Let’s talk about Britney Spears. Not “pop princess” Britney. Not the tabloid punchline. The real Britney Spears. The woman who was chewed up and spit out by a media machine that mocked her pain and sold her suffering like it was entertainment.
Back in the early 2000s, Britney was everywhere. And not in a good way. The same magazines that built her up as America’s sweetheart were the first to tear her down when she showed signs of struggling. When Britney shaved her head in 2007, it was treated like a joke. A meme. A meltdown for the world to watch. But it wasn’t funny. It was a woman in pain, a woman clearly dealing with a mental health crisis, being hunted by paparazzi and humiliated by gossip blogs and late-night talk shows.
She needed help. Instead, she got headlines calling her “crazy,” photos sold for millions, and comedians making her the butt of their jokes. The media didn’t ask what was wrong—they asked how they could profit off it. It was disgusting. Imagine having one of the hardest moments of your life broadcast to the world, and instead of compassion, all you get is laughter.
And it wasn’t just the press. The entire system failed her. She was placed under a conservatorship—treated like a child, her personal life and career controlled by others—because people decided she was too “unstable” to take care of herself. But how much of that instability was made worse by the constant harassment, pressure, and public shaming?
What’s even worse is that this wasn’t a one-time thing. The media has a pattern of doing this. Whether it’s Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes, or even Kanye West, celebrities dealing with mental illness are dehumanized. We mock them instead of supporting them. Why? Because it gets clicks? Because it’s easier to laugh than to care?
If this is how we treat the most famous people on the planet, what does that say to the rest of us who are struggling? That we should be ashamed? That our pain is something to be mocked?
We say we care about mental health. We post quotes about “checking in on your friends” and “ending the stigma.” But where was that energy when Britney was crying in the back of an ambulance or being hounded by photographers at gas stations?
We can’t change what happened to Britney Spears. But we can admit it was wrong. We can stop supporting media outlets that profit off mental illness. And we can finally start treating people—famous or not—with the humanity they deserve.
It’s way past time. Britney deserved better. So does everyone else.
Famous Healthy Minds 