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Exploring The Lost Recipes by Ross Dobson

<p><em>In his quest to unearth Australia’s forgotten culinary treasures, Ross Dobson has dredged up everything from the delicate to the downright curious – recipes that had slipped into obscurity like an old record player and are now ready for a comeback.</em></p> <p>During the Covid pandemic I embalmed myself in nostalgia. There was loss on a global scale and, for many of us, it was also a time of great personal loss. Within a few short years, just prior to and during the pandemic, I lost both my parents. I found peace and comfort (and joy in spades) in reading old Australian recipes. </p> <p>I devoured recipes in old books, newspapers, magazines – anything I could get my hands on. Simple and even not-so-simple recipes. Shared or sought. I became interested in (nay, obsessed with) the forgotten: recipes that have been overlooked or disregarded, or were barely noticed in the first place. These are the lost recipes. </p> <p>We found a culinary oasis that was the beginning of the end of our ‘meat-and-two veg’ diet: a rival more exotic and delicious. </p> <p>The original idea for this book was to limit it to baking recipes: cakes, slices, biscuits and puddings. Surely we have all heard of, eaten or made a lamington, custard kiss, finger bun, passionfruit sponge or pav. These have all received top billing in any production of Australian classics. But what about a whimsy, fluffy dick, Napoleon cake, Australian shortbread or cream lily? These delicious things have been waiting in the wings for far too long. I am nudging them into the limelight. </p> <p>But as I perused an article in a magazine or newspaper, it was not uncommon to see a cake or slice recipe incongruously sandwiched between recipes for braised breast of lamb and devilled whitebait, or turmeric duck and farmhouse casserole (rabbit with inside-out stuffing). How could I possibly resist including these? And so, the scope of the book fell into place. </p> <p>I was drawn to the recipes that were popular at one point in time. A good recipe would be printed in newspapers again and again. Today, we would say it has ‘gone viral’. But, like a whispered game of ‘pass it on’, some good recipes would lose something or become something else over time. </p> <p>In researching for a previous book, <em>Australia: The Cookbook</em>, I noticed a recurring lack of nuance. There seemed to be little room for movement or deviation from a recipe. A lamington recipe was just that. There are, to this day, slight variations. Some recipes might call for a filling of jam, cream, buttercream or even panna cotta, a contemporary take. And if this was the case, it wasn’t a regional thing. It was shared and enjoyed on a national level. Much like a recipe for pavlova, meat pie or a hamburger with the lot. </p> <p>Nigella Lawson says of Australian food: ‘These [recipes] demonstrate that peculiar mixture of macho and camp that is a feature of a certain kind of Australian cooking tradition.’ </p> <p>I agree. I feel like much of our food tradition is binary: the meat and the sweet. The brown of a beef stew and the garish pink of coconut ice. Of course, this is reducing Australian recipes to a simple notion. </p> <p>There are exceptions to the rule, not as rare as one might think. It is these exceptions that I went in search of. In doing so, I inadvertently discovered that some Australians did cook with ingredients such as garlic, ginger, coconut milk and chilli. A simple roast lamb with garlic (page 110) and a chicken curry (page 96) laden with ginger and green chilli are testament to that. Capers, anchovies and lentils are also used in recipes that went under the radar. </p> <p>Looking at our past offers insight into who we are now. Through this culinary looking glass we can also see the opposite of what we might expect or what we might think is the norm. What we choose to cook and consume can be a revelation of our identity, of who we are. </p> <p>Our Indigenous culture is the oldest in the world, yet many of us are unfamiliar with native ingredients; Europeans brought cuisines and cultures to these shores, yet we are not European; Asia is our nearest neighbour and the origin of some of our favourite dishes, but we are not Asian. </p> <p>We are unique. In all this, there is wonder to be had, and wonder I do.</p> <p><em>To learn more about </em>The Lost Recipes<em> and other exciting upcoming publications from Echo Publishing, you can follow us on Instagram and Facebook, or visit our website at <a href="https://www.echopublishing.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.echopublishing.com.au/</a></em></p> <p><em>Images: Echo Publishing </em></p> <p><em>Brought to you by Echo Publishing</em></p>

Food & Wine

Fed up farmer blasts major supermarkets for price gouging

<p>In a heartfelt plea captured in a viral video, Ross Marsolino, a Victorian farmer and owner of Natural Earth Produce, expressed his frustration with major supermarkets and their pricing strategies for fruits and vegetables.</p> <p>Marsolino, who specialises in growing zucchinis, tomatoes and eggplants in Victoria's Goulburn Valley, said that the profit margins imposed by supermarkets are crippling farmers, adversely impacting consumers, and driving growers out of business.</p> <p>“We’re going to walk away from 80 acres today,” Marsolino said in his video posted to social media. “We’re not retailing the right price to be able to keep the product moving and selling. Plain and simple. The supermarkets are making too much profit out of our crops. We can’t survive. As growers we can’t afford to pay the workers, 50 people are going to be out of the system looking for work.”</p> <p>The crux of Marsolino's argument lies in the claim that supermarkets are engaging in price-gouging, purchasing produce from growers at a considerably lower price and then selling it at a steep markup. He highlighted the stark contrast between the $1.80 per kilo that supermarkets allegedly pay to farmers and the retail price of $4.99, stating that this disparity is unsustainable for growers.</p> <p>The consequence, as Marsolino outlined, is a domino effect on the entire supply chain. Farmers, unable to cover their costs, are forced to reduce the quantity of product they sell, leading to both financial losses for growers and higher prices for consumers.</p> <p>That is why, in his case, Marsolino is saying he is prepared to abandon his 80-acre zucchini crop, estimating the loss at a staggering $2 million. This decision, he said, is a result of the unsustainable economics of the industry.</p> <p>Marsolino's argument goes beyond his personal struggle; he contends that the high retail prices set by supermarkets are ultimately detrimental to consumers and the agricultural industry as a whole. He believes that if prices were lowered to a more reasonable level, consumers would be more inclined to purchase the produce, resulting in increased sales for growers and a healthier industry overall.</p> <p>The plea from Marsolino has also sparked a call for government intervention. He urged authorities to scrutinise the pricing practices of supermarkets, demanding transparency in their transactions with growers. Marsolino's desire is for someone to hold the major supermarket chains accountable for the prices they set and to ensure that they are fair and reasonable.</p> <p>In response to Marsolino's claims, representatives from Woolworths and Coles <a href="https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/retail/fed-up-farmer-abandons-80acre-zucchini-crop-blaming-high-markups-at-supermarkets/news-story/30c5ebbaa296e74b8c12c1da356696cd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended their pricing structures</a>. They argued that the prices paid to suppliers are influenced by various factors, including processing, transport, labour, packaging and market conditions. Both companies emphasised their commitment to fair pricing and their efforts to balance the interests of suppliers and consumers.</p> <p>Marsolino's plea serves as a reminder of the delicate balance required to sustain both the agricultural sector and the affordability of fresh produce for consumers. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether there will be a shift towards a more equitable pricing structure that benefits all stakeholders in the industry.</p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Money & Banking

