Britney Spears says the nation’s obsession with her virginity haunted her during her early years in the spotlight.
In his memoirs The woman in mepop icon reveals her team portrayed her “as a perpetual virgin” even though she first had sex at 14.
“Because I had so many teenage fans, my managers and the press tried to portray me as a perpetual virgin for a long time — nothing to do with Justin [Timberlake] and we lived together, and I had sex since I was fourteen,” Britney, now 41, writes about her sexual experience in the book.
The “Lucky” singer adds, “Why did my managers try so hard to claim that I’m some kind of young virgin even in my twenties? Whose business is it if I had sex or not?”
Britney Spears reveals she had an abortion because Justin Timberlake ‘didn’t want to be a father’ (Exclusive)
Britney Spears in Los Angeles in October 1998.
Getty
A 2008 memoir by her mother, Lynne Spears Through the Storm: The True Story of Fame and Family in the Tabloid World she claimed that her daughter also lost her virginity at the age of 14.
In her book, Britney credits Oprah Winfrey for telling her that her “sexuality is nobody’s business.”
Along with other pop stars of the time such as Christina Aguilera and Jessica Simpson, Britney revealed that her virginity had become a national topic of discussion.
Britney Spears in the music video “…Baby One More Time”. Britney Spears: Being Mouseketeer With Christina Aguilera, Ryan Gosling & Justin Timberlake Was ‘Childhood Dream’ (Exclusive)
But in 2002, Timberlake appeared on Star & Buc Wild Morning Showwhere he was asked about his private life with Spears.
“Justin Timberlake is in the house and I just want to ask you one question – are you… Britney Spears?” Troi “Star” Torain asked the musician. “Yes or no? Come on man.”
“Oh man,” Timberlake said with an awkward laugh, before adding, “OK, I did it!”
During his infamous interview with Barbara Walters in 2002 20/20the host asked the “Cry Me a River” singer if he and Britney kept her promise to wait until marriage to which he laughed and replied, “Of course.”
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake at the 28th Annual American Music Awards in 2001.
Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty
In an interview with W Magazine In 2002, Britney shared that she had sex with her ex-boyfriend Timberlake. “I’ve only slept with one person my whole life,” she told the newspaper. “It’s been two years of my relationship with Justin and I thought he was the one. … But I was wrong! I didn’t think they were going to go after Barbara Walters and sell me out.”
Spears released her long-awaited memoir on Tuesday through Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.
“It’s finally time for me to raise my voice and speak, and my fans deserve to hear it directly from me,” Spears told PEOPLE in an email interview for last week’s exclusive cover story. “No more conspiracies, no more lies – only I own my past, present and future.”
Britney Spears Opens Up: ‘Free at Last’ to Share Her Story in Bombshell Memoir and New Interview — ‘No More Lies’ (Exclusive)
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Its release comes nearly two years after she was released from court-ordered detention after 13 years. In November 2021, the guardianship was terminated after Spears gave an impassioned public testimony in court in June of that year.
Britney Spears on the cover of PEOPLE.
Britney Brands
On the cover of PEOPLE, Britney opened up about struggling to let other people take control of her own story.
“For the past 15 years or even at the beginning of my career, I sat while people talked about me and told my story for me,” she said. “After I got out of conservatorship, I was finally free to tell my story without repercussions from the people who were in charge of my life.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education