Britney Spears is walking back her comments about Halsey’s “Lucky” video. Minutes after writing on X that she had felt “violated and bullied” by the Gia Coppola-directed visual, inspired by Halsey’s own health issues, Spears claimed it was not her who posted the statement.
In her original post, the “Gimme More” pop star claimed she felt “very upset” by the video, which took aesthetic inspiration from Spears, but seemed to reference Halsey’s own health struggles. “I feel harassed, violated, and bullied,” read the post. The now-deleted post even threatened to seek legal action against Halsey, calling the video “downright cruel.”
“I didn’t know an artist like her and someone I looked up to and admired would illustrate me in such an ignorant way by tailoring me as a [superficial] pop star with no heart or concern at all,” it continued. “I have my own health problems which is why I took down my IG account yesterday. I will definitely be putting it back up to show I CARE.”
Spears’ now-deleted statement had come as a surprise to many of both Spears and Halsey’s fans since Halsey samples Spears’ “Lucky” on the song, and Spears had personally given her blessing for its usage.
“Fake news !!! That was not me on my phone,” Spears wrote in a new post shared shortly after. “I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it.”
Reps for Halsey and Spears did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
Halsey reposted Spears’ comment, saying she loved the pop star as well. “I always have and always will,” she wrote. “You were the first person who ever made me realize what it means to feel inspired.”
“You continue to inspire me everyday,” she added.
In the “Lucky” video, a young girl’s poster with Halsey on it comes to life, showing the behind-the-scenes of a pop star struggling with her personal life and health. One poignant part of the video sees Halsey taking off a pink wig to show that she’s bald, and about to receive treatment for her medical issues.
Before sharing the colorful teasers of “Lucky,” Halsey revealed she had been diagnosed with Lupus SLE and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. She also confirmed that she would sample the Oops… I Did It Again song on “Lucky,” sharing how connected she felt to Spears’ lyrics.
“When I was five, it always felt like Britney was singing directly to me. 24 years later, these words hit different,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “Love you forever.”
This story was updated on July 26, 2024, at 5:47 p.m. E.T. to include Spears’ new post taking back the bullying claim, and Halsey’s response.
