Nikki Webster says ‘we can all empathise with’ Britney Spears as she reflects on the challenges of being a child star
There has been a wave of public sympathy for Britney Spears following the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears, which explores her unfair treatment in the media at the height of her fame.
And former child star Nikki Webster, who shot to fame when she performed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, has spoken about the challenges Britney, 39, would have faced as a chart-topping singer in the public eye.
Nikki, 33, told KIIS FM’s Will & Woody she has some experience of growing up in the spotlight and so can empathise with the Womanizer hitmaker.
Candid: On Tuesday, Nikki Webster shared her take on the difficulties Britney Spears faced as a child star, while discussing the Free Britney movement. Pictured with her daughter Skylah
‘I think we’ll never really know what she exactly went through until she speaks out, but we can all empathise with her and remember she was a young child,’ she said.
‘I was lucky enough that I had great family support, but I can only imagine that overseas and with the use of the media, how she was exploited and feels like that.
‘And you do have to think as a woman and a young girl what damage that has done to her.’
Similarities: Having also been a child star herself, Nikki, 33, explained on KIIS FM’s Will and Woody show, that she can ’empathize’ with the Womanizer singer (pictured)
The Strawberry Kisses singer went on to explain that artists ‘need the media and press to make a career’ but they must ‘find a balance’.
‘It’s about finding that balance of it being enough to let you fulfill your dream, but also enough to remain who you truly are inside you and not get caught up in it,’ she said.
The Free Britney movement has seen fans lobbying for the pop star to be released from her conservatorship, which has been in place since 2008.
Her main conservator is her father, Jamie Spears, who has control of her business affairs due to concerns about her mental health.
What it is: The Free Britney movement has seen many fans use online petitions, social media posts and even some in-person protests to call for the pop star to be released from her conservatorship with her father Jamie
The movement has gathered pace in recent weeks following release of the new FX and Hulu documentary The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney.
The documentary looks at the circumstances that led to the establishment of the conservatorship in 2008 and it has spurred sympathy for Britney and brought greater attention to her case.
Many celebrities have thrown their support behind the campaign, including Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Parker, who both tweeted the #FreeBritney hashtag after the documentary aired.
Resurgence: The movement has once again gained popularity in recent weeks following release of the new FX and Hulu documentary ‘The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney’