Perez Hilton has joined the growing list of celebrities who have reassessed how they treated music star Britney Spears over the years and have issued public apologies for their actions and behaviors.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr., was in an interview with SkyNews where he told host Kay Burley that he takes full accountability for the way he acted in the past.
He admitted to having deep regrets for how he treated Spears and issued a public apology to her in the interview. He also revealed that he did send Spears an apology letter via email to apologize privately in addition to a previous public apology.
Below are the full details of all the things Hilton did to Spears, the apologies he made, and how fans and Spears have reacted to his apologies.
What Happened Between Hilton And Spears?
Hilton’s rise to fame as a blogger and media personality started around the time Spears also became popular in the music industry. His cutthroat and unapologetic reporting style earned him a lot of backlash and criticism over the years, especially when it came to his posts about Spears.
A good example was when Hilton called Spears an “unfit mother” on his site in 2007 after her erratic behavior in public led to her conservatorship.
In 2008, he also made T-shirts that had “Why wasn’t it Britney” written on them after the death of actor Heath Ledger. He also spread rumors about the singer, including the one that alleged she had a sex tape.
His targeted harassment of Spears did not stop there, as in his 2020 memoir titled “TMI: My Life in Scandal,” he called her an embarrassment and expressed that he thought that her issues and instability were due to her party lifestyle, not her mental health.
Many people have since pointed out that he has a long history of mocking mental health issues and bullying women other than Spears, such as Demi Lovato and Kathy Griffin.
Hilton’s Apology to Spears
Hilton first uploaded an almost 20-minute apology video on his Youtube channel titled “My Message To Britney Spears And The Free Britney Movement.”
However, he spent the beginning of the video calling out Spears fans who have bullied him, and only after that did he acknowledge and address the pain and damage he caused to Spears due to his actions in the past.
In his recent Sky News interview, he issued another apology to the pop star. He told host Kay Burley, “I know I could have expressed myself better. I didn’t lead with empathy and compassion, and it thankfully seems like most people now are understanding the severity of Britney’s situation. I absolutely apologize and carry deep shame and regret.”
He also mentioned that he had previously sent an apology letter via email to Spears.
However, in an appearance on the podcast “Behind the Velvet Rope with David Yontef,” Hilton said that he never received a response from Spears about the emailed apology letter he sent to her, but he believes that she saw the mail.
When Yontef asked him if he was curious about her reaction, he said, “No, I figured I don’t have to ask if she wanted to share her reaction, either negative or positive. She would’ve relayed a message back to me.”
Fan Reactions To Hiltons Apology
Many fans have expressed that they believe that Hilton’s apologies are insincere and simply a way of him grasping at a chance to be in the media’s limelight.
After hearing about the singer’s conservatorship and the increase in the #FreeBritney movement, her supporters have intensely criticized Hilton’s apologies and statements.
Author, Roxane Gray responded to one of Hilton’s tweets saying, “Do you not remember the career you built on her back? Or the ways you demonized her?” Hilton responded to her tweet and said, “I answer that here.” He then added the link to his Youtube apology video.
Another of Spears’ fans wrote in the comments of the video and said, “If you’re really sorry, put your money where your mouth is. Donate all of the considerable wealth you got through misogynistic bullying.” To this comment, Hilton replied and said, “I’ve spoken to my therapist about that concept. We both agree – No.”
Hilton Now Supports The #FreeBritney Movement
After attacking fans of Spears who allegedly bullied him and tendered his apology to the “Toxic” singer, Hilton spent the rest of his 20 minutes YouTube apology video discussing the issue of Spears’ Conservatorship. He also claimed that he is now a supporter of the #FreeBritney movement, and said that he believes that she is a prisoner who deserves to make decisions for herself.
Hilton has also been hard at work to prove he is now team Britney by frequently using the #FreeBritney hashtag on his social media posts. He has also regularly been sharing content about the conservatorship case on his Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Hilton is not the only celebrity who has come under scrutiny for their treatment of Spears back in the day. After the “Framing Britney Spears” documentary release, celebrities such as Justin Timberlake, Diane Sawyer, Kendel Ehrlich, and others were criticized by fans for their past transgressions, with many coming out to apologize and rally behind Spears.
