The Biggest Revelations from Britney Spears' Memoir 'The Woman in Me'

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Britney Spears'memoir The Woman In Me tackles everything from the singer's early days as a young pop star to her tumultuous split from Justin Timberlake to the well-publicized conservatorship she was forced into for more than 13 years. Understandably, fans of the "Toxic" singer are eager to read Spears' story, told in her own words, for the first time in her career.

During an interview with People ahead of the book's release, Spears revealed, "Over the past 15 years or even at the start of my career, I sat back while people spoke about me and told my story for me." She continued, "After getting out of my conservatorship, I was finally free to tell my story without consequences from the people in charge of my life."

Here, we explore some of the biggest revelations made by Britney Spears in The Woman in Me, from her romance with Colin Farrell to her audition for The Notebook.

1. She had an abortion while dating Justin Timberlake

Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake dated from 1999 until 2002, having initially met as children while filming The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. As a result, the couple's romance features heavily in The Woman in Me, with Spears revealing that she had an abortion after falling pregnant with Timberlake's baby.

As reported by People, Spears writes of the pregnancy, "It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day." Unfortunately, Timberlake allegedly "wasn’t happy about the pregnancy" and "was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father."

The abortion was carried out privately at home, with Spears taking "little pills" while Timberlake reportedly played guitar to soothe her. "To this day, it’s one of the most agonizing things I have ever experienced in my life," she writes in the memoir via Billboard. "Abortion was something I never could have imagined, choosing for myself, but given the circumstances, that is what we did."

2. Justin Timberlake allegedly cheated on her with another celebrity

In her memoir, Britney Spears reportedly discusses infidelity that took place during her relationship with Justin Timberlake. Per Us Weekly, Spears alleges that Timberlake cheated on her more than once during their romance, pointing to an instance in which the "Sexy Back" singer was photographed with a member of the British pop group All Saints. Spears also claims that Timberlake admitted to one of her backing dancers that he'd hooked up with someone in Las Vegas.

For her part, Spears also reveals that she kissed someone else while dating Timberlake. Discussing the tryst with dancer Wade Robson, Spears writes (via The Sun), "We were out one night and we went to a Spanish bar. We danced and danced. I made out with him that night." According to the publication, Spears suggests she only kissed Robson after finding out that Timberlake had slept with someone else and that the incident was her "one exception."

3. Justin Timberlake broke up with her via text

In The Woman in Me, Britney Spears confirms that Justin Timberlake broke up with her via text message, per The New York Times. Spears recalls being "devastated" by the split, especially when it was followed up with Timberlake's provocative "Cry Me a River" music video.

Describing the video, Spears writes, "A woman who looks like me cheats on him, and he wanders around sad in the rain," giving the impression that she was a "harlot who’d broken the heart of America’s golden boy." However, the truth was far removed from the narrative being portrayed about their split by the media. "I was comatose in Louisiana, and he was happily running around Hollywood," Spears explains.

4. Her two-week romance with Colin Farrell was like a "brawl"

Following her high-profile split from Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears was linked to actor Colin Farrell for a short time. Having been introduced by a friend, Spears describes dating Farrell as a "two-week brawl," per Time. "Brawl is the only word for it—we were all over each other, grappling so passionately it was like we were in a street fight."

However, Spears admits that she wasn't over her ex, and her romance with Farrell was just a short-lived fling. "I tried to convince myself in every way that it was not a big deal, that we were just having fun, that in this case, I was vulnerable because I wasn’t over Justin yet," she writes.

5. Her father instigated the conservatorship

In some of the most emotional excerpts from The Woman in Me, Britney Spears describes the early days of the conservatorship she was in for more than 13 years. Spears alleges that her father, Jamie P. Spears, implemented the conservatorship in 2008 with the support of her mother, Lynne Spears, and business manager, Lou Taylor, who denies any involvement via The New York Times.

Importantly, Spears calls out the hypocrisy of the conservatorship, writing, "Too sick to choose my own boyfriend and yet somehow healthy enough to appear on sitcoms and morning shows, and to perform for thousands of people in a different part of the world every week." Her father's influence looms large, with Spears writing, "If I thought getting criticized about my body in the press was bad, it hurt even more from my own father. He repeatedly told me I looked fat and that I was going to have to do something about it," via People.

6. She was almost cast in The Notebook

After filming her 2002 movie Crossroads, Britney Spears started being considered for other high-profile acting roles. However, Spears didn't find acting easy and instead found herself inadvertently undertaking a method-acting approach. "My problem wasn’t with anyone involved in the production but with what acting did to my mind," she writes via People. "I think I started Method acting—only I didn’t know how to break out of my character. I really became this other person."

Although she had a tough time filming Crossroads, according to Spears, she very nearly reconnected with her The All-New Mickey Mouse Club co-star Ryan Gosling in the film, which helped establish him as a huge star. "The Notebook casting came down to me and Rachel McAdams, and even though it would have been fun to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on the Mickey Mouse Club, I’m glad I didn’t do it," she writes. "If I had, instead of working on my album In the Zone, I’d have been acting like a 1940s heiress day and night."

7. Shaving her head was a way to regain control after years in the public eye

In 2007, Britney Spears hit the headlines for unexpectedly shaving her head. At the time, she was going through a contentious divorce from Kevin Federline and a custody battle involving their two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James. Regularly hounded by photographers, according to Spears, it was the pressure of having been in the public eye from such a young age that led to her shaving her hair off.

"I’d been eyeballed so much growing up," she writes via People. "I’d been looked up and down, had people telling me what they thought of my body since I was a teenager. Shaving my head and acting out were my ways of pushing back." However, it wasn't long before Spears was placed under the conservatorship, in which she found herself being subjected to immense control once again. "I had to grow my hair out and get back into shape," she writes. "I had to go to bed early and take whatever medication they told me to take."

8. A rehab nurse told the singer about the #FreeBritney movement

Between 2008 and 2021, Britney Spears' life, finances, and career were all controlled by her father via a conservatorship. In November 2021, the conservatorship was finally brought to an end, and Spears regained control of all aspects of her life. In her memoir, Spears reveals that she learned about the #FreeBritney movement, which petitioned for the pop star's release from the conservatorship, from a nurse while she was attending rehab, per The New York Times. "That was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen in my life," she writes. "I don’t think people knew how much the #FreeBritney movement meant to me, especially in the beginning."

At the time, Spears was spending three months at a $60,000-per-month rehab facility in Beverly Hills at the behest of her father. "They kept me locked up against my will for months," she explains in her book, revealing that she was also forced to take lithium. "I couldn’t go outside. I couldn’t drive a car. I had to give blood weekly. I couldn’t take a bath in private. I couldn’t shut the door to my room."

Buy on Amazon Listen on Audible

You Might Also Like

• Nicole Richie’s Surprising Adoption Story

• The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother

• Queen Camilla's Life in Photos