Britney Spears clarified on Wednesday that she wasn’t shading Selena Gomez in a now-deleted Instagram post in which she called out people who talk about not showing their bodies on Instagram while making risqué music videos as "hypocritie[s]."
"Let me clarify about me sharing my beliefs on women judging other women for their own rights in expressing themselves," Spears wrote in a post after deleting the original one. "What I said had nothing to do with anyone specific at all … it was clearly a subject in hand all women have had to deal with …"
Fans speculated Spears might have been talking about Gomez when she wrote: "Don’t you just love the nerve of women who stand firmly getting awards and speak on their beliefs about not showing their bodies on instagram ???!!!!!"
She continued, "They say ‘This is NOT something I would do’ yet those women are the very ones who get 4 million dollar budget videos made about sucking and licking on homemade ice cream !!!! Yet giving righteous speeches shaming other women for exposing their bodies, I would like to tell those people don’t be a hypocrite as you suck on your lollipop having HUGE budget dreams … why would you stand firmly against girls getting attention JUST LIKE YOU and they have absolutely nothing ????"
In 2016, Gomez said she doesn’t want to police people’s "bodies on Instagram," while giving a speech at the American Music Awards. "I want to see what’s in here," she added, pointing to her heart. Gomez also wore several sexy outfits in a 2020 music video collaboration with K-pop group BLACKPINK for the song "Ice Cream."
In her clarification, Spears added that she was "honestly referencing my days when I was younger when I got discriminated against harshly … men in interviews discussing my boobs on live TV or showing my midriff and skin !!! If anybody knows what judgment feels like I’m sure Selena has gone through something pretty similar."
The "Womanizer" singer said her "ice cream" comment was referring to stars who had "million-dollar budget videos" and "talked s---" about Kelis’ 2004 "Milkshake" video when she was a "young artist trying to make it."
She said the "Milkshake" video showed women "pushing the boundaries" of how they were allowed to express themselves. "I empower women to express their bodies however they choose," the "Stronger" singer wrote. Spears has posted numerous implied nudity photos on Instagram since her conservatorship ended last year.
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Spears said she didn’t even know about Gomez’s "Ice Cream" video when she wrote the post, joking she’s not "part of the in crowd."
She said "I genuinely look up to and have so much respect for "beautiful queen Gomez,'" adding that she was fangirling over the "Calm Down" singer after she surprised Spears at her June wedding to Sam Asghari.
She added, "I would like to tell Selena which she’s probably not even aware of trash news that her music has gotten me through lots and thank you again for making my dreams come true by coming to my wedding … you’re one person I have always wanted to meet and my dream came true and I will never forget it !!!"
Both pop stars have expressed their mutual admiration for each other over the years.