Britney Spears’ memoir is a reminder of the stigma and potential damage of child stardom

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-oconnor-1483447">Jane O’Connor</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/birmingham-city-university-920">Birmingham City University</a></em></p> <p>Britney Spears’ new memoir, The Woman in Me, illustrates once again the potential lifelong damage that can be caused by being a child star. Like many before her, including <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Judy-Garland">Judy Garland</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Jackson">Michael Jackson</a>, Spears was ushered into the dangerous terrain of childhood fame by the adults who were supposed to be protecting her, and was utterly unprepared to deal with the fallout.</p> <p>Spears’ <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53494405">father’s conservatorship</a>, controlling every aspect of her personal and professional life, was finally rescinded in 2021. She is now able to share the details of her extraordinary years in the limelight and beyond.</p> <p>From a sociological perspective, childhood is considered socially constructed. This means that there are specific ways of raising children which are socially and culturally defined. We discard these conventions surrounding the early years of life at our peril.</p> <p>The boundaries and rules around what is and is not acceptable during childhood, and the normal activities and institutions that shape the experience of being a child have developed over the centuries for a reason – to try and keep children safe from the harsh realities of the adult world.</p> <p>Being sexualised and valued for your appearance, being paid to work, having to deal with criticism and unwanted attention from strangers – these are all difficult aspects of growing up. Children and teens need careful support and guidance if they are to navigate safely into their adult lives and identities.</p> <p>The experience of childhood fame throws aside this social safety net for children in every possible way, and the consequences can be disastrous.</p> <h2>The price of child fame</h2> <p>From the earliest child stars of Hollywood’s golden age, through the television sitcoms and shows of the mid-20th century, the rise of the pop and film industries in the following decades and the burst in popularity of reality TV and talent shows of the early 21st century, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/17482798.2011.584378">children have always featured</a>. Many have paid a heavy price for their often short period of fame.</p> <p>Sad stories of <a href="https://www.or-nc.com/why-do-child-stars-become-addicted-to-drugs/">drug and alcohol addiction</a>, <a href="https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/11/02/uncle-fester-star-jackie-coogans-tragic-life-child-fortune-to-horror-crash">family disputes</a>, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/child-actors-who-became-criminals/nathan-gibso">criminal activity</a> and <a href="https://www.dailystar.co.uk/showbiz/us-showbiz/former-nickelodeon-star-drake-bells-29769568">toxic relationships</a> are frequently reported by the media. These reinforce the stereotypical “child star gone bad” and “too much too young” narratives that the wider public has come to expect.</p> <p>For example, stories abound of <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/11/macaulay-culkin-reveals-never-divorced-parents-emancipated-12222457/">Macaulay Culkin “divorcing” his controlling parents</a> and his difficulties transitioning into adult life, <a href="https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/why-it-was-not-a-wonderful-life-for-macaulay-culkin-after-he-found-fame-in-the-hit-christmas-film-home-alone/37620091.html">feeling trapped</a> in the image of boyhood innocence of his most famous character, Kevin in the Home Alone movies.</p> <p><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kSJ8XjTw10kC&printsec=frontcover&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false">In her autobiography</a> actor Drew Barrymore has written about her casual acceptance at Hollywood parties and consumption of alcohol at a very young age, following her role in <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083866/">E.T.</a> (1982) aged five.</p> <p>There is also the tragic life and death of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/may/29/gary-coleman-obituary">Gary Coleman</a>, cute kid star of the American sitcom <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077003/">Diff'rent Strokes</a> (1978-1986).</p> <p>Coleman, who died at 42 following a history of <a href="https://nypost.com/2010/05/29/troubled-80s-child-star-gary-colemans-life-is-cut-short-at-42/#:%7E:text=In%202005%2C%20Coleman%20moved%20to,and%20%22wanted%20to%20die.%22">substance abuse</a> and <a href="https://www.salon.com/2010/05/28/gary_coleman_dies/">depression</a>, reported being <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2010/may/29/gary-coleman-obituary">deeply humiliated</a> by people asking: “Didn’t you used to be …?” when he was working as a security guard at a supermarket as an adult.</p> <h2>Other possibilities</h2> <p>It’s important to note, however, that a difficult trajectory is not the experience of all child stars and former child stars. The actors from the Harry Potter films, for example, seem <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/oct/22/the-not-so-cursed-child-did-harry-potter-mark-the-end-of-troubled-young-actors">largely to have transitioned well</a> into adult lives and careers – some in the spotlight, others not.</p> <p>And the new generation of famous children and teens such as <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/stranger-things-millie-bobby-brown">Millie Bobby Brown</a>, star of the Netflix show <a href="https://theconversation.com/stranger-things-is-the-upside-down-to-disneys-cute-and-cuddly-universe-83417">Stranger Things</a> (2016-present), seem more prepared for fame than their predecessors, in control of their images and identities via their own social media platforms and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-44045291">potentially protected to some extent</a> from extreme sexualisation by the MeToo movement.</p> <p>Even so, Brown <a href="https://www.popbuzz.com/tv-film/news/millie-bobby-brown-birthday-instagram-post/">commented on her 16th birthday</a> that: “There are moments I get frustrated from the inaccuracy, inappropriate comments, sexualization, and unnecessary insults.”</p> <p>For Spears though, these were more than moments. She details in her memoir how the constant public scrutiny of her body and physical appearance, being valued for her sexuality and treated as a commodity have characterised her entire life.</p> <p>It is no wonder <a href="https://people.com/britney-spears-reveals-why-shaved-off-hair-in-2007-exclusive-8362494">she shaved her head</a> in 2007, a move interpreted by the media as her having “gone mad”, but in fact a powerful indication of her anger at being perceived as nothing more than a dancing sex-doll. As she writes in her memoir: "I knew a lot of guys thought long hair was hot. Shaving my head was a way of saying to the world: fuck you. You want me to be pretty for you? Fuck you. You want me to be good for you? Fuck you. You want me to be your dream girl? Fuck you."</p> <p>The sociologist Erving Goffman wrote about the stigma of having a “<a href="https://www.howcommunicationworks.com/blog/2020/12/16/what-is-stigma-explaining-goffmans-idea-of-spoiled-identity">spoiled identity</a>” whereby people carry with them the public shame of transgression or physical difference.</p> <p>Being a former child star can be stigmatising for many reasons, including being constantly compared to an ideal younger version of yourself and not having had a “normal” childhood or conventional family relationships.</p> <p>In this memoir, Britney attempts to face down that stigma and reclaim her identity and person-hood as an adult. In doing so, she demonstrates that it can be possible to leave the dangerous terrain of early fame behind – but the journey is a tough one.</p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jane-oconnor-1483447">Jane O’Connor</a>, Reader in Childhood Studies, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/birmingham-city-university-920">Birmingham City University</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram, </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/britney-spears-memoir-is-a-reminder-of-the-stigma-and-potential-damage-of-child-stardom-216545">original article</a>.</em></p>

