Britney Spears

Britney Spears – The queen of Scandal

From the time she burst on to the pop scene with her "...Baby One More Time" in 1998, Britney Spears has been in the limelight, usually accompanied by some sort of scandal or the other. It is amazing how this member of the ‘Mickey Mouse Club’ capitulated into one controversy after another. Her personal life, which has always been in the focus of media and paparazzi, is so messed that she is in rehab for the third time now.

Even her first video, "...Baby One More Time", had her clad in a provocatively modified Roman Catholic school girl uniform. Maybe we should have seen the signs then itself that this girl is here to sell her sexy image as much as her singing talent. And it was an instant hit the world over too, both her music and her image.

She followed it up with the international hit Oops!... I Did It Again". Although she was nominated for a couple of Grammy for both these songs she didn’t win anything at the time. She featured on the cover of Rolling Stone round the same time which triggered speculation that the still seventeen-year-old had had breast implants.

After her big Pepsi deal in 2001, she shocked everyone with a scantily clad outfit along with a python act for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards. She got into trouble with the animal rights organization PETA in addition to criticism about her outfit.

She then had highly publicized relationship with Justin Timberlake which resulted in an equally high profile breakup. To add fuel to all this were their public bickering and counter claims on whether they has sex or not. Also her debut movie “Crossroads” didn’t do too well either.This was followed by he infamous kiss with Madonna on stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2003.This even gave rise to rumors that she might be even gay. In the meanwhile Britney picked up her first Grammy in the Best Dance Recording category for her song “Toxic”

She started off 2004 by getting married to childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander after they both had allegedly gotten drunk. Spears wore jeans and a baseball cap and the bellhop walked her down the aisle. This marriage lasted a whole of 55 hours before an annulment was quickly arranged.

She eventually got married to dancer Kevin Federline in 2004 and subsequently took a hiatus from her career. In 2005 she gave birth to her first child Sean Preston Federline. This was the inspiration behind a statue by Daniel Edwards, Monument to Pro-Life: The Birth of Sean Preston, which was unveiled in March 2006. The statue features an idealized Spears giving birth in a provocative pose while hunched on all fours and clutching a bearskin rug. Although in no way recognized by her, it did create a lot of controversy at the time.

Britney next appeared nude for the cover Harper’s Bazar while being pregnant with her second child. The birth of her second child was followed by a high profile split with her husband. Then came the scandal about a leaked sex tape which the couple had made. This has been recently followed by subsequent capitulation into drugs, partying and rehab. Lately it’s been rumored that she is on the brink of a nervous breakdown and has already tried committing suicide once.

Lately Britney has been in the news for her frequent trips to rehab, her shaved head and her tattoos. She is showing all the signs of a classic Hollywood depression. She is paying the price of fame and her overtly sexy image. Even though most of the controversies and scandals are largely her own fault, let’s hope she doesn’t become another Anna Nicole Smith.