The Woman in Me is the first official autobiography memoir written by Britney Spears. It was released on October 24, 2023, by Gallery Books.
Background[]
Britney had been looking for a therapeutic outlet to tell her story and decided that it would be the easiest to write a tell-all book over a formal sit down interview. In February 2022, Britney officially signed a $15 million book deal with publisher Gallery Books. It is one of the biggest book deals of all time.
Britney first opened up about the book via Instagram and has been updating everyone on the writing process, describing it as "healing and therapeutic".
“I want to talk about secrets, the secrets I’ve had to hold the past 15 years I will say are honestly paralyzing, I had so many complaints I wanted to share and bring up only to be told to keep shut, but wait isn’t that what a woman of intellect is supposed to do. Speak up, rise to the occasion make people think. Then I started to get mad angry ALL THE TIME !!! Then all the offers of money to tell my side of the story and all the documentaries were trash! I’m sure that was ignition to move me forward but honestly I just wanted to spit in any persons face that came near me.” “Shit maybe now I will need a conservatorship ?! I’m bat shit f****g crazy JUST KIDDING … Well not really !!! But I said.. just do a book … the easiest way possible and considering my fear of people I might have to write them off for the next decade !!! Sitting down and sharing my story might not be the safest thing for anyone!!! My book comes out at the end of this year … Once it’s released not sure what's going to happen folks!!!”
In August and September 2022, Britney shared multiple voice note recordings talking about the abuse and the control the conservatorship had over her life for 13 years. Many fans think these recordings are meant for an audiobook version but this is unconfirmed.
Britney revealed via Instagram that she's already writing her next book possibly a Vol.2.
Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams narrated the audiobook while Britney recorded the introduction.
Writing[]
Britney revealed she wrote three different versions of her book. Britney worked with a ghost-writer named Sam Lansky, an acclaimed novelist and journalist who has written for The Atlantic, New York Magazine & Time.
Release[]
At one point, Britney revealed that her memoir will be released at the end of 2022 however it pushed to early 2023. The book was supposed to be released in January 24, 2023 with 3020 pages but was pushed to October with 280 pages. On July 10, 2023, Britney announced via social media that she will be making an announcement on July 11. A day of the announcement Britney unveiled the book cover, title, release date and pre-order link of her book 'The woman In Me'. The official Instagram account of Britney's line of perfumes had made an special offer due to the book's release that allowed to purchase the book alongside a perfume of the customers' choice[1]
Contents[]
Chapter 1[]
“When I was a little girl I used to walk all alone for hours in silent woods near my home in Louisiana, singing songs...” […] “and in the meanwhile I thought: I'll find my way. I'll find the way to make my dreams come true.” — Britney Spears
Chapter 29[]
Britney writes about the beginning of her conservatorship.
Chapter 30[]
Britney writes about her mother's 2008 memoir, Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World.
Chapter 31[]
"I'm Britney Spears now." — James Parnell Spears, according to Britney
Britney writes about her father's behavior and illegitimacy of his role as her conservator.
Chapter 32[]
Britney writes about the rules and limitations she was subjected to under her conservatorship.
Chapter 34[]
Britney writes about dating Jason Trawick, feeling like a "child robot," serving as a judge on The X Factor, working on "Work Bitch" with will.i.am, her mother and father getting back together, and the beginning of her Las Vegas residency, Britney: Piece of Me.
Chapter 35[]
Britney writes about dating Charlie Ebersol, taking energy supplements and subsequently being forced to go to rehab, being forced to extreme dieting, and only being given a $2,000 allowance a week by her conservators.
Chapter 36[]
Britney writes about teaching dance classes to kids, her first plea to end the conservatorship, her appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show, breaking up with Ebersol, working on Glory, dating Hesam Asghari, going to an outpatient program, thinking of her conservatorship as a cult, and singing live.