Music

Britney Spears makes musical comeback with Elton John

<p dir="ltr">Britney Spears is set to make her long-awaited return to the music scene by collaborating with Elton John on a new song. </p> <p dir="ltr">While rumours of the collaborations have been circulating for several weeks, a spokesperson confirmed the news to the PA news agency earlier this week.</p> <p dir="ltr">Britney and Elton’s collaboration project will be a track titled <em>Hold Me Closer</em>, which is rumoured to be an updated version of John’s 1971 single <em>Tiny Dancer</em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">Elton hinted at the collaboration on Instagram as he posted an image of a rose and rocket emoji alongside the title of the song. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChAf5zxj2y2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/ChAf5zxj2y2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Elton John (@eltonjohn)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The return to the music industry for Britney comes as she continues to battle her father, Jamie Spears, in court over alleged misconduct during her conservatorship of nearly 14 years which controlled aspects of her finances and personal life.</p> <p dir="ltr">Spears' conservatorship was set up in 2008 after the US pop star, known for hits like <em>Oops I Did It Again!</em> and <em>Toxic</em>, faced a public mental health crisis. </p> <p dir="ltr">For Elton, the highly-anticipated news of the collaboration track comes as he continues his global Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image credits: Getty Images / Instagram</em></p>

Music

Man accused of shooting family of four identified

<p dir="ltr">The accused shooter who <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/three-confirmed-dead-after-horrific-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killed two farmers and their son</a> and wounded the other has been identified.</p> <p dir="ltr">Darryl Young has been charged with the murder of his neighbours Mervyn, 71, Maree Schwarz, 59, and their son Graham Tighe, 35, following a dispute of boundary lines on their land in Bogie near Collinsville in Queensland.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 59-year-old was also charged with one count of attempted murder after Mervyn and Maree’s other son Ross Tighe survived following a gunshot wound to the abdomen.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police will allege Young invited the three members to the edge of his property on August 4 before shooting them “execution style”.</p> <p dir="ltr">Young allegedly shot at Ross who managed to escape the farm in a ute and alert police to the horrific attack against his family.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police charged Young with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder and he is due to appear at Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday.</p> <p dir="ltr">Acting Superintendent Tom Armitt said it was incredible Ross was able to survive due to the properties being so far apart.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s actually a 45-minute drive between the neighbours,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“At the crime scene, which is at the front gate of one of the premises, it is a 3km drive between the gate and the house at that location.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In another devastating twist of events, Graham’s wife Lucy had just given birth to their second child.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s just devastating shock that things can happen so quickly in the blink of an eye and ruin so many lives so quickly,” Greg Austen, Graham’s uncle told 7News.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 7News</em></p>

News

Three confirmed dead after horrific shooting

<p dir="ltr">A person who allegedly shot four people, killing three of them, is in police custody. </p> <p dir="ltr">Mervyn and Maree Schwarz and her sons Graham Tighe and Ross Tighe were the target of a horrific shooting at a rural property in Bogie near Collinsville in Queensland on Thursday morning.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mervyn, Maree and Graham have been confirmed dead, while Ross remains in a serious but stable condition in hospital due to a gunshot wound to the abdomen.</p> <p dir="ltr">Queensland Police confirmed on Friday morning “the person who has been nominated as the alleged gunman is with us here in custody”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We haven’t pressed any charges at this point in time while our investigations are ongoing,” Mackay District Superintendent Tom Armitt said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Police are currently speaking to five people to help establish the events of the devastating attack. </p> <p dir="ltr">They commended Ross for his bravery after fleeing the scene with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and walking “many kilometres” to alert police.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We believe that the male was able to extract himself from the area when he was spoken to by a police officer many, many kilometres away from the crime scene,” Superintendent Armitt continued.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was fleeing from the scene…he was able to tell police that he had been shot and three others (were) also shot.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ross was able to speak to police on Thursday, and will once again be asked more questions on Friday in relation to what happened.</p> <p dir="ltr">Superintendent Armitt confirmed that all involved were neighbours and that “some conversation has occurred” before the shooting. </p> <p dir="ltr">“(This) resulted in a meeting up of the parties at the boundary line in the early hours of yesterday (Thursday) morning when the incident occurred,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">Detectives have declared several crimes scenes in the area and forensics will conduct examinations.</p> <p dir="ltr">There is no ongoing danger to the public. </p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: 7News</em></p>

