A Complete History Of Britney Spears' 2007 Meltdown And How She Bounced Back
She Walked Out Of A Gas Station Bathroom Not Wearing Shoes
@Griggsay when I think of Britney Spears:
— dianarama (@dianamail17) March 7, 2016
BAREFOOT IN A GAS STATION BATHROOM pic.twitter.com/rkjpYcJnSKIn 2004, two years before Spears experienced the worst of her highly publicized breakdown, she received flack for walking barefoot out of a Ventura, California gas station bathroom in what many consider the beginning of her downfall.
She Drove With Her Infant Son In Her Lap
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0In 2006, photos emerged of Spears driving an SUV with her infant son sitting in her lap. The new mother defended the move, saying the paparazzi were harassing her. "I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm’s way, but the paparazzi continued to stalk us," she said. "I love my child and would do anything to protect him." The Department of Children and Family Services launched an investigation into the incident.
In an interview with Matt Lauer in June of 2006, Spears broke down in tears as she explained her side of the story:
"[Paparazzi were] coming up on the sides of the car, which is a scary situation for me. They’re banging on the windows, and that’s not something I want my baby to [experience]. So I get my baby [in] the car, and I go home. So I mean, I just feel like they’re taking cheap shots... That driving incident was from, like five minutes away, and Starbucks is like, right there. I can’t go anywhere without someone judging me. You know. I did it with my dad. I’d sit on his lap and I’d drive. We’re country."
She Almost Dropped Her Baby
Video: YouTube
Paparazzi surrounded Spears as she left her hotel in New York City in May of 2007. She carried a drink in one hand and had Sean Preston perched on her hip. On the way to the car, Spears stumbled and almost dropped her son—the baby looked startled as his orange cap fell off his head.
She Shaved Her Head
Britney's mental health struggles and rumored addiction became highly publicized in February of 2007 when Spears walked into a hair salon in Tarzana, California and asked the stylist to shave her head. When the stylist politely refused, Spears grabbed the clippers and shaved her head herself. The paparazzi, always on Spears's tail, was there to capture every moment. After she left the salon, she got a tattoo at a parlor in Sherman Oaks, California. When the artist asked Spears why she shaved her head, she replied, "I don’t want anyone touching me. I’m tired of everybody touching me." Additionally, she told the following to MTV's 2008 documentary, For the Record:
"I was going through so much artificial stuff with my kids and Kevin at the time. He’d just left me and I was devastated. People thought that it was me going crazy and stuff like that, but people shave their heads all the time. I was going through a lot, but it was just kind of like me going through a little bit of rebellion, or feeling free, or shedding stuff that had happened, you know?"
She Attacked A Car With An Umbrella
#RememberWhen Britney Spears had a meltdown back in 2007? Which would you say has been YOUR worst year to date? pic.twitter.com/0XXEOlTJmR
— Voice Of Wits (@vowfm) January 22, 2016Just five days after the head-shaving incident, Spears attacked a paparazzo's car with an umbrella. The event took place following Spears's visit to the home of Kevin Federline, her newly-estranged husband. Months later, Spears claimed that the umbrella attack was in preparation for a new role she was playing.
She Went To Rehab
After a couple of brief, failed attempts at rehab, Spears finally completed an inpatient program at Promises in Malibu, California in March of 2007. Her family was cautiously optimistic about the outcome. Her ex, Kevin Federline, had custody of their children while she was at Promises.
She Struggled Through An MTV VMA Performance
Video: YouTube
Spears has always tried to continue performing and making music, despite whatever personal hell she might be going through. In September of 2007, she made what was supposed to be her big comeback at the opening number of that year's MTV Video Music Awards. ABC News gave her "Gimmie More" performance a scathing review:
"She seemed to sleepwalk through her routine, flailing her arms and failing to synch her lips with the subpar dance ditty blasting through the speakers. Her sequined bra/panty costume confirmed that like her former pop-star magnetism, those abs of yore are now just a memory."
She Was Charged In A Hit And Run Accident
In September of 2007, Spears was charged with a hit and run as well as driving without a license. The charges resulted from an August incident in Studio City, California, where Spears hit a car in a parking lot and fled the scene. Upon investigation, police learned that she was never issued a California driver's license.
She Lost Custody Of Her Kids
Eventually, the courts began taking action. In September of 2007, Spears lost custody of her two young sons, a move more than likely influenced by the hit and run charges. The attending judge cited what he believed was Spears's "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."
She Was Held In A Psychiatric Hospital
Photo: Compulsiveprep_8 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 2.0In January of 2008, Spears engaged in a three-hour custody standoff, refusing to return her kids to their father at the end of an appointed visitation. Authorities took her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where a media circus ensued, and she was held in a psychiatric facility at a UCLA hospital. A few days later, a judge granted temporary conservatorship and control of her money and assets to her father and her attorney; the conservatorship was later made permanent.
She Won Visitation Rights
Once her father became a conservator, Spears's life started moving in a healthier direction. Her January 2008 hospitalization caused the courts to revoke all her custody rights, but by July of that year, she regained visitation rights. "Britney’s doing great. She’s very pleased. The kids are with her right now," her lawyer said.
She Resumed Making Chart-Topping Music
Britney's fall from grace was, fortunately, not a permanent one. Her music and performances faltered during her breakdown, but she came back stronger than ever. After back-to-back albums in 2007 and 2008, Spears took some time off from recording. Her 2011 album, Femme Fatale, was a return of sorts, and it showed the world that Brit was still a force with which to be reckoned.
She Was A Judge On 'The X-Factor'
Photo: X-Factor / SYCOtvSpears joined the judging panel of the American version of The X Factor in 2012. She reportedly earned $15 million for the gig, the highest paycheck in history for a TV judge. Spears left the show after one season, but if you make $15 mil for a few months of work... heck, why go back?
She Had A Las Vegas Residency
In 2013, Spears started a four-year residency at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The run was heralded as one of the most successful residencies ever. It's been reported that she will launch a new residency starting in 2019.
She's In A Serious Relationship
As of 2018, Spears has regained her booming career, and she's also involved in a serious relationship. She's been dating Sam Asghari since 2017, and the two appear to be head over heels. Here's hoping Brit finds the happily ever after she so deserves.
