Pop icon Britney Spears recently voiced her discontent regarding Halsey’s latest music video for the song “Lucky,” in which Halsey channels a Britney Spears-inspired persona. Spears took to social media platform X on Friday to share her feelings of being “harassed,” “violated,” and “bullied” by the portrayal.
“For obvious reasons, I’m very upset about the Halsey video,” Britney Spears wrote. “I feel harassed, violated, and bullied. I didn’t know an artist like her and someone I looked up to and admired would illustrate me in such an ignorant way by tailoring me as a superficial pop star with no heart or concern at all,” she expressed in her post, as reported by The Mirror.
The controversy comes shortly after Spears deleted her Instagram account, citing a need to focus on her mental health. In her post on X, she elaborated, “I have my own health problems which is why I took down my IG account yesterday. I will definitely be putting it back up to show I CARE. I’m speaking with my lawyers to see what can be done on this matter. It feels illegal and downright cruel.”
However, the post was quickly removed, and Spears claimed that it was not written by her but by someone else using her phone. She addressed the situation in a subsequent post, calling the initial comments “fake news” and asserting her admiration for Halsey. “That was not me on my phone!!! I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it,” Spears clarified.
Halsey’s video, which delves into themes of mental health, pays homage to Spears by adopting her iconic look from a previous era. Despite the backlash, Halsey responded with affection and respect for Spears. “And I love Britney!!!! I always have and always will. You were the first person who ever made me realize what it means to feel inspired. And you continue to inspire me every day,” Halsey wrote on X.
In addition to the Britney-inspired visuals, Halsey’s video for “Lucky” also features an interpolation of Monica’s “Angel of Mine,” further emphasizing its introspective and nostalgic themes.