News

Britney Spears shares texts sent from mental health facility

<p dir="ltr">Britney Spears has shared - and quickly deleted - a series of screenshots of messages she sent her mother, childhood friend and former lawyer during a 2019 stay in a mental health facility she alleges she was forced into.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-be7e98ca-7fff-540d-2be6-a1f8b2823146">“It’s a little different with proof,” Spears captioned the now-deleted post on Instagram on Monday, per <em><a href="https://pagesix.com/2022/07/25/britney-spears-shares-texts-she-sent-from-mental-health-facility/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Page Six</a></em>.</span></p> <p><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/brit-text2.jpg" alt="" width="1279" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Britney Spears claimed her messages went unanswered in a now-deleted post on social media. Image: Page Six</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The first screenshot shows texts the Toxic singer sent to her mum, Lynne Spears, which she claimed Lynne didn’t respond to.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was saying he wants to UP the seraquil [sic] and I’m like whoaaaaaaa horsey go f**k yourslwf [sic],” the first text reads.</p> <p dir="ltr">It is unclear whether the pop star was referring to a doctor at the facility or her dad, Jamie Spears, who controlled her medical care as her conservator.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Seraquil I thought was a sleep aid but it’s for bipolar and is WAAAAAY Stronger than lithium,” she continued in the text messages.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I literally feel alll [sic] the sick medicine in my stomach.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I feel like he’s trying to kill me. I swear to god I do.”</p> <p dir="ltr">According to <a href="https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-4718/seroquel-oral/details" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WedMD</a>, Seroquel, also known as quetiapine, is an antipsychotic medication used to treat mood disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.</p> <p dir="ltr">Spears claimed that she got “no response” from Lynne at the time, but heard from her when she checked out of the facility.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-f1897ebd-7fff-94cf-c771-221c384f61e5"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“Her words were, ‘You should have let me visit you and give you a hug’,” Spears wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/brit-texts1.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Britney Spears shared screenshots of texts sent to her mother (left) and her childhood friend Jensen Fitzgerald (right) which she claims went unanswered. Images: Page Six</em></p> <p dir="ltr">In the second screenshot, Spears messaged her friend Jansen Fitzgerald to help her find a new lawyer, having been appointed a lawyer to represent her when her conservatorship began in 2008 and not having the right to hire her own counsel until 2021.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I need John bells [sic] number please,” the text to Fitzgerald reads. “When u can.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She went on to ask her friend about lithium, the mood-stabilising drug Spears said made her feel “drunk” after her medication was changed without her say.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I have a feeling well you will say OK but it still doesn’t make sense,” Spears wrote, adding in the caption that she “never heard back” from Fitzgeral either.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, her friend took to social media on Monday afternoon and insisted she “did respond”, speculating that “some of [her] messages were deleted” from Spears’ phone, which Jaime allegedly monitored.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When she left the facility my phone number was blocked from her and we have never spoken again,” Fitzgerald added. “I have tried to reach her through every possible outlet and always failed.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Lynee shared Fitzgerald’s response on her own Instagram pagel and that she has “all the ‘whole conversations as well”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In the final screenshot, Spears can be seen messaging her court-appointed lawyer, Samuel D Ingham III, telling him she wanted to change after she was released from the facility.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I want to talk about going to court when this is done and getting my medical rights,” she wrote..</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-7cd90e57-7fff-3652-6652-6663af93272d"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“When this program is over I don’t want to work at all … I want to live for me and have an adventurous life,” Britney told Ingham.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/07/brit-texts2.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="720" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>A screenshot of messages between Britney Spears and her court-appointed lawyer were also shared in the since-deleted post. Image: Page Six</em></p> <p dir="ltr">Ingham went on to resign in 2021, being replaced by former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart.</p> <p dir="ltr">In her caption, Spears also claimed her sister, Jaimie Lynn Spears, texted her the message: “They’re not gonna let you go so why are you fighting it”.</p> <p dir="ltr">During her <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/i-am-traumatised-britney-spears-speaks-out-against-dad-for-the-first-time-ever" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first-ever public court speech</a> last year, Spears claimed her father sent her to a mental health facility against her will after a disagreement over her Las Vegas residency.</p> <p dir="ltr">“My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship – and my management, who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no – ma’am, they should be in jail,” she told the judge at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-712814d6-7fff-9700-f41b-eae8f7f15fe4"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @britneyspears (Instagram)</em></p>

Caring

Baring it all: Britney Spears and Hilary Duff spark debate on how we react to nudity

<p dir="ltr">Taking part in a nude photo shoot has been an easy way for celebrities to go viral for years now, but the latest risque photoshoot of <em>Lizzie Mcguire</em> star Hilary Duff has raised some questions about how our reactions can differ depending on who the subject is.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-5a98dc54-7fff-7d65-163e-b4111461ebe4">Duff, who starred on the hit Disney show when she was just 14, recently went viral for her Women’s Health magazine cover shoot, which was accompanied by a candid interview where she discussed body positivity and acceptance, and opened up about her eating disorder and the pressure she felt to look a certain way.</span></p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdYgFl3LKs-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdYgFl3LKs-/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Hilary Duff (@hilaryduff)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Because of my career path, I can’t help but be like, ‘I am on camera and actresses are skinny’,” she told the magazine.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m proud of my body. I’m proud that it’s produced three children for me. I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I also want people to know a makeup artist was there putting glow all over my body and someone put me in the most flattering position.”</p> <p dir="ltr">The 34-year-old actress received a flood of praise for her “liberating” shoot and for being a “badass gorgeous woman”, with one person describing it as a “perfect example of how a childhood star can actually grow up to be a well-adjusted, loving, ‘normal’, strong and fantastic example of a working woman and human in entertainment and beyond”.</p> <p dir="ltr">But the praise has come in stark contrast to the reactions other stars have received for sharing similar images, with pop icon Britney Spears being a prime example.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-1dd1dae4-7fff-a1a0-cbee-11d3a8c062c0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">Spears has been posting minimally censored photos of herself on Instagram for the past few months and has previously explained she was doing so in a bid to reclaim her body after feeling constrained under her 13-year conservatorship.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca0b3kjPBRF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca0b3kjPBRF/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">However, the slew of images she’s self-shared on social media have attracted more of a negative response in comparison to Duff, with some critics calling the photos “disturbing” and “embarrassing”.</p> <p dir="ltr">In a now-deleted Instagram caption on a post from earlier this year, Spears defended her images, writing: “Alrightyyy then folks… showing my bod in French Polynesia as a rebel and free WOMAN!!!!!”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-86a760f8-7fff-c652-efc8-b06bde07c271"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I WILL DO BIG LETTERS CAUSE I THINK THAT MEANS IT’S IMPORTANT AND I DON’T WANT TO BE LEFT OUT.”</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Spot the difference.</p> <p>You just love to criticize Britney Spears for everything she does. Jus admit it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/britneyspears?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#britneyspears</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/hilaryduff?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#hilaryduff</a> <a href="https://t.co/U3eUsz2ti1">pic.twitter.com/U3eUsz2ti1</a></p> <p>— Dolly Arthur (@DollyArthur_) <a href="https://twitter.com/DollyArthur_/status/1524107226549469185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Fans have begun questioning the difference between reactions to Spears’ and Duff’s photos, with some noting that the difference in image quality - Duff’s glamorous magazine shoot versus Spears’ low-quality photos seemingly taken with a mobile phone - may be part of the reason.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I adore Hilary and she looks incredible, but the difference in comments on her post compared to Britney doing the same thing is astounding,” one popular tweet reads.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-55b14785-7fff-df25-441a-161c2e75b7d8"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“People are so brainwashed by social media that they think nudity is wrong unless you’ve hired a photographer,” they added.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">I adore Hilary and she looks incredible, but the difference in comments on her post compared to Britney doing the same thing is astounding.</p> <p>People are so brainwashed by social media that they think nudity is wrong unless you've hired a photographer and glam team. <a href="https://t.co/QCII2KSfAp">pic.twitter.com/QCII2KSfAp</a></p> <p>— Fan Account (@breatheonmiley) <a href="https://twitter.com/breatheonmiley/status/1524089441899397122?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“Both Britney Spears and Hilary Duff look amazing. Just because one was professionally photographed shouldn’t make a difference,” someone else tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">Another user shared a screenshot of their Twitter feed, showing a headline about the mixed reaction to Spears’ nudity above one from TMZ that reads: “You NEED to see these photos of Hilary Duff in the buff!”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Stop policing women’s bodies… except Britney Spears!” they captioned the image.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Hilary Duff posts a nuded photoshoot and everyone praises her, Britney Spears posts her own nudes from her phone and she’s shamed. Can someone explain the difference?” another person tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Britney Spears and Hilary Duff trending today in a ‘you painted a naked woman because you enjoyed looking at her’ vs ‘put a mirror in her hand and you called the painting “vanity”, morally condemning the woman whose nakedness you had depicted for your own pleasure’ kind of way,” a third said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-c1962d61-7fff-ff49-1cf8-43fe37da2f87"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">The debate around this double standard comes amid a wider debate about how female celebrities have been held to particular standards in the past, such as former Disney star Miley Cyrus who was forced to publicly apologise for a 2008 Vanity Fair photoshoot that was deemed too risque by Disney.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">IM NOT SORRY</p> <p>Fuck YOU <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/10yearsago?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#10yearsago</a> <a href="https://t.co/YTJmPHKwLX">pic.twitter.com/YTJmPHKwLX</a></p> <p>— Miley Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) <a href="https://twitter.com/MileyCyrus/status/990682726440226817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2018</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">The singer and actress later retracted the apology, sharing a photo of a New York Post newspaper from 2008 with the headline “Miley’s Shame” to Twitter in 2018.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’M NOT SORRY. F***K YOU,” she captioned the post.</p> <p dir="ltr">Though the praise for Duff and other celebrities - such as 78-year-old model <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/beauty-style/lauren-hutton-poses-topless" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lauren Hutton</a> - who engage in topless or nude photoshoots is a good thing and a sign that the times might be changing, the reactions the likes of Spears receive for similar images shows that we still have a problem with female nudity - and that there is plenty of work left to be done.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-89ee2454-7fff-19fd-16c6-d66fd5cf7b24"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @britneyspears (Instagram) / @hilaryduff (Instagram) / @harpersbazaaraus (Instagram)</em></p>