Chapter 37[]
Britney writes about not moving her hair while performing as a form of protest, regaining her passion during the Glory album cycle, wanting to get her IUD removed to have a baby with Asghari, having monitored calls, texts, and bathroom usage under the conservatorship, and thinking her home was bugged.
Chapter 38[]
Britney writes about not being allowed to drink alcohol, being inspired by Reese Witherspoon's sweetness and strength, not being allowed to remix songs or add "Change Your Mind" or "Get Naked" to her residency setlist, her conflicted feelings on Radio Disney's 2017 tribute performance, and proudly looks back on the 2004 ABC special for In the Zone.
Chapter 39[]
Britney writes about her friend and manager Cade Hudson, the end of her residency, wanting to vacation with her sons in Maui but not being allowed to (despite management initially saying she would be able to), her father threatening to take her to court if she refused to do the Piece of Me: Exclusive Limited Tour, and having only three weeks off before rehearsals began for the Britney: Domination residency.
Chapter 40[]
Britney writes about refusing to announce Domination and reflects on "Overprotected".
Chapter 41[]
Britney writes about her father not allowing her to be with her sons for Christmas, social anxiety, not having creative control during Domination rehearsals, taking energy supplements again, "failing" a psychological evaluation, and being forced to stay a rehab center where she was isolated and felt like she would die.
Chapter 42[]
Britney writes about always being monitored at rehab, only being allowed to see her children for one hour a week if she cooperated, being taken off of Prozac, being put on Lithium, FaceTiming with Cade in rehab, having nightmares of being lost in a forest, feeling her spirit break, being allowed to see other patients after 2 months in isolation, trying a Capri cigarette for the first time, and religion.
Chapter 43[]
"What do we have except our connections to one another, and what stronger bond is there but music?" — Britney Spears
Britney writes about her family refusing to help her get out of rehab, learning of #FreeBritney from a nurse in rehab, and feeling grateful and indebted to her fans.
Chapter 44[]
Britney writes about finally leaving rehab after 3.5 months, her family ignoring how rehab affected her, feeling like her family was going to kill her, Jamie Lynn pitching TV and film ideas, Sean Preston's fight with her father, Kevin's subsequent police report, and trying to manifest the end of the conservatorship.
Chapter 45[]
"Humor made it possible for me to not get consumed by bitterness." — Britney Spears
"Why do we ever stay in dysfunctional relationships? For one thing, I was still scared of them and wanted to make nice." — Britney Spears on her relationship with her family
Britney writes about Instagram fashion shows, her children and their talents, preferring to be called "crazy" than not being able to express herself, being inspired by comedians, boredom and loneliness brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, her parents throwing away her childhood Madame Alexander doll collection and three years of her poetry writing, and never wanting to see her family again.
Chapter 46[]
Britney writes about her court-appointed lawyer, praying, calling the police for conservatorship abuse, feeling hurt by friends who participated in documentaries about her conservatorship without consulting her, and Jamie Lynn's 2022 memoir Things I Should Have Said.
Chapter 47[]
Britney writes about addressing the judge in court to end her conservatorship.
Chapter 48[]
Britney writes about Cade and her social media team helping her find a new lawyer (Mathew Rosengart), her father getting suspended as conservator, successfully petitioning to end her conservatorship, hoping that her story will help enact change in the conservatorship system, her life after the conservatorship, the production and release of "Hold Me Closer" with Elton John, her marriage with Sam, working towards feeling compassion to those who've wronged her, and dreams of her paternal grandfather June, and suffering from migraines due to her anger.
Chapter 49[]
Britney writes about gratitude, feeling reborn, her relationship to the gay community, her miscarriage, being herself, trying to heal, and freedom.
Artwork[]
Unlike Britney's sister Jamie Lynn, Britney didn't do a photoshoot for the book cover, instead she chose a black and white topless photograph taken in 2001 by Herb Ritts.
Trivia[]
- Although The Woman in Me was released after Britney and Sam filed for divorce, Britney does not address it at all or ever refer to Sam as her ex in the memoir.