Britney Spears Left 'Hurt' After . from Lizzo (EXCLUSIVE)
Almost nothing can rattle Britney Spears these days, as she’s no stranger to scrutiny from years of suffering the slings and arrows of the public eye, but a source exclusively tells Life & Style the latest drama from Lizzo has blindsided her completely. The flautist appeared to throw shade the Princess of Pop’s way while praising Janet Jackson in a recent interview, leaving Brit simultaneously burnt and confused.
“Britney is a huge fan of Janet, she’s always said she was a huge influence over her style and even her sound,” the source says, “but for Lizzo to say she was ‘doing an impression’ of Janet feels like a dig, because it implies that she didn’t have any originality.”
A video clip of Lizzo, 37, recently resurfaced in which she compared the “Toxic” singer’s early 2000s image to Janet, 58, stirring up a hornet’s nest of controversy once again. “It’s like Britney was just doing a Janet impression,” she said in the clip. The comment had fans immediately rushing to Britney’s defense on X and Instagram, provoking and extending the argument, which the source says is ludicrous to begin with, as the 43-year-old singer has always been reverent of her musical influences.
Britney has indeed been open about how Janet’s dancing inspired her as a kid and has even paid tribute to the “That’s the Way Love Goes” singer, 58, many times during her live performances, adding she thought she was “the deepest and brightest woman at the same time,” and someone she will “look up to for the rest of her life.”
But still, for the “Gimme More” singer, 43, who’s wildly popular career defined a generation of pop in the early 2000s, the comment from Lizzo stung. “Britney is very sensitive, that hurt her feelings,” the source explains. “It feels intentional and she doesn’t understand why Lizzo would want to come for her.”
“She’s never said a thing against [Lizzo], so it’s really out of left field,” the insider says. “It’s also hard to respond to because she doesn’t want to upset Janet, who she has so much love and respect for.”
Britney, who’s recently returned to the spotlight with her memoir, The Woman in Me, and its planned film adaptation, has made it clear she values her peace. After spending years battling a conservatorship and having her name smeared in the press, more public drama is the last thing she wants as she continues the next upswing of her career.
“It’s really frustrating for Britney because all she wants is to be left alone,” the source adds. “She’s trying to mind her own business and deal with her life, not be dragged into someone else’s interview for PR.”
In the eyes of the insider, Lizzo, who is battling a civil lawsuit after denying allegations from former backup dancers accusing her of harassment and creating a hostile work environment, should be “worried about her own legal issues right now,” instead of “taking shots at Britney.”