Beauty & Style

Britney Spears shares devastating personal news

<p>Britney Spears has shared some devastating personal news, announcing in a joint statement that she has suffered a miscarriage.</p> <p>The 40-year-old mother of two had announced she was expecting her third child last month.</p> <p>“It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that we have lost our miracle baby early in the pregnancy,” the statement read.</p> <p>“This is a devastating time for any parent. Perhaps we should have waited to announce until we were further along. However we were overly excited to share the good news.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdjQLP6vzCW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CdjQLP6vzCW/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>The couple added that their love for each other is their “strength” right now.</p> <p>“We will continue trying to expand our beautiful family. We are grateful for all of your support. We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult moment.”</p> <p>The couple have thanked fans for their support, writing: “We are grateful for what we have in the process of expanding our beautiful family. Thank you for your support.”</p> <p>Britney had kept fans regularly updated on her pregnancy since announcing she was expecting last month. Her baby news came after she was released from a 13-year conservatorship in which decisions about her life, career and even fertility were made for her.</p> <p>Spears is mother to two sons, 15-year-old Jaden and 16-year-old Sean, with ex-husband Kevin Federline. During her conservatorship hearings last year, she repeatedly expressed her desire to be able to start a family with Asghari. She had revealed last month that she had fallen pregnant after the couple’s recent holiday in Hawaii.</p> <p>She continued: “I am having a baby... It’s growing! If two are in there I might just lose it.”</p> <p>“It’s hard because when I was pregnant I had perinatal depression. I have to say it is absolutely horrible. Women didn’t talk about it back then … but now women talk about it every day!”</p> <p>Britney concluded: “… This time I will be doing yoga every day! Spreading lots of joy and love.”</p> <p><em>Image: Getty </em></p>

Caring

Britney Spears is pregnant!

<p>Pop princess Britney Spears has announced she is expecting her first child with fiancé Sam Asghari. </p> <p>Britney made the announcement on Instagram in a lengthy caption, as she refers to Sam as her husband and reveals how she found out she is pregnant. </p> <p>She wrote, "I lost so much weight to go on my Maui trip only to gain it back 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ … I thought 'Geez … what happened to my stomach ???' My husband said 'No you're food pregnant silly 🤪 !!!' So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby 👶🏼 …"</p> <p>"4 days later I got a little more food pregnant 🤰🏼🙈🙈🙈 It's growing !!! If 2 are in there … I might just loose it 😬😬😬😬😬😬 …" she continued.</p> <p>Britney said she would "obviously" be away from the public eye during her pregnancy due to paparazzi trying to get their "money shot of [her]," and referenced experiencing perinatal depression in her previous pregnancies.</p> <p>Britney shares two children, 16-year-old Sean Preston Federline and 15-year-old Jayden James Federline, with her ex-husband Kevin Federline.</p> <p>The news of the pregnancy delighted fans around the globe, as the singer was forced to be on birth control during the duration of her 13-year conservatorship, which ended in November 2021. </p> <p>Sam proposed to Britney in September last year after four years of dating, after the pair met on the set of Britney's music video for the 2016 track <em>Slumber Party</em>. </p> <p>Spears has been vocal about her love for Asghari, particularly in how he supported her through the end of her strict conservatorship.</p> <p>The couple reportedly have been excited to start a family for a while now, with a source telling <a title="US Weekly" href="https://celebrity.nine.com.au/latest/britney-spears-engaged-boyfriend-sam-asghari/e803b380-c566-4790-80da-3dac3252bf0f" target="" rel="">US Weekly</a> last July, "Sam would love to start a family with Britney."</p> <p>The source continued, "Sam also sees marriage in his and Britney's future when the time is right and they are able to wed without the restraints of her conservatorship."</p> <p><em>Image credits: Instagram @samasghari</em></p>

Family & Pets

Britney Spears to offload "spectacular" home

<p dir="ltr">Popstar Britney Spears has <a href="https://www.domain.com.au/news/britney-spears-selling-her-long-time-californian-home-1121004/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> she is selling the Californian mansion she has called home for seven years, and that she’s ready for a change.</p> <p dir="ltr">The 40-year-old music icon took to Instagram to share the news with her 39.7 million followers, along with a picturesque view from her bedroom balcony at sunset.</p> <p dir="ltr">“So this is the view from my room .. it’s pretty spectaculAar!!” she captioned the two clips.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve lived in this house for 7 years and I’m in the process of buying a new home … it’s time for change !!!!!</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-676890a8-7fff-c829-5c47-149ccf5bdac6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">“I’ve been pretty modest about the home I live in now,” she continued. “I know you guys have seen me dancing in my living room … but honestly I have 3 living rooms.”</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaTQYjpptML/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaTQYjpptML/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">She even dangled the prospect of giving her fans a tour of her lavish digs, “but until then here’s the pink sky!!!”.</p> <p dir="ltr">The <em>Toxic </em>singer’s home, located within the exclusive White Stallion Estates community in Ventura County, boasts more than just three living rooms too, with five bedrooms and eight bathrooms also found in the Italian-style villa.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other ‘standard’ mansion features are also included, such as the large pool and spa, wood-panelled library, chef’s kitchen, home theatre, and wine cellar with room for 3500 bottles.</p> <p dir="ltr">But, the thing that takes the cake is the extensive use of marble throughout the home, which spills out into a motor court outside the entrance and expertly designed and manicured gardens.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Spears picked up the sprawling estate in <a href="https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2300-White-Stallion-Rd_Thousand-Oaks_CA_91361_M21619-07582?row=1#photo16" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2015</a> for about $10 million, and news of its potential sale comes after she signed a $20 million book deal to write a tell-all memoir, and several months after she successfully appealed to <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/we-ain-t-done-what-happens-now-britney-spears-is-free" target="_blank" rel="noopener">end</a> her 13-year-long conservatorship.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-2b859c72-7fff-0bab-e98c-7d59bdadbb80"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: @britneyspears (Instagram), Realtor.com</em></p>

