Britney Spears’s memoir, “The Woman in Me,” released on Oct. 24. The memoir revealed insight into Spear’s personal life and career.
Prior to the memoir’s release, it reached No. 1 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list. Spears gave insight into what readers could expect from her book via an Instagram post.
“This is actually a book I didn’t know needed to be written,” Spears said. “Although some might be offended, it has given me closure on all things for a better future! Hopefully I can enlighten people who feel particularly alone in most cases or hurt or misunderstood!”
The memoir discusses Spears’s path from childhood to fame, revealing things previously unknown to the public.
One of the most controversial pieces of information in Spears’s memoir is her abortion. Spears dated singer Justin Timberlake from 1999 to 2002 and revealed that she had an abortion when she became pregnant with his child.
“If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it,” Spears said. “And yet Justin was so sure he didn’t want to be a father.”
She later described the abortion as one of the toughest experiences in her life.
While Timberlake has not publicly commented on the memoir, he has received hate on social media from fans claiming he pressured Spears into the abortion.
Students at GC and fans of Spears have shared their opinions on the memoir and the attention that has been drawn because of it.
“It makes me so sad that this woman has had to go through so much,” said Sydney Homan, a senior marketing major. “I feel like everyone knows that she has been through a lot, but her book has made it clear that she’s been through a lot more than anyone ever knew. I’m glad that she was able to get this information out for closure.”
Spears has received some criticism for using a ghostwriter, someone that is credited to write a work but is not credited as its author, in her memoir.
Sam Lansky, author and journalist at the New York Times, aided Spears in telling her story. Some have said that this makes her story disingenuous.
“I don’t think it really matters that she used a ghostwriter,” said Marcus McMain, a junior business management major. “A singer obviously isn’t going to get their words across as well as someone who writes for a living. She probably just told him what to write and let him word it in a way that made sense. Not something to throw a fit about.”
Regardless of criticism directed towards her or her memoir, Spears is expected to make more than $12.5 million in profit from its release.
“She is just one of those people who will always be famous,” said Ava Reardon, a senior business management major. “She was an icon 20 years ago, and she still is. I think this book is going to ensure that she’s always a household name. Even if people don’t like it, she’s it.”
