Britney Spears' new memoir: 13 of the most shocking revelations from 'The Woman In Me'

In her long-awaited memoir, The Woman In Me, Britney Spears bares her soul and shares an intimate glimpse into her tumultuous journey through fame, family dynamics, love, and her heart-wrenching 13-year conservatorship.

With candour and vulnerability, the pop icon takes us through the highs and lows of her life. From a troubled childhood to her meteoric rise to stardom and her conservatorship, Spears leaves no stone unturned.

Here, we break down the biggest bombshells from the tell-all book.

Britney's tumultuous relationship with her father

The Woman In Me opens with Britney's recollections of a rocky childhood in the South. Opening up about the constant turmoil within her family, Britney shares her father's alcoholism cast a dark shadow over her early years.

Britney recalls: "He was more the type of drinker who would go away for days at a time. To be honest, it was a kindness to us when he went away. I preferred it when he wasn't there."

Performing was a form of escapism for Britney

With Britney's difficult upbringing persisting into her adult life, she reveals her desire to perform and break into the music industry was a way to escape her challenging home life and her small-town roots.

RELATED:

• Inside Britney Spears' love life: From Justin Timberlake to Kevin Federline and Sam Asghari

• Britney Spears reveals she had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake

• Britney Spears Debuts New Snake Tattoo amid Divorce from Sam Asghari: 'I'm So Excited'

"Music stopped the noise, made me feel confident, and took me to a pure place of expressing myself exactly as I wanted to be seen and heard," Spears writes. “Singing bridged reality and fantasy, the world I was living in and the world that I desperately wanted to inhabit.”

Britney had an abortion following a surprise pregnancy with Justin Timberlake

In the book, Britney reflects on her relationship with Justin Timberlake, revealing his infidelity and her own transgressions. The most heart-wrenching revelation is when she shares that she became pregnant with Timberlake's baby and decided to have an abortion.

She writes, "Abortion was something I never could have imagined choosing for myself, but given the circumstances, that is what we did. If it had been left up to me alone, I never would have done it."

This event marked a turning point in their relationship, leading to their breakup.

Britney was drunk when she married Jason Alexander

In 2004, Britney Spears famously married her childhood friend Jason Alexander in Las Vegas. Their marriage lasted a mere 55 hours before being annulled, making international headlines.

Spears dismisses the situation as "innocent fun" in her memoir, despite her parents reacting as if she had just started "World War III".

"People have asked me if I loved him,” reflects Spears. “To be clear: he and I were not in love. I was just honestly very drunk – and probably, in a general sense at that time in my life, very bored.”

Kevin Federline was 'enthralled with fame'

Spears also writes about her tumultuous marriage to Kevin Federline from 2004 to 2007. She alleges that his drive to find fame consumed him, pushing their relationship to the brink.

Eventually, the pair became completely estranged, as Federline refused to see Britney at all while he was recording his solo album in New York.

"He wouldn't see me; it seemed like he wanted to pretend I didn't exist," Spears reveals, "I’ve seen fame and money ruin people. And I saw it happen with Kevin in slow motion."

Britney battled with perinatal and postpartum depression

Having two children—Jayden James and Sean Preston—with Kevin Federline took a toll on Britney. She candidly shares her struggles with perinatal and postpartum depression in the memoir, saying: "I couldn't live if things didn't get better'.

Britney also shares that becoming a mother while under so much pressure at home and with relentless media attention was much harder than she expected.

"I’d had these two kids back-to-back. My hormones were all over the place. I was meaner than hell and so bossy… Unfortunately, there wasn’t the same conversation about mental health back then that there is now. I hope any new mothers reading this who are having a hard time will get help early… I now know that I was displaying just about every symptom of perinatal depression: sadness, anxiety, fatigue."

Britney's "breakdown" was fuelled by custody battle

Britney's infamous "breakdown" in 2007 is explained in her memoir as a result of the custody battle between herself and Federline.

She writes, "Kevin tried to convince everyone that I was completely out of control." Britney goes on to describe her desperate acts during that time, including the night she shaved her head and lashed out at paparazzi.

"After not getting to see the boys for weeks and weeks, completely beside myself with grief, I went to plead to see them. Kevin wouldn’t let me in. The paparazzi watched it all happen… so that night I gave them some material. I went into a hair salon, and I took the clippers, and I shaved off all my hair. Everyone thought it was hilarious. Look how crazy she is!… But nobody seemed to understand that I was simply out of my mind with grief. My children had been taken away from me."

