Britney Spears' highly anticipated memoir The Woman in Me is out on Oct. 24, and People has obtained exclusive excerpts ahead of the release.
Among these excerpts is a heartbreaking account of how the popstar felt while she was under her father's conservatorship, which lasted for 13 years between 2008 and 2021.
"I became a robot. But not just a robot—a sort of child-robot," the star wrote.
"I had been so infantilized that I was losing pieces of what made me feel like myself. The conservatorship stripped me of my womanhood, made me into a child. I became more of an entity than a person onstage. I had always felt music in my bones and my blood; they stole that from me."
Calling out the book's title, she continued, "The woman in me was pushed down for a long time.
"They wanted me to be wild onstage, the way they told me to be, and to be a robot the rest of the time.
"I felt like I was being deprived of those good secrets of life—those fundamental supposed sins of indulgence and adventure that make us human. They wanted to take away that specialness and keep everything as rote as possible. It was death to my creativity as an artist."
Elsewhere in the book, Spears opened up about her decision to shave her head in 2007, and revealed for the first time that she had an abortion during her relationship with Justin Timberlake.
Spears' conservatorship ended in 2021, after her father Jamie Spears filed to end it, following weeks of pressure from his daughter's legal team.
During a hearing in June 2021, the singer called the arrangement "abusive." She told a judge, "Ma'am, I'm not here to be anyone's slave," adding, "I just want my life back, it's been 13 years and it's enough."
-
Janet Jackson Says She Almost Played An Iconic Movie Role That Ultimately Went to Halle BerryJackson had to turn the part down because she was heading out on tour.
-
Kim Kardashian Visits White House to Discuss Criminal Justice Reform with Vice President Kamala Harris"I'm just here to help and spread the word."
-
Even Zendaya's Off-Duty Outfits Reference 'Challengers'The actress can't quit referencing Tashi Duncan completely.
-
Both Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Kylie Minogue’s “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” Are, Randomly, Likely Written About the Same Veterinarian with His Own Reality ShowYeah, let us explain.
-
Britney Spears Cryptically Says She Wants to Be Open About Her Struggles, But They’re “Too Offensive to Share”“Nothing is what it seems sometimes!!!”
-
Britney Spears Could Have Been Elle Woods in ‘Legally Blonde,’ the Film’s Screenwriter RevealsUnlike parts in ‘The Notebook’ and ‘Chicago,’ though, Spears might not have even known she was under consideration for the iconic role.
-
Sam Asghari, Who Turns 30 Today, Uses the Occasion to Speak Publicly About His Ex-Wife Britney Spears—and Whether There’s Another Woman in His Life“People grow apart, and people move on.”
-
Britney Spears Exalts Janet Jackson: "She's Always Been the Deepest and the Brightest Woman"Spears and Jackson share more than musical prowess: they share a common enemy.
-
Fans Think Justin Timberlake’s New Single “Drown” Is, Once Again, All About Britney SpearsThird time’s a charm?
-
Britney Spears Might Be the Only Person Who Made Out with Ben Affleck and Completely Forgot It HappenedThe two apparently had a rendezvous shortly before she started dating Justin Timberlake.
-
Britney Spears Teases New Mystery Project Called “SEX N DIAMONDS”After vowing to “never return to the music industry” earlier this month, what could it be?
