No ill will. Paris Hilton’s response to Britney Spears‘ court hearing shows that she didn’t take offense to her friend using her as an example in her conservatorship testimony.

At a hearing in front of Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny on Wednesday, June 23, Britney broke her silence on her conservatorship and accused her father, who has been the conservator over her $80 million estate since 2008, of “abusive” acts such as putting her on lithium against her will, forcing her to keep her IUD, and not allowing her to marry or have children. “The control he had over someone as powerful as me — he loved the control to hurt his own daughter 100,000%. He loved it,” she said. “I worked seven days a week, no days off, which in California, the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking.

During her testimony, Britney used Paris’ past abuse claims and the public’s reaction to them to explain why it took her so long to speak out. In her 2020 documentary, This Is Paris, Paris claimed that she was “verbally, mentally and physically” abused when she attended Provo Canyon School in Utah when she was 17. She testified about the experience in February.

“I was verbally, mentally and physically abused on a daily basis,” she told the Utah Senate Judiciary, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee at the time. “I was cut off from the outside world and stripped of all my human rights. I was not allowed to be myself.”

At her hearing, Britney explained that, because she didn’t believe Paris’ claims at first, she thought that the public also wouldn’t believe her story of abuse, which is why she hesitated to testify. “To be honest with you, the Paris Hilton story on what they did to her at that school, I didn’t believe any of it,” she said. “I’m sorry. … I’m an outsider and I’ll just be honest, I didn’t believe it, and maybe I’m wrong and that’s why I didn’t want to say any of this to anybody to the public because I thought people would make fun of me or laugh at me and say, ‘She’s lying, she’s got everything, she’s Britney Spears.’ I’m not lying. I just want my life back.”

After Britney’s testimony, Paris “liked” several tweets from fans who noted that Britney didn’t mean any harm when she said that she “didn’t believe” Paris’ past abuse claims and that she was simply using it as an example for how she believed the public’s reaction would be to her case.

“I hope Paris Hilton doesn’t take what Britney said personally,” one tweet read. “What she meant was that she understood how hard it was to be believed by people on the outside looking in. I’m sure she believes her now. #FreeBritney.” Another tweet read, “I think Paris Hilton will understand what she mean’t [sic]. Keep in mind, they are friends and probably have discussed it.”

Another Twitter user wrote, “Someone call Paris and tell her Britney meant nothing personal by what she said.” One more tweet read, “Paris Hilton understands what Britney meant during her speech. She knows it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t believe her, but that it was an example! #FreeBritney.”

In an interview on Watch What Happens Live in 2020, Paris, who has been friends with Britney for more than a decade, stated that she doesn’t think the conservatorship is “fair.” Paris’ mother, Kathy Hilton and sister Nicky Hilton, reacted to Britney’s comments about The Simple Life star in an episode of Watch What Happens live on Wednesday. “She should know we believe her. Free Britney!” Nicky said. Kathy added, “She’s such a sweet girl and a good girl.”

Framing Britney Spears is available to stream on Hulu. Here’s how to watch it for free.

Britney Spears’ Heart to Heart

Image: Three Rivers Press.

For more about Britney Spears, check out her 2000 memoir, Britney Spears’ Heart to Heart. Co-written by Britney and her mom, Lynne Spears, the book follows Britney’s career from her childhood in Kentwood, Louisiana, to hear early talent shows to the recording and release of the song that would change her life, “…Baby One More Time”, in 1998. The best seller also dives into Britney’s relationship with her mom and their conversations about dating, relationships, dress codes, self-esteem and body image. The book is also filled with dozens of never-before-seen photos from Britney’s childhood, studio sessions and tours. Britney Spears’ Heart to Heart is a must-have for any Britney fan.

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