Britney Spears Ally: 'Matilda' Actress Criticizes Hollywood's Treatment of Pop Star and Child Stars
Britney Spears has gained herself a new ally.
Early this week, former child star Mara Wilson wrote an op-ed for the New York Times detailing Hollywood's terrifying side.
She reflected the downsides of growing up in the spotlight, especially about the "Baby One More Time" hitmaker.
Wilson writes, "The way people talked about Britney Spears was terrifying to me, and it still is now."
The article, titled "The Lies Hollywood Tells About Little Girls," begins her piece by describing an interview she did on her 13th birthday in July 2000.
The "Matilda" actress mistakenly believed she could open up to a journalist about being tired and sad working on her birthday, only to be painted as a spoiled brat and problematic child star.
The "Mrs. Doubtfire" star drew compared similarities between her and the pop star.
She writes that Spears' story is a "striking example of a phenomenon" she has witnessed over the years, claiming that Tinseltown's culture builds up the girls only to destroy them in the process.
"Fortunately, people are becoming aware of what we did to Ms. Spears and starting to apologize to her. But we're still living with the scars."
READ ALSO: Jamie Spears NOT Giving Up Easily On Being Britney Spears' Head of Conservatorship
Mara Wilson mentioned that some of their similarities included having doll versions created, having older men commenting on their bodies, and even having close friends and boyfriends to share secrets.
But what's different about them was that Wilson wasn't that big of a star than Spears. And unlike Spears, Wilson's family always supported her.
Britney Spears' Breakdown
Referencing Britney Spears' conservatorship, Wilson notes, "I knew that I had money put away for me, and it was mine. If I needed to escape the public eye, I vanished - safe at home or school."
Speaking of the "I'm A Slave" singer's 2007 breakdown, "When she split with her husband, shaved her head and furiously attacked a paparazzi car with an umbrella, the Narrative was forced upon her."
Wilson believes that Spears should have been given space, time, and care to deal with that major life change.
But "she had none of that," she adds.
In Opinion
— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 23, 2021
“The way people talked about Britney Spears was terrifying to me then, and it still is now,” writes Mara Wilson. “Her story is a striking example of a phenomenon I’ve witnessed for years: Our culture builds these girls up just to destroy them.”https://t.co/LBdrHs0Pwq
Britney Spears' Documentary
The New York Times Presents released a documentary on Britney Spears called "Framing Britney Spears."
The documentary was released on Feb. 5 and became a moment of reckoning for several people who were once in her life, including ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who has since publicly apologized for how she treated her in the past.
