- LeAnn Rimes spoke out defending Britney Spears
- She spoke about her trials in a recent interview
- THIS is how LeAnn can relate to Britney's troubles
Britney Spears' life and times have been on public display for almost three decades now. Her recent troubles have put her in the limelight again. After a candid tell-all with 'The Times', LeAnn Rimes laid bare the soul-sucking reality of people cashing in on Spears' fame, drawing a parallel to her own rollercoaster ride in the limelight.
The industry can be a mean one
"Watching Britney's story, I couldn't help but feel for her," Rimes shared, her words echoing the pain of exploitation in the industry. "It's just soul-sucking. That poor girl. That poor woman, really."
Rimes explained that people who were child stars get "locked into a certain age" in the public eye. "I was America’s sweetheart," she said. "People didn’t want to see me grow up and explore my sexuality." While several celebrities who became famous at a young age have shared similar stories, Rimes can relate to Spears, especially because of her issues with her father.
Like Spears, Rimes rocketed to stardom in her mid-teens, only to grapple with the reins of her career amidst family turmoil. Her legal tussle with her father, Wilbur C. Rimes, post-divorce, mirrors the "Toxic" singer's conservatorship battle that Spears herself described as "soul-crushing" in her best-selling memoir, 'The Woman in Me.'
Family and business seldom mix well
Rimes' own legal skirmish in '98, involving a whopping $7 million earnings lawsuit against her father and then co-manager Lyle Walker, ended in a settlement and, eventually, reconciliation before her wedding to Eddie Cibrian in 2011.
The lawsuit was settled under undisclosed terms and LeAnn and her father has since reconciled, so she is now philosophical about the situation. She reflected: "Looking back, I think my dad did the best that he could."
Reflecting on those tumultuous times, Rimes mused, "Parents managing a child is always a recipe for disaster. For me it became a business and I ended up not having parents."
The 'How Do I Live' songstress also spilled the beans on her battle with Curb Records, fighting to break free from a staggering 21 album deal inked at the tender age of 12. "I was very gutsy," Rimes declared, "I just wanted fairness."
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Fast-forward to today, and Rimes is gearing up to wow London for the first time in six years, next May. But it hasn't been an easy road for the star who was once "America's sweetheart." She faced the harsh glare of the public eye as she evolved from a teen prodigy to a woman exploring her sexuality and artistry.
Now, with the wisdom of her years, Rimes has found her power in the word 'no,' a liberating mantra that's reshaped her world. "Learning to say no was probably the best thing in the world," she confessed, finding her true stride in womanhood only in the last five years.
