Britney Spears died Sunday night when the hair dryer she was using fell into a sink full of water. She was 27.
Spears’ death comes after years of controversial behavior. Once a media darling and preteen role model, her recent work was mostly panned and she became more famous for stunts like shaving her hair or making debatable parenting decisions, including the time she held her infant, Sean Preston, in her lap while driving. Spears married Preston’s father, her former back-up dancer Kevin Federline, in 2004. The reality show based on their marriage “Britney & Kevin: Chaotic” was heavily criticized, and the marriage itself lasted only two years. Their divorce was followed by a drawn-out custody battle over their two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden Federline.
Spears first rose to fame in the late 1980’s in TVs “The new Mickey Mouse Club.” She starred alongside the likes of Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera. Timberlake became the star’s longtime boyfriend and Spears even promised to save her virginity for him until the two could be married. After their falling out, however, Timberlake reportedly said, “she lost her virginity a while ago - and I should know.”
After “The New Mickey Mouse Club” was cancelled, Spears returned home to Louisiana. She was soon itching to return to show business. In 1998 she dropped her first album, “…Baby One More Time,” transforming the young star into a pop icon throughout the world. The song “…Baby One More Time,” soared to the top of lists like the Billboard Hot 100 in 34 countries, propelling Spears into the heart of mainstream pop music. The album sold over 13 million copies in the U.S. alone.
Her second album, “Oops I did it Again” débuted in the year 2000, topping the charts at number one in the U.S. and number two in the UK the day it was released. Rolling Stone magazine called the album “fantastic pop cheese, with much better song-factory hooks than ‘N Sync or BSB.”
Spears headlined her first feature film, “Crossroads,” in 2002. Although the film was not widely recognized, Forbes Magazine named Spears the most powerful celebrity the same year it was released. “I’m just so incredibly honored,” she said, “I never even would have dreamed of getting an award like this.”
In 2003, at the MTV Music Awards, Spears found herself in trouble once again. Madonna, American pop sensation, joined Spears and Christina Aguilera on stage during their performance of “Like A Virgin.” In the middle of the song Madonna turned to kiss Spears and Aguilera, respectively, raising eyebrows around the world. “It was just for show. I don’t get why everyone is making such a big deal about it,” Spears told reporters after the event.
“Right now people should be focusing on all the good she did in her life, nothing else. Her passion for music changed the lives of young girls all over the world and that is how she should be remembered,” Jamie, Spears’ father said.
Spears was born on December 2, 1980. She is survived by her parents, Jamie and Lynn Spears, her sister Jamie Lynn, and her children, Sean Preston (3) and Jayden (2). “We’re all devastated. Britney was an amazing person and fantastic mother. The world just won’t be the same without her,” Spears’ mother said.
Plans for a public memorial have not been determined.
-Phylicia Hisel
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