20 Little-Known Details About Britney Spears Her Fangirls Should Know
Britney Spears has had an eventful life! She's gone from being a child star on the variety show The Mickey Mouse Club, to appearing in a movie, and touring the world with her music. She knew her big break was going to be with “Baby One More Time” as soon as she heard the track, and she was right, and there has been no stopping her since this moment.
Spears has achieved a lot professionally and started down her chosen career path from a young age. She's been the recipient of multiple awards and amassed a fortune of millions of dollars (despite not being in control of her finances because of a decade-long conservatorship).
In her personal life, things have been just as colorful, and Spears is a woman who many people are curious about (she has been the most-searched celebrity multiple times), especially because she's no longer the subject of a reality TV show, and does not post many personal messages on her social media. So, who is this super-talented woman, when no one is watching? Below are 20 little-known details about Britney Spears and her life that her fans may not know, but should.
20 She Knew "Baby One More Time" Was Going To Be Her Big Break
Britney Spears is a celebrity who is known and loved across the world, but before her big break with the track, “Baby One More Time,” she was relatively unknown. But she knew this was the song that was going to make her a star, and according to Billboard, she said, "I had been in the studio for about six months listening to and recording material, but I hadn't really heard a hit yet. When I started working with Max Martin in Sweden, he played the demo for 'Baby One More Time' for me, and I knew from the start it was one of those songs you want to hear again and again. It just felt really right."
She was right, of course.
19 And Her Model Cousin Starred As Her Love Interest In The Music Video
Models often feature alongside singers in their music videos and this is a great way for them to get recognized. On a rare occasion, a bond forms between the model and the performer and they start dating, but mostly, it's just an attractive person who they get to star opposite them. The same can be said for Britney Spears' music video for “Baby One More Time,” but the unusual thing about her choice of love interest was that he was actually her cousin, Chad Spears.
According to Buzzfeed, at the time of the video, Chad was an Abercrombie & Fitch model.
18 She Wasn't Signed Straight Away, In Fact, She Was Rejected Two Times
Considering the fame that Britney Spears has enjoyed, it's hard to imagine her not being a superstar now. But it's even harder thinking that she almost didn't make it big, and was rejected from two record labels before finally being signed.
According to This Is Insider, the story goes like this; when she was aged 15, she was brought to New York City by her mother to audition. Epic Records passed on her, then Mercury Records did the same, and finally, she made her way to Jive Records. At Jive, not everyone was impressed because her demo tape was apparently in the wrong key, but something stood out. They took a chance on her, and the rest is history.
17 She Used To Be A Fan Of Psychics
If there is one thing that people may not have known about Britney Spears it's that she is a fan of psychics, or at least, she used to be. She revealed this information in passing, while speaking about her bed during an interview with Elle magazine (via ScreenRant).
“One of my psychics said that in another lifetime it used to be my bed,” she said. “And they said that it belonged to a princess! She could be totally wrong but it's a nice thought right? Anyway, she said the princess used to travel with the bed and they used to piece it together and ship it on boats to wherever she was. Isn't that cool?”
16 Growing Up, Britney Definitely Didn't Live The Life Of Luxury She Does Now
Britney Spears has a net worth that's well into the millions, but she didn't always have the luxury life that she is now accustomed to, and actually grew up in poverty. According to ScreenRant, Spears grew up with her family in Kentwood, Louisiana, which the publication claims was “an economically unstable place.”
The family was said to have owed thousands of dollars in taxes, and Spears' father Jamie is also reported to have had to hunt for rabbits and squirrels to help keep food on the table.
15 Business-Savvy Brit Started A Children's Line With Her Son's Name
Britney Spears is a successful entertainer, but she is also a mom to two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, who she shares with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. Although, as far as we know, she never actually launched a children's line, according to a 2006 report from People, she did have plans to do so.
People notes that according to The Sun, an insider stated that Spears had a lot of time on her hands after the birth of her son, and began doodling and creating children's outfits. It was thought that she wanted to turn this into a children's line, named after her firstborn, Sean Preston.
14 And She Also Made A Move To Trademark His Name
In keeping with the aforementioned point about Britney Spears' two sons and her decision to start a clothing line after her first born, she is also believed to have filed to trademark his name. According to People, Socialite's Life, discovered Spears had made the decision to trademark Sean Preston's name for a clothing line.
This is a move that is popular among celebrities (including Jay Z and Beyoncé, and Victoria and David Beckham) who want to protect their children from individuals and corporations wishing to make money from their names.
13 There's No Stopping Britney Who Started Dancing At Three
Britney Spears auditioned for record labels when she was a teenager, and her parents clearly thought she had what it takes to be a big star from a young age. Their daughter was also always interested in the creative arts and started dancing when she was aged three.
According to The Mirror, when Spears was three, she was already enrolled in “choir, dance and gymnastic lessons.” She clearly loved performing and being onstage, because Elite Daily notes that she made her stage debut when she was aged five, for her kindergarten graduation.
12 She Grew Up Alongside Ryan Gosling (And Other Well-Known Stars)
Britney Spears enjoyed fame from an early age, and this included a starring role on The Mickey Mouse Club. According to The Mirror, she was aged 12, and at the time her family had been struggling financially so the show helped them out.
Business Insider notes that other memorable stars who were on the variety show between 1993 and 1994, were Ryan Gosling, Christina Aguilera, Keri Russell, JC Chasez, and Justin Timberlake (who Spears famously dated at the beginning of her career).