Britney was at breaking point during the 'umbrella incident'

Britney also reflects on that headline-making moment when she wielded an umbrella against a paparazzo's car, revealing the desperation and anguish she was struggling with at the time.

“I was, once again, denied entry to Kevin’s. Turned away, trying to see my own children… I snapped,” Spears writes. “I grabbed the only thing within reach, a green umbrella, and jumped out the car… I hit the next closest thing, which was [a paparazzo’s] car. It was a desperate move by a desperate person.”

She also recounts a harrowing incident in January 2008 when she was placed under psychiatric hold, detailing her fear as her children were taken away.

She recalls becoming terrified when Federline's security guard picked them up from her. “I ran into the bathroom with Jayden and locked the door. Before I knew what was happening, a SWAT team in black suits burst through the bathroom door as if I’d hurt someone. The only thing I was guilty of was feeling desperate to keep my own children for a few more hours."

The true impact of the conservatorship

The memoir offers a shocking account of the conservatorship Britney Spears endured. She reveals the extent to which her life was scrutinised, controlled, and manipulated.

From restricted access to her own earnings to humiliating privacy invasions, Spears provides an alarming look into the darkest aspects of the conservatorship, including forced medication and financial exploitation.

"My father was able to set up two forms of conservatorship: what’s called ‘conservatorship of the person’ and ‘conservatorship of the estate’,” Spears writes. "The conservator of the person is designated to control details of the conservatee’s life, like where they live, what they eat, whether they can drive a car, and what they do day-to-day...They treated me like I was a criminal or predator.”

She also recalls the moment her father told her, "‘I’m Britney Spears now. I call the shots. You sit right there in that chair and I’ll tell you what goes on.’"

Britney's sexual history shared with potential partners

Britney sheds light on the appalling conditions she endured during the 13-year conservatorship. She describes the extent of control, stating, "They decided where I went and with whom. They put parental controls on my iPhone. Everything was scrutinised and controlled."

Spears' every action was monitored, even her dating life was under constant surveillance. Before each date, a member of her team would divulge her medical and sexual history to her prospective partner, leaving her humiliated.

Financial restrictions were imposed as well, as Britney was given a strict allowance she wasn't allowed to exceed, leading to a shocking incident where she couldn't even cover a dinner bill for her backup dancers.

“I tried to pick up the check for our whole party. The check was a thousand dollars,” she writes. “My purchase was declined. I didn’t have enough money in my ‘allowance’ account to cover it.”

Britney deliberately sabotaged her own performances

During her conservatorship, Britney says her love for music and performing dwindled. Forced to perform against her will, she admits, "I'd become more of an entity than a person onstage." She also recalls sabotaging her own performances as an act of rebellion.

"I’d dance in a way where I wouldn’t move a hair on my head," she writes. "Everyone who was making money off me wanted me to move my hair, and I knew it – and so I did everything but that. By holding back onstage, I was trying to rebel in some way."

Britney believes the #FreeBritney movement saved her

In her memoir, Britney reflects on a pivotal moment during her stay at a rehab treatment centre in 2018. It was there that a compassionate nurse brought her the truth, showing her a talk show featuring discussions about her and the oppressive conservatorship she was trapped in. This revelation served as a lifeline, connecting her to her dedicated fans and their unwavering support.

Britney was deeply moved by the sight of her devoted followers taking to the streets, passionately chanting "Free Britney!" She describes this as one of the most amazing moments in her life, underscoring the power of her fans and the #FreeBritney movement in bringing her plight to light.

A new focus on self

As she closes her memoir, Britney Spears shifts her focus towards self-discovery and well-being. She mentions enjoying expressing herself through Instagram and modelling, emphasising the importance of being kind to herself. While she has recently released new music, she downplays the pressure to make music her main focus, focusing on spiritual growth and self-discovery instead.

"Pushing forward in my music career is not my focus at the moment,” she writes. “Right now it’s time for me to try to get my spiritual life in order, to pay attention to the little things, to slow down. It’s time for me not to become someone who other people want; it’s time to actually find myself."

The Woman in Me by Britney Spears is out now.

Never miss a thing. Sign up to Yahoo Lifestyle’s daily newsletter.

Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com.