60 Minutes Australia's Britney Spears Piece Had Viewers Red With Rage

Besides being famous for her iconic singing and style, Britney Spears is also known for her devoted army of fans. As one of the most popular entertainers in recent memory, Spears has not only delighted audiences with her music and videos, but she has also starred in movies and TV shows as well. Unfortunately, the pressure of fame caused a rather famous 2008 public blowup which saw the beloved singer soon placed in a conservatorship, which is when another person gets to control one's life and finances. This explains why Spears was notably absent for quite some time, though she has recently been freed from this all-encompassing oversight.

Now that Spears has been back in the news since her conservatorship has ended, it seems as if the legendary entertainer is once again in the limelight, and the subject of many conversations and television programs. Though many may be happy to see the singer expressing joy at her newfound freedom on social media, others are concerned that perhaps Spears isn't capable of living her own life, and are worried for her ultimate safety. However, some of the people who think Spears isn't stable enough have a personal and financial stake in the matter, and a recent "60 Minutes" episode from Australia has certainly earned the ire of many fans.

Britney Spears was originally placed in a conservatorship, with her father Jamie Spears as her guardian, after a series of involuntary psychiatric holds. This was due to her increasingly erratic behavior at the time, which is probably best encapsulated by the image of Spears' shaved head. She was given her freedom in 2021 after 13 years, though it seems as if some of her family and an ex-husband aren't exactly enthusiastic about the decision. 

Jamie Spears told the Daily Mail in late 2022, "Not everybody's going to agree with me. It's been one hell of a time. But I love my daughter with all my heart and soul. Where would Britney be right now without that conservatorship? And I don't know if she'd be alive. I don't. For protecting her, and also protecting the kids, conservatorship was a great tool. Without it, I don't think she would have got the kids back."

Meanwhile, Britney's ex-husband Kevin Federline sat down with an Australian edition of "60 Minutes" for an interview around the same time that Jamie made his remarks. The trailer for this segment starts with a Britney song, and highlights Federline's need to "set the record straight" regarding Britney and her sons. Since this interview uses Britney's songs and features her ex-husband, many viewers found this to be downright offensive, rude, and intrusive, or distasteful at the very least.

Considering the nature of the Australian "60 Minutes" piece about Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, and their shared sons, as well as the shameless usage of Spears's music, many fans directed some very potent anger at the television program on social media. On Twitter, @CMBaker14 unleashed a bevy of comments accusing the Australian "60 Minutes" of terrible journalism before ultimately saying, "THE princess of pop Britney Spears is holding her family of abusers accountable. TONIGHT on #60Mins, the pathetic last ditch effort interview with her baby daddy #KEVINFEDERLINEISTRASH before his gravy train runs out." This comment highlighted how many Spears fans felt, with many others also converging on Twitter to let their thoughts be known.

User @SleepyBeauty wrote that the Federline segment was "bad journalism, full of sensationalism," while @tulgywoodsara comented that the entire Spears segment seemed tacky, completely unnecessary, and none of anybody's business except for Spears and her estranged family, adding that the news program should have considered the source of the information. 

Several observers, like @ehomacoss, @italomnzs, and @Nesscraig1111, all indicated their disgust. @TheLottis and @fionacooney01 also admonished the Australian "60 Minutes," which is not associated with the American program of the same name, for poor journalistic integrity and not mentioning that Federline employed a shady legal maneuver to get custody of his and Spears' children. 

One fan, @Eri-Pineda, said that it was especially disturbing to picture the executives at "60 Minutes" smiling with satisfaction about the Kevin Federline interview. Similarly, @NAVMF was also angry with this "60 Minutes" piece, saying that the producers of the show were only doing this for ratings even as the quality of their own content declined. A user named @jenofthejenjen wondered how much Federline was paid for his appearance, adding that he didn't really say anything of note or of true importance.

Even Britney Spears herself reacted to this Federline-centric piece. CBS News reported that Spears released an audio clip in a since-deleted Instagram post responding to the Federline interview, and it definitely sounded like she was absolutely disgusted and shaken. Spears said, "I can totally understand why my family would have a problem with me doing my own thing, maybe 'cause I never have." She then spoke about her religious beliefs, adding, "God would not [have allowed] that to happen to me if God existed. I don't believe in God anymore because of the way my children and my family have treated me." 

This means that not only were fans absolutely enraged by the Australian "60 Minutes," but Spears herself expressed some incredibly sad thoughts about it. Either way, it doesn't seem like this Federline interview had many fans, with many offering sympathy to the besieged Spears.