WAS BRITNEY SPEARS IN TROUBLE?
It was January 24, 2023, more than a year after the conservatorship that had controlled her life for 13 years was formally dissolved, and the enigmatic pop star had just deleted her Instagram. For weeks, she’d seemingly been sending signals that things were not okay. Now, here it was, a clear cry for help: an Instagram post of a sports car with a caption that mentioned its exact make and model—a Porsche 911 Carrera. What was the point of listing the model of the car if not to ask her devoted followers to call 911? For a group of Free Britney supporters, it was confirmation that Spears had, in fact, never been freed at all.
Late that night, two fans met up on a TikTok livestream to discuss the post. When a commenter suggested they call a nonemergency line to ensure Spears’s safety, the others allowed her to join the stream. They listened as she conveyed their concerns to the Ventura County Sheriff ’s Office. “Why do you feel that she needs to be checked on?” asked the attendant on the other end.
“There’s been suspicious activity online, and now her account has been deleted,” said the caller.
“Are you related to her?”
“I am not.”
“Don’t be nervous, girl, you got it,” one of the other people on the stream said as the attendant put them on hold. “We need to do this,” said the other, reassuring the caller and possibly themselves.
Denne historien er fra Jul 31 - Aug 13, 2023-utgaven av New York magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Jul 31 - Aug 13, 2023-utgaven av New York magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Verily, Are the Kids All Right?
A Romeo and Juliet production that's all (vape) smoke and shimmer.
Masterpieces, Then and Now
The Met reunites Siena Renaissance paintings for the first time in centuries.
Heritage Regained
A fantastical documentary follows the return of 26 plundered artworks to Benin.
Emilia Pérez States Its Case Right Away
The film's impressive opening number drops you into a world of corruption and chaos.
WHEN KYLIE JENNER WRITES A NOVEL
Celebrities occasionally like to try their hand at fiction. But who’s really the author?
Emily Watson Is in Charge
The double Oscar nominee grew up in a cultlike organization. Acting became her way out of it.
RESTAURANT REVIEW: Everyone's Eating at Bridges
Manhattan's hottest restaurant doesn't play it safe.
Upstairs From His Favorite Italian Restaurant
Ryan Lawson designs other people’s places differently from how he did his own Village apartment.
165 MINUTES WITH...Mike and Kiki Tyson
After a near-death experience, the boxer is preparing, his wife by his side, for his big fight against Jake Paul.
Neighborhood News: Attention, Satmar Shoppers
At Williamsburg's W Mall, a milchig food court and refuge for weary mothers.