Real Estate

“We ain’t done”: What happens now Britney Spears is free

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a landmark decision, Britney Spears has been freed from her conservatorship after almost 14 years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Effective today, the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated,” Judge Brenda Penny said after the hearing on Friday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Spears appeared at the hearing virtually, and later shared a clip of her fans celebrating outside the courthouse.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWMXjAMp-aJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWMXjAMp-aJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The decision comes two months after her father Jamie Spears stepped down as her conservator.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The singer’s lengthy legal battle began gaining traction on social media in 2020, with a group of fans called the #FreeBritney movement being behind most of the growing attention.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Outside of their full-time jobs, fans began investigating the details of Ms Spear’s conservatorship, looking for clues on her social media pages, examining court documents, and holding demonstrations outside court hearings and concerts to raise awareness of the situation.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that she’s free, some of her fans have begun teaming up with disability rights advocates to increase awareness of the estimated 1.3 million Americans living under conservatorships.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Speaking to a small gathering of the movement near the White House in October, disability rights campaigner and lawyer Jonathan Martinis called for the movement to expand beyond freeing Britney.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We ain’t done,” he </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-14/britney-spears-shines-light-on-america-conservatorship-laws/100605612" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">said</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. “And we ain’t going anywhere until Free Britney becomes Free the People.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jasmine Harris, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said Ms Spears would likely still be under the control of her conservator had she not been able to speak out in open court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7845646/britney5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b37d5cc810ee444ea429f0da369ee9e6" /></span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">#FreeBritney protestors celebrate outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse following Friday’s hearing. Image: Getty Images</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She also said the #FreeBritney movement has raised awareness about how these kinds of arrangements trap people with disabilities.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This affects young people with disabilities across the country. And so this deserves our sustained attention,” she told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/nov/14/freebritney-movement-britney-spears-conservatorship" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Guardian</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Judy Mark, the cofounder and president of Disability Voices United, which worked with the movement, agreed that Ms Spears’ freedom could be attributed to the movement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“That never would have happened a year ago,” she said. “All of this changed the day Britney Spears got on the phone and spoke to the judge about how bad things are and the only way that happened is because of the #FreeBritney movement.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ms Mark said the fight for those still under conservatorships needed to happen, while people still remembered what happened to Britney.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We realise this is a moment in time that we must take advantage of,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“The moment may not come again.”</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Getty Images</span></em></p>

Relationships

“The court was wrong”: James Spears speaks out on conservatorship decision

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After his immediate suspension from conservatorship of his daughter, Britney Spears, Jamie Spears has since issued a statement via his attorney, Vivan Thoreen on Thursday.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Mr Spears loves his daughter Britney unconditionally,” the statement said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For thirteen years, he has tried to do what is in her best interests, whether as a conservator or her father. THis started with agreeing to serve as her conservator when she voluntarily entered into the conservatorship. This included helping her revive her career and re-establish a relationship with her children.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“For anyone who has tried to help a family member dealing with mental health issues, they can appreciate the tremendous amount of daily worry and work this required. For Mr Spears, this also meant biting his tongue and not responding to all the false, speculative, and unsubstantiated attacks on him by certain members of the public, media, or more recently, Britney’s own attorney.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“These facts make the outcome of yesterday’s hearing all the more disappointing, and frankly, a loss for Britney.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The statement goes on to point out that Mr Spears “took the initiative” in petitioning to terminate the conservatorship and claims that the court was wrong to suspend him and replace him with “a stranger”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Judge Brenda Penny ruled that Mr Spears would no longer serve as the conservator of his daughter’s estate and immediately removed him from control of her finances.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I believe that the suspension is in the best interest of the conservatee,” Penny said. “The current situation is untenable.”</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUbMCJKsRbJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CUbMCJKsRbJ/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the days following the court’s decision, Ms Spears and her fiance Sam Asghari shared pictures from their celebratory trip to a tropical paradise.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A hearing has been set for November 12 to determine whether the conservatorship will be ended.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: britneyspears / Instagram</span></em></p>

Relationships

Britney Spears’ fiancé comments on new Netflix doco

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sam Asghari, Britney Spears’ fiance, has spoken out following the release of the trailer for Netflix documentary </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Britney vs Spears</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The streaming giant released the trailer one week out from it’s airing, prompting a comment from Asghari.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I hope the profit from these docs go towards fighting injustice #freebritney,” he wrote on Instagram.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spears hasn’t directly commented on the new film covering her conservatorship battle, but some have said she doesn’t endorse it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This is another unauthorised documentary without her blessing or participation,” one source told </span><em><a rel="noopener" href="https://pagesix.com/2021/09/22/britney-spears-netflix-doc-done-without-her-blessing/" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Page Six</span></a></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Previously, the star didn’t endorse the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">New York Times’ Framing Britney Spears</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> documentary, saying that she was “embarrassed” by it without watching it.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new documentary comes a week after Spears and Asghari shared </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/relationships/britney-spears-announces-engagement-takes-social-media-break?fbclid=IwAR3oQk_JWMBRFwLbcrDBjA6snAVzORSFg23Xz-3AqYit05ZBDDWTd8YvJzs" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">news of their engagement</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> on social media.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spears also announced she would be taking a break from social media two days later but has since returned to Instagram and Twitter.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The new documentary will debut on September 28, a day before Spears returns to court to fight for her release from her decade-long conservatorship.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the trailer, audio of Spears is heard from her testimony at the Los Angeles Superior Courthouse on June 23, where she addressed the court publicly for the first time.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I just want my life back,” she said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ve worked my whole life.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I don’t owe these people anything.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Directed by filmmaker Erin Lee Carr, the documentary will centre around Spears’ conservatorship and question its necessity, the alleged corruption of her father, and larger issues with conservatorship.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“What was going on inside the conservatorship? And why was she still in one if she was okay?” one person said in the trailer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Though the trailer doesn’t reveal who will appear in the documentary, the clip includes voiceovers from various people, including Spears’ ex, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib, and a legal expert.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The trailer also suggests that the documentary will reveal new information leaked by someone involved in the conservatorship.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">See the trailer here.</span></p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SgFDWK_sf9c" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: @britneyspears / Instagram</span></em></p>