11 There Was A Time When She Was The Most Searched Name Online
Britney Spears' fangirls already know that she is a world-famous pop star, but the extent of her fame may not be known. There was a time when Spears's name was the most searched word on Yahoo!, and according to Today, she found her way to the top of the list in 2006.
The reason? According to Today, Yahoo!'s Cathi Early said this was because Spears “generally draws about equal numbers of male and female Internet surfers.” In 2012, a report from Huffington Post revealed that in the last 12 years, Spears had been the most-searched celebrity for seven years, making her the most searched celebrity overall.
10 She Once Spent Thousands Of Dollars On A Toilet Seat With Her Face On It
Britney Spears wanted to purchase something that reminded her of how far she had come, but her choice of item was strange, to say the least. When Spears was dating Justin Timberlake, the pair lived together in a Beverly Hills mansion, and according to Huffington Post, a report noted that when they were redecorating, Spears thought it would be fun to get custom-made toilet seats.
The concept was sort of a his and hers gift, of toilet seats with their significant others faces. So, Spears got Timberlake's face, and Timberlake gots Spears. The purchase is believed to have cost $21,000.
9 The Family Business Closed Soon After She Got A Record Deal
Britney Spears is serious about working out, and her social media is filled with images of her abs. But it seems she's not the only person in the family interested in gym, because according to The Mirror, when Spears was born, her parents Jamie and Lynne lived in a small bungalow and had a family gym business, which Spear's father is said to have “neglected,” resulting in their bills being unpaid.
The publication also notes that in 1998, the year Spears finally got a record deal, her family business had to close its doors. They are also said to have owed thousands in unpaid taxes.
8 She Worked In A Crawfish Restaurant…
Growing up, Britney Spears worked at her grandmother's crawfish restaurant, although she has no intention of ever going back to that job. In a 2001 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she was asked what she would do if everything went wrong (as in, her career flopped), and she replied by saying that she would probably find herself back at one of her first jobs.
“And then it's back to working at my granny's deli. Back to rolling quarters and boiling crawfish and smelling like a fish on my dates,” she said.
7 … Which Later Prepared Her For When She Opened Her Own Restaurant
Britney Spears is interested in food, and she decided to open her own restaurant in Manhattan. She named the place Nyla -- named after New York (NY) and Louisiana (LA) -- and despite Spears' singing success, the eatery never enjoyed the same, People reports.
According to the publication, Spears closed the restaurant in 2002, after it has received a string of bad publicity. This included a mention of mismanagement, outstanding payment due to suppliers, and having the restaurant cited for several minor health-code violations.
6 She's Had A Decade-Long Conservatorship
In 2007, Britney Spears had a public meltdown, which Express notes resulted in her father, Jamie Spears, together with a lawyer, being appointed “conservators over her personal and financial affairs.” Although most people are aware that this happened, many would think that the conservatorship would have come to an end by now, as it's been more than 10 years.
But it hasn't.
Spears is still not in control of her finances, although that may soon change. An insider told Us Weekly that Jamie is "actively consulting with Britney's medical team to determine if the conservatorship of Britney as the person should finally come to an end.”
5 She Wasn't A Perfect Teen
In a 2011 interview with Us Weekly, as part of the publications “25 Things You Don't Know About Me” segment, Britney Spears made a confession about her teenage years. And that confession was she had wrecked her mom's Lexus while she was in high school.
Although she offered no more information on this point, we do know that it was not her only accident involving a car. In 2007, Spears made headlines for knocking into a parked car, while she was trying to park at a Hollywood pharmacist, Daily Mail reports. No one was injured in the incident, and the cars only received minor scratches.
4 She's A Fan Of Disney's Daisy Duck Because She's Tough
In the same interview with Us Weekly, Britney Spears confessed she is a “huge fan of animated films.” She has also been part of Disney's The Mickey Mouse Club, and has been spotted wearing shirts with Disney characters while going about her daily errands.
But there is one character in particular who she likes, and that's Daisy Duck (the animated character that plays the girlfriend of Donald Duck). According to BabyGaga, she has said this about this character: "If I was to pick a cartoon character I am most like, I would say Daisy Duck because she is very stubborn, she has a very feminine sense, and she knows what she likes."
3 Her Daily Habits
When Britney Spears first started making music, she had a squeaky-clean image, one that really worked for her and appealed to her fans. But she is very clean in another sense too, and admitted to Us Weekly, she makes her own bed every morning, but also that she takes “two baths a day.”
She seems to take bathing very seriously, and it may be one of her favorite pastimes. During her a launch of her undies line, Cosmopolitan notes she mentioned that the only thing women really need in their lives is a good book and a bath.
2 She Doesn't Have A Cellphone (Or At Least, She Didn't)
Some celebrities spend most of their lives attached to their cellphones, and this is a necessary part of their job because they need to be in constant contact with their team. But Britney Spears, despite her status, told Us Weekly in 2011 that she didn't own a cellphone.
Now, these comments were made seven years ago, and it's possible that she has since changed her mind on the topic, especially considering that it would be hard to keep in touch with her sons when she's away. Not to mention her boyfriend, Sam Asghari.
1 Before She Was A Superstar, She Was An Understudy With Natalie Portman On A Broadway Play
Britney Spears has done a lot in her lifetime; she's gone from being a child star on a variety show, to appearing in a movie, and touring the world with her music. She has also proven that she is a multi-talented performer, and her career interests extend to the theater. According to Huffington Post, she was an understudy, alongside Natalie Portman, for an off-Broadway play called Ruthless!.
The publication also notes that the two women are good friends, and Spears has previously stated in a Twitter Q&A (via The Independent) that if she could pick anyone to play her as a character in a movie, she would choose Portman.