ACTRESS Melissa Joan Hart has opened up about a teenage experience with Britney Spears in a new interview.
The Sabrina the Teenage Witch star recently expressed guilt over bringing Britney, 42, to her first nightclub at the age of 17.
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Melissa, 48, believed at the time that she was being a “big sister” and role model for the budding pop star.
The Hollywood stars grew a close relationship in the 90s, especially as they both starred in the music video for Britney’s 1999 hit song, You Drive Me (Crazy).
“Britney and I got to do a lot of press together. And we had a lot of fun together during this time,” Melissa told Entertainment Tonight.
“I saw that she was just surrounded by people, never able to break free. And I was like, ‘Hey want to come?'” Melissa said of getting Britney to go to a club with her and her friends.
Read More on Britney Spears
“I would go to a club every night — I love dancing and I loved going out, but I also knew to be responsible and, like, when to stop,” she added.
The Melissa & Joey star went on to say that she now feels guilty for bringing Britney along, especially as the singer struggled with partying in the early 2000s.
“She was underage and young and — but I [was] just like, ‘Let’s go out. We’re just gonna go out and have some fun,'” Melissa added.
“And yeah — and I feel really guilty about that still to this day because I should have known better, being a big sister.”
THE CONSERVATORSHIP
In 2008, Britney found herself in a conservatorship with her dad, Jamie Spears, as she struggled with mental health issues.
Jamie had full control over various facets of Britney’s life for 13 years before the conservatorship was terminated in November 2021.
Earlier this month, the case was settled with a judge ordering Britney to foot her dad’s $2 million legal bills following their intense court battle.
Britney has since been attempting to mend her relationship with her kids and has admitted to “missing” her family.
She shares her sons Jayden James, 17, and Sean Preston, 18, with her ex Kevin Federline, 46.
The boys are currently living with their dad in Hawaii.
Britney Spears’ conservatorship timeline
In September 2021, Britney’s case returned to a Los Angeles courtroom where Judge Brenda Penny made a number of bombshell rulings, following her father’s decision to end the conservatorship the month prior.
She ruled to rid Jamie of his daughter’s conservatorship, however, it did not mean the end of the conservatorship altogether.
Speaking in court, Judge Brenda Penny said: “Based on what I read in the filings, and I read everything. I do believe the suspension of Jamie Spears is in the best interest of Britney Spears.
“The current situation is unattainable. The court finds the toxic environment Jamie Spears has created needs to be removed today.”
Following the judge’s decision, a temporary conservator was put in Jamie’s place for about a month.
In early November 2021, Jamie was back in court filing new legal documents that show he’s done fighting.
Jamie had previously demanded $2 million in exchange for stepping down but documents at the time showed that he was not seeking any further compensation.
On November 12, Judge Penny ruled in favor of the pop star, removing Jamie from the position of conservator without requiring any further mental examination from Britney.
The situation partially inspired Melissa to sign onto her new Lifetime movie, The Bad Guardian, which paints the dangers of a toxic guardianship.
“It’s kind of encompassing a lot of different stories,” Melissa said of the film.
“It’s not one person’s story, but this is happening all across the country where people are losing family members to guardianships, to these permanent guardianships that judges put in place to protect the person, usually seniors.
“I mean, we know as Britney or Wendy Williams, having guardianships that are, you know, causing conflict.
“But in a lot of cases, it’s families who lose a senior family member,” she continued.
When it comes to Melissa’s current relationship with the Circus hitmaker, she said the two haven’t remained super close.
I feel really guilty about that still to this day because I should have known better, being a big sister.”
Melissa Joan Hart
She last saw Britney perform at her Las Vegas residency a few years ago and simply gave her a quick “Hello” backstage.
THE BAD GUARDIAN
Last week, the 90s actress shared a grim video while dressed for her new role in the Lifetime film.
Melissa plays the character of Leigh, whose father suffers a fall while she is away.
The Nickelodeon star went makeup-free in the Instagram clip, which showed her wearing a chunky knit cardigan and sunglasses adorned to the top of her head.
She looked nearly unrecognizable while showing a cut on the side of her face and a black eye, which she said she had “for half the movie.”
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