Britney Spears Documentary Hulu: The Most Disturbing Scene Cut From the Film

When the Britney Spears documentary came out on Hulu, many fans and celebrities apologized for the hardships she faced. Framing Britney Spears presented the hard truth about the paparazzi and the media at the height of her fame. However, there was one disturbing scene that was cut from the film. The directors revealed why they had to leave it out in a recent podcast. 

Britney Spears documentary on Hulu highlights the way the media abused her

On Feb. 5, 2021, Hulu and FX released their Britney Spears documentary, The New York Times Presents Framing Britney Spears. The one hour and fifteen-minute chronicle of Spears’ life showed many disturbing moments. Family Feud featured the pop icon with the question, “Name something that Britney Spears has lost.”

The contestants easily guessed the top answers, “her hair,” “her husband,” and “her sanity.” The crowd laughed hysterically. 

In another portion of the film, the directors played Spears’ interviews after her 2002 break-up with Justin Timberlake. ABC’s Diane Sawyer scolded the singer-songwriter for cheating on him. Although Spears didn’t admit to the affair (it is still not proven she cheated), she did break down in tears.

The abuse by the media began when she was only 11-years-old on Star Search. During one clip in 1992, Ed McMahon asked the young girl if she had a boyfriend. He didn’t ask her about singing, school, or any of her other interests. 

The Britney Spears documentary left out one disturbing moment

Filmmakers Samantha Stark and Mary Robertson discussed one moment that they had to cut from the film. The creators talked about the scene on the podcast Just Something About Her With Jennifer Palmieri. It was a disturbing moment in Spears’ life. But there were so many similar atrocities that they had to cut some of them.

“We had earlier versions in which we had included coverage of the moment in which Britney, not long after having had a baby, was photographed out at night without her underwear on,” Robertson told Palmieri. “This image was widely consumed and widely distributed, and she was roundly criticized for going out without her underwear on.” 

However, the directors could not find any alternate criticism of the person who took that photo and distributed it. 

“And we looked, nowhere was there criticism of the action of taking a photograph of a woman’s genital area,” she continued. “I think it’s really, I guess, comment upon the volume of material that we found that was as telling as that moment, that we didn’t have space for that in the film.”

The conservatorship was also front and center in Spears’ documentary

In addition to the trauma the media caused Spears, the Hulu documentary explained the specifics of the conservatorship. Her father, Jamie Spears, controlled her finances and personal life from 2008 until the present. Only one week after the film came out did Britney gain a little say in her life. 

Spears’ lawyer fought to have Bessemer Trust added to the conservatorship along with her father. However, it will take more court hearings and more money for the pop icon to remove Jamie from control. 

[Correction: An earlier version mistakenly said the question “Name something that Britney Spears has lost” appeared on Jeopardy!]