Relationships

Britney Spears announces engagement, takes social media break

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After her long-running legal battle saw her father file to shut down her conservatorship, Spears has more good news: she is engaged.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">But, </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58568256" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 400;">after announcing her engagement</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to long-term boyfriend, Sam Asghari, on social media last week, the star deleted her Instagram account.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sparking concern among fans, she reassured them via Twitter that her absence from social media would only be temporary.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Don’t worry folks … just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement,” she wrote. </span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Don’t worry folks … just taking a little break from social media to celebrate my engagement 💍😉 !!!! I’ll be back soon 💋🌹✨</p> — Britney Spears (@britneyspears) <a href="https://twitter.com/britneyspears/status/1437896257129750528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 14, 2021</a></blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“I’ll be back soon”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asghari, a personal trainer and actor, also shared a snap of the couple following the announcement, with Spears showing off her ring.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTvPcEJP_2P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTvPcEJP_2P/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Sam Asghari (@samasghari)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The news of her social media hiatus comes after Octavia Spencer apologised for her snarky comment on the pop singer’s post announcing the engagement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Y’all, a few days ago Sam and Britney announced their engagement and me being me I made a joke,” the actress said on Instagram, referencing her comment that Spears should make Asghari “sign a prenup”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“My intention was to make them laugh, not cause pain,” she continued. “I’ve reached out to this lovely couple privately to apologise and now want to restore just a smidge of happiness they were robbed of.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7844181/spencer-spears.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d0d9b816ef4d4ca4a8ad471dbdeef749" /></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: news.com.au</span></em></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Britney’s fans have seen her through a lot of pain and she’s found happiness,” Spencer said, referring to Spears’ 13-year conservatorship. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We’re thrilled for her. So let’s show them them love #nonegativity.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Asghari replied in the comments, sharing that he had no hard feelings towards the actress.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“You are very kind to clarify but I have no hard feelings whatsoever. Jokes and misconceptions come with the territory,” he wrote.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Spears has been using her Instagram account to document her daily life and, in recent months, share her perspective on the conservatorship battle.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Her father, Jamie Spears, stepped down as her conservator in August and was replaced by the singer’s long-time care manager, Jodi Montgomery.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Spears also filed papers to end the conservatorship, with a court hearing scheduled in a Los Angeles court for September 29.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: samasghari</span></em></p>

Relationships

Britney Spears’ father steps down as conservator

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After a long-running legal battle over Britney Spears’ conservatorship that has captured the global public’s attention, her father, Jamie, has agreed to step down as her conservator.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Spears has been the conservator of his daughter since 2008, meaning he has legally had control over her assets and financial decisions for the last 13 years.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, the singer’s lawyer said Mr Spears would now be stepping down from the role.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“We are pleased that Mr Spears and his lawyer have today conceded in a filing that he must be removed,” Britney’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, said in a statement.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mr Rosengart described the decision as “a major victory for Britney Spears and another step towards justice”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">According to celebrity website </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TMZ</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, though the court filing said there were no grounds for removing Mr Spears as conservator, “he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests”.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“Mr Spears intends to work with the court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator,” the court filing said.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The pop star and her father have been in court several times recently, including when Ms Spears launched another legal bid to remove her father from the conservator role last month.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">She has spoken out on social media about the court-appointed conservatorship, which was initially a temporary measure following a mental breakdown in 2008, calling it abusive and humiliating.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Twitter</span></em></p>

Relationships

Diana Ross to release first album in 15 years

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Diana Ross is making a major comeback, announcing she will be releasing a new album.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The soul legend’s first album in 15 years is expected to be released in early September.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The album, titled </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thank You</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">, will feature 13 songs Ross co-wrote with various writers and producers, including Jack Antonoff, Freddie Wexler, Tayla Parx, and Troy Miller.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQNScEDlfwD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQNScEDlfwD/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ms Ross ✨ (@dianaross)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sharing the news on Instagram, Ross wrote: “This collection of songs is my gift to you with appreciation and love. I am eternally grateful that I had the opportunity to record this glorious music at this time.”</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the same day, Ross released the titular track off her new album, and shared a snippet on Instagram, to the delight of her fans.</span></p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQNlziAldOm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CQNlziAldOm/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Ms Ross ✨ (@dianaross)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“This song is EVERYTHING!! I can’t wait for the new album,” one fan commented.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">“It’s gorgeous. Your music is beautiful,” another said.</span></p> <p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Image: Diana Ross / Instagram</span></em></p>

Music

Ben Fordham breaks down over family tragedy

<p><span>Ben Fordham had a hearty cry on 2GB on Thursday, while announcing the death of his father-in-law, Ross Spears.</span><br /><br /><span>“I wanted to share with you some personal news, and that is that my wife Jodie’s dad, Ross, passed away on Tuesday night,” the radio star revealed.</span><br /><br /><span>“Ross has been battling cancer for a number of years, it’s been really bad for a few months, and in the last few weeks he’s been in palliative care and he’s been looked after tremendously.</span><br /><br /><span>“He’s had the opportunity to say his goodbyes, we’ve all been in there to say goodbyes, including all of the grandchildren.”</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842300/new-projeben-fordhamct-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4841c926cc7e44829fda2230d0187316" /><br /><br /><span>Fordham became even more emotional when recalling his wife, Channel 7 newsreader Jodie Speers, returning home on Tuesday afternoon after visiting her father.</span><br /><br /><span>“It was clear from the tears streaming down her face that he didn’t have long to go,” Fordham said.</span><br /><br /><span>“My children were amazing … my daughter, Pearl, ran up to Jodie and gave her a massive hug. My little girl, Goldie, who’s only a baby, she knew what was going on, she started saying ‘papa’ which is what they call him.”</span><br /><br /><span>Fordham described Ross as a “great bloke”, revealing his father-in-law was a structural engineer who worked on the infamous cauldron that malfunctioned at the Sydney Olympics.</span><br /><br /><span>“Ross always assured me that was not his part of the team, that was the mechanical part of the team and he reckons he knew all along that it was going to be a long shot for that thing to work,” Fordham said.</span><br /><br /><span>The 2GB host went on to say: “Ross, we love you mate, and thank you very much for being a great father in law to me.”</span><br /><br /><span>The sad news of Ross Speers’ death follows the death of Fordham's dad, John Fordham, in 2019.</span></p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7842301/new-projeben-fordhamct-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/35e71ba5927f449783c00208e1d1c40f" /><br /><br /><span>John died after a lengthy battle with throat cancer.</span><br /><br /><span>Speaking to Sky News last October, Fordham admitted he had learnt a lot from his father.</span><br /><br /><span>“The big lesson that I got out of dad, as far as his last few years, we were sitting down having lunch and he’d occasionally have these conversations where he’d say, ‘you don’t want to leave anything unsaid,’” Fordham said.</span><br /><br /><span>“He was always very open about how much he loved us, and how much respect he had for all of us.</span><br /><br /><span>“I said one day, ‘if you love us all that much, why don’t you fly us all to Hawaii for a holiday?’ “And he did. He flew the entire family.</span><br /><br /><span>“I look back on things like that and go, you know what, he didn’t die wondering. He took all those opportunities. He didn’t miss out on anything.”</span></p> <p><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Relationships

