Kim Kardashian discusses the Britney Spears documentary

Kim Kardashian is reflecting on her life in the public eye after watching the Framing Britney Spears documentary.

In a statement shared to her Instagram, the reality star discussed the ‘cruelty’ Britney experienced during her career and said she felt empathy for the pop icon as she looked back on her own experiences.

‘So I finally watched the Britney Spears documentary this week and it made me feel a lot of empathy for her. The way the media played a big role in her life the way it did can be very traumatizing and it can really break even the strongest person.’ Kim, 40, began. 

Kim Kardashian reflected on her life in the public eye after watching the Framing Britney Spears documentary this week

‘No matter how public someone’s life may seem, no one deserves to be treated with such cruelty or judgement for entertainment.’ 

Kim talked about her challenging first pregnancy with daughter North, now seven, and how her self-esteem and mental health were impacted when her weight gain became front page news.

‘Looking back at my own experiences I remember a time when I felt this way.’ Kim wrote as part of multiple posts on her Instagram stories.

‘When I was pregnant with North I was suffering from preeclampsia, which made me swell uncontrollably.’

She can relate: In a statement shared to her Instagram, the reality star discussed the 'cruelty' Britney experienced during her career and said she felt empathy for the pop icon as she looked back on her own experiences

She can relate: In a statement shared to her Instagram, the reality star discussed the ‘cruelty’ Britney experienced during her career and said she felt empathy for the pop icon as she looked back on her own experiences

Kim said she was made miserable by the constant pressure to stay thin.

‘I gained 60lbs and delivered almost 6 weeks early and I cried every single day over what was happening to my body mainly from the pressures of being constantly compared to what society considered a healthy pregnant person should look like.’ 

Kim shared a number of gossip magazine covers which featured pictures of her mid pregnancy, criticizing her outfits and pointing out her weight gain, calling her ‘fat’ and poking fun at her ‘binge eating’.

She also posted a photo of one of her pregnancy outfits, a black and white shift dress which she was mocked mercilessly for, with numerous memes popping up Kim being compared to Shamu the whale.

It really broke me: Kim said she cries for days and didn't leave the house after her daughter's birth in 2013 because of the pressure to lose the 60lbs she gained during pregnancy

It really broke me: Kim said she cries for days and didn’t leave the house after her daughter’s birth in 2013 because of the pressure to lose the 60lbs she gained during pregnancy

Shaming: Kim said she was made miserable by the constant pressure to stay thin. She is seen here in 2013 wearing a look that sparked memes comparing her to Shamu the whale

Shaming: Kim said she was made miserable by the constant pressure to stay thin. She is seen here in 2013 wearing a look that sparked memes comparing her to Shamu the whale

The mother-of-four continued to say it make her ‘so insecure’ and worried she would never bounce back.

‘I couldn’t leave the house for months after. It really broke me.’ she wrote.

Kim continued to say that she was able to overcome the ‘frustrating, embarrassing feelings and channel it into motivation to get me where I am today.’

She concluded her note, ‘To say this didn’t take a toll on me mentally would be a lie. I’m sharing this just to say I really hope everyone involved in the business of shaming and bulling someone to the point of breaking them down might reconsider and instead try to show some understanding and compassion.

‘You just never fully know what someone is going through behind the scenes and I’ve learned though my own experiences that it’s always better to lead with kindness.’

Looking back: Kim shared a number of gossip magazine covers which featured pictures of her mid pregnancy, criticizing her outfits and pointing out her weight gain, calling her 'fat' and poking fun at her 'binge eating'. Seen here in 2013

Looking back: Kim shared a number of gossip magazine covers which featured pictures of her mid pregnancy, criticizing her outfits and pointing out her weight gain, calling her 'fat' and poking fun at her 'binge eating'. Seen here in 2013

Looking back: Kim shared a number of gossip magazine covers which featured pictures of her mid pregnancy, criticizing her outfits and pointing out her weight gain, calling her ‘fat’ and poking fun at her ‘binge eating’. She is seen here in March 2013

Kim continued to say that she was able to overcome the 'frustrating, embarrassing feelings and channel it into motivation to get me where I am today.' She is seen here in one of her other looks that was heavily criticized. Pictured with husband Kanye in May 2013

Kim continued to say that she was able to overcome the ‘frustrating, embarrassing feelings and channel it into motivation to get me where I am today.’ She is seen here in one of her other looks that was heavily criticized. Pictured with husband Kanye in May 2013

A number of high profile stars have spoken out following the release of Framing Britney Spears, part of The New York Times Presents series of documentaries. 

It explores Britney’s rise to fame, her breakdown in 2007 and her current life under the conservatorship of her father. 

Some of the most controversial parts of the documentary show a tearful Britney being interrogated in an interview for allegedly breaking Justin Timberlake’s heart and also being mom-shamed for some of her parenting choices.

The film also delves into the media frenzy surrounding her mental health battles. 

Life in the public eye: Framing Britney Spears explores the singer's rise to fame, her breakdown in 2007 and her current life under the conservatorship of her father

Life in the public eye: Framing Britney Spears explores the singer’s rise to fame, her breakdown in 2007 and her current life under the conservatorship of her father

Scrutiny: Some of the most controversial parts of the documentary show a tearful Britney being interrogated in an interview for allegedly breaking Justin Timberlake’s heart and also being mom-shamed for some of her parenting choices

Pop icon: The film also delves into the media frenzy surrounding her mental health battles

Pop icon: The film also delves into the media frenzy surrounding her mental health battles

The Toxic hitmaker hasn’t had control of her own affairs since 2008, following her public breakdown.

She is currently locked in a legal battle against her father, Jamie Spears, to have him permanently removed from her conservatorship, as she no longer wants him to have control over her life. 

The agreement was extended following numerous hearings in 2020, with the most recent ruling from December leaving it in place until September 2021.

Battle: Britney is currently locked in a legal battle against her father, Jamie Spears, to have him permanently removed from her conservatorship, as she no longer wants him to have control over her life

Battle: Britney is currently locked in a legal battle against her father, Jamie Spears, to have him permanently removed from her conservatorship, as she no longer wants him to have control over her life