Entertainment
Perez Hilton reveals regret about the way he treated Britney Spears: ‘I absolutely apologize and carry deep shame’
Gossip blogger Perez Hilton has apologized for his previous treatment of Britney Spears after she shared her bombshell testimony about her ongoing conservatorship.
Hilton, 43, was famous for the way he constantly covered the singer’s troubled behavior in the early noughties, including her highly-publicized breakdown in 2008.
The situation led to the pop star being placed under a controversial conservatorship, which has controlled her financial and personal affairs for over a decade.
When Hilton tweeted his support for Spears, 39, following her harrowing revelations, he immediately faced backlash from Twitter users who claimed he had played a large part in pushing the narrative that Spears was out of control.
Hilton then made a public apology on Sky News on Thursday as he told journalist Kay Burley: ‘I can’t say I was just young and dumb. I think we know a lot more and I think a lot of folks, myself included, were shocked and alarmed for her young children.
‘I know I didn’t express myself as well as I could have. I didn’t lead with empathy and compassion. I absolutely apologize and carry deep shame and regret.’
When asked if he would like to have the chance to sit and speak with the Circus hitmaker, Hilton revealed he had sent an email to the star in which he privately apologized for his past actions towards her.
He stated: ‘But I just want to hug her. I think she just needs love, because I cannot imagine the betrayal and the sadness and the emptiness that she must feel believing and knowing and experiencing this total lack of not support.’
The gossip writer claimed he felt like he had been ‘duped’ by sources close to Spears who made him believe the pop star wasn’t actually able to speak for herself.
After he was quizzed about Spears’s father, Jamie Spears, Hilton explained how he had previously believed the narrative that Jamie had stepped in to ‘save’ his daughter.
Fans across the globe were left in shock after Spear spoke for over 20 minutes about how the conservatorship she has been under since 2008 has affected her life in a court hearing on June 23.
Spears called out her 68-year-old father Jamie, who remains in charge of her finances.
The singer had initially requested that her father be removed as co-conservator and be replaced by car manager Jodi Montgomery, but now also believes she has ‘gone too far’, and wants the conservatorship lifted completely.
In a passionate plea, the singer stated: ‘It’s been 13 years and it’s been enough. I want to be able to be heard. I’ve kept this in for so long – it’s not good for my heart. I’ve been so angry and I cry every day. For my sanity … I need to get it off my heart. The anger, all of it. The main reason why I’m here today is I want to end the conservatorship without being evaluated.’
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny thanked Spears for her ‘courageous’ words but made no ruling, with a long legal process likely before any decision is made on whether the conservatorship will end.
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