“Should be illegal”: Aussie star makes worrying Britney claim

<p>Australian rapper Iggy Azalea has shared her experiences working with Britney Spears, as the pair teamed up for the 2015 single Pretty Girls.</p> <p>She made the statements on Twitter, saying that she supported Spears' court claims that her conservatorship is an "abusive" situation.</p> <p>“It’s basic human decency to at the very least remove a person Britney has identified as abusive from her life. This should be illegal,” she wrote.</p> <p>“During the time we worked together in 2015, I personally witnessed the same behaviour Britney detailed in regards to her father last week and I just want to back her up and tell the world that: She is not exaggeration [sic] or lying.</p> <p>“I saw her restricted from even the most bizarre and trivial things: Like how many sodas she was allowed to drink. Why is that even necessary?” Azalea continued.</p> <p>“Her father conveniently waited until literally moments before our BMAs performance when I was backstage in the dressing room and told me if I did not sign an NDA he would not allow me on stage. The way he went about getting me to sign a contract, sounded similar to the tactics Britney spoke about last week in regards to her Las Vegas show.”</p> <p>“Britney Spears should not be forced to coexist with that man when she’s made it clear it is negatively impacting her mental health.</p> <p>‘This is not right at all,’ she concluded.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FreeBritney?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FreeBritney</a> <a href="https://t.co/UPg7rkq0lW">pic.twitter.com/UPg7rkq0lW</a></p> — IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) <a href="https://twitter.com/IGGYAZALEA/status/1410433707052204034?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>The public statement comes after Azalea told fans she's trying to support Britney in a way that's "helpful and mindful".</p> <p>“Britney has said in her own words, she’s embarrassed to even share this with the world,” she wrote on June 26. “If she needed me to speak on her behalf, that message has been delivered to her.</p> <p>“I’ve done what I’m supposed to do, I’ve reached out. I’m not supposed to be mindlessly telling you all whatever was happening because half of these people are just here for entertainment not to help.”</p>

Legal

“I am traumatised”: Britney Spears speaks out against dad for the first time ever

<p>Britney Spears gave a jaw-dropping speech in court on Thursday regarding her ongoing conservatorship that has been active since 2008 – telling the judge her experience has been nothing short of “abusive”.</p> <p>The pop sensation alleges she was kept in a drugged state for years, has no control over her right to have children and has been banned from speaking out against her “harmful” situation to the public, in a blistering testimony.</p> <p>“He loved the control he had over me, one hundred thousand percent,” Spears said about her father Jamie Spears, who has had complete control over her finances since 2008 under her conservatorship arrangement.</p> <p>“I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and happy. I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatised. I can’t sleep, I’m depressed, I cry every day.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841990/britney-spear-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/e94aeffa0f41477b86adb83bc307d474" /></p> <p>“But now I’m telling you the truth, I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry it’s insane… I cry everyday.”</p> <p>Spears said she wanted the conservatorship arrangement to end “without having to be evaluated.”</p> <p>“I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” she said. “It’s my wish and my dream for this to end.”</p> <p>Spears also gave other jaw-dropping statements, saying:</p> <p>“The people who did this to me should not be able to get away and walk away easily.”</p> <p>“Ma’am, I’m not here to be a slave. I can say no to a dance move.”</p> <p>“They’ve done a pretty good job of exploiting my life, so I think this should be an open hearing.”</p> <p>“The same lady has been giving me my medication for 8 years... I was out on lithium. They took me off my same drugs for 5 years and put me on lithium…it is a strong drug…it was like I was drunk.”</p> <p>“I wasn’t allowed to go anywhere for month.”</p> <p>“They should be in jail.”</p> <p>“My attorney said I can’t let the public know anything about what has been done to me.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841991/britney-spear-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/4f30a5c6a5d44ffbb4bdd373c83a97d4" /></p> <p>“It’s not fair that they are telling lies about me openly. Even my family…”</p> <p>“I haven’t had the opportunity to handpick my own attorney myself.”</p> <p>“I’m talking to you today because yes, even Jodi is starting to take it too far.” (Jodi Montgomery is Britney’s ‘care manager’).</p> <p>“They need to be reminded that they actually work for me.”</p> <p>“I am not able to see my friends that I made during 3 years of AA meetings.”</p> <p>“I have an IUD (birth control device) in my body right now that won’t let me have a baby and my conservators won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out.”</p> <p>The final minute of Spears’ speech has emerged online:</p> <p>“Basically, this conservatorship is doing me WAY more harm than good,” she began.</p> <p>“I deserve to have a life, I deserve to have a two, three year break and do what I want to do. I wish I could stay with you on the phone forever because when I get off the phone, I hear all these ‘no’s’. ‘No, no, I feel ganged up on.</p> <p>“I feel bullied and I feel left out and alone. I’m tired of feeling alone. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does by having a child, a family, all of those things. That’s all I wanted to say to you - thank you so much for letting me speak to you today.”</p> <p>Spears also opened up about her controversial Las Vegas residency, saying she was “forced” to do it and further alleged that when she informed her management she didn’t want to do it, she was put on lithium, a “strong” drug that made her feel drunk.</p> <p>She says she stayed on lithium for five years.</p> <p>Spears also revealed she dreams of having more children and marrying her boyfriend Sam Asghari; however, her conservatorship has denied her wishes.</p> <p>Britney’s father Jamie said he was “sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain.”</p> <p>The star’s boyfriend Sam Asghari made a public display of support for his girlfriend just hours before she spoke in court, posting a photo to Instagram in a “FREE BRITNEY” t-shirt.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7841993/britney-spear.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/d8b1544315824eaa92079a46b4156749" /></p> <p>However, he is not the only person that has offered his support as Britney’s conservatorship has sparked a global movement with a call to “end the tyranny.”</p> <p>Britney has been in a conservatorship since 2008 with her father, with reports from the New York Times alleging every aspect of her life is controlled right down to her Starbucks and iTunes purchases.</p> <p>Another hearing regarding the estate’s accounting documents is set for July 14.</p>

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