her Story in Bombshell Memoir and New Interview — ‘No More Lies’ (Exclusive)

Britney Spears on the cover of PEOPLE.

Britney Brands

Conservatorship has left her distrustful of the world, but she’s also excited about her freedom. This is her first cover in five years, and for our shoot she chose the location (an enclosed set on a remote beach in Tahiti), the fashion (an Anthropologie dress) and even suggested a topless image for our cover. For the accompanying story, she sought answers to questions via e-mail. “My fans deserve to hear it straight from me,” she says, adding that this is “only me owning my past, present and future.”

Britney Spears Set Fall for ‘Brave’ Memoir ‘The Woman in Me’ — See Book Cover Reveal (Exclusive)

As we studied the footage and videos, what struck me at first was that at times she seemed a little unsure in front of the camera. But she was also decisive about what she did and did not want, and in a candid moment on the horse she seemed full of joy. Then she quickly stepped out of the frame, returning to a life that was hers alone.

The woman in me is Britney Spears.

For more exclusive excerpts and interviews with Britney Spears, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands everywhere Friday.

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Source: HIS Education