Britney Spears\u2019 latest memoir, The Woman in Me<\/em><\/a>, might be her most freeing project yet. The tell-all \u2014 which released on Oct. 24 \u2014 takes readers back to the beginning of her career, the height (and eventual end) of her 13-year conservatorship<\/a>, and her latest decision to step away from music<\/a>. She spares no detail, especially when speaking about the celebrities who\u2019ve impacted her life during those years. The singer revisits many of her past complicated relationships in the book, including her friendship with Christina Aguilera. <\/p>\n In the early aughts, Spears and Aguilera were pitted against each other in the media<\/a>. It was as though there was only room for one pop icon to thrive, and this narrative breathed life into a years-long rivalry. On the surface, it always seemed their feud began after their legendary team-up with Madonna at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards. However, according to Spears, it appears their complex tango started a little earlier. <\/p>\n In her book, Spears wrote about how betrayed she felt after Aguilera and her ex, Justin Timberlake, worked together in the summer 2003. For context, the duo hit the road together on their Justified<\/em> & Stripped<\/em> Tour and graced the cover of Rolling Stone<\/em>. These decisions were particularly notable, as they came one year after Spears and Timberlake\u2019s messy breakup<\/a>. For an extra dose of mess, Aguilera also spoke about the exes split to Rolling Stone<\/em> and hinted she wanted them to \u201creconcile.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n At the time, Spears never publicly addressed their joint projects or Aguilera\u2019s comment. However, she shined a light on it in her memoir. \u201cIn that story, she said she thought [Timberlake] <\/strong>and I should get back together, which was just confusing, given how negative she\u2019d been elsewhere,\u201d she wrote. \u201cEven if they weren\u2019t trying to be cruel, it felt like they were just pouring salt in the wound. Why was it so easy for everyone to forget that I was a human being\u2014vulnerable enough that these headlines could leave a bruise?\u201d <\/p>\n This moment is just a taste of Spears and Aguilera\u2019s on-and-off friendship. From their up-and-coming days on the All-New Mickey Mouse Clu<\/em>b <\/em>to Aguilera\u2019s latest comment about Spears\u2019 memoir, here\u2019s a deep dive on their decades-long relationship. <\/p>\n October 1993: Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera First Met On A Disney Variety Show <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Before becoming pop royalty, Spears and Aguilera were once Mouseketeers. The two first met in 1993, when they were cast in Disney\u2019s All-New Mickey Mouse Club<\/em> <\/em>alongside Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling (aka, the ultimate Ken<\/a>), and other future superstars.<\/p>\n The \u201cToxic\u201d singer revealed she and Aguilera \u201cshared a dressing room\u201d since they were the youngest of the group. At the time, Spears was 11 while Aguilera was 12. <\/p>\n Like most of the cast from their season, Spears and Aguilera left the series in 1994.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n September 2000: Spears & Aguilera Appeared At The MTV Video Music Awards Together<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Nearly five years after the Mickey Mouse Club<\/em>, Spears and Aguilera were already flaunting their \u2018it girl\u2019 pop statuses. In 1999, both singers released their debut albums (Aguilera\u2019s self-titled and Spears\u2019 …Baby One More Time<\/em>), and it wasn\u2019t long until critics began comparing the two<\/a>.<\/p>\n To calm the rumored rivalry, the pop stars appeared at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards and introduced Whitney Houston together<\/a>. That was also when Aguilera gave viewers the iconic \u201cuh, anyway\u201d line<\/a> at Eminem, who she had actual<\/em> drama<\/a> with at the time. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n August 2003: Spears & Aguilera Joined Madonna For *That* Iconic VMAs Performance<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It was the three-way kiss seen around the world. At the 2003 VMAs, Spears and Aguilera \u2014 who impressively released back<\/a>-to-back<\/a> hits since their first appearance at the award show \u2014 helped Madonna perform a medley of her songs. During their sing-off of \u201cHollywood,\u201d the three shared a quick smooch<\/a>. <\/p>\n Timberlake was in attendance at the show, and cameras made sure to show his deadpan reaction to the kiss. While he seemed to shrug it off, this lip-lock certainly set off a firestorm between Spears and Aguilera. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n December 2003: Spears & Aguilera\u2019s Back-And-Forth Begins <\/p>\n<\/div>\n In December, three months after their VMAs appearance, Aguilera told Blender <\/em>that Spears was \u201cvery distant\u201d during the show\u2019s rehearsals<\/a>. \u201cEvery time I tried to start a conversation with her \u2014 well, let\u2019s just say she seemed nervous the whole time,\u201d Aguilera said in the issue, per Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/em>. \u201cShe seems to me like a lost little girl, someone who desperately needs guidance.\u201d<\/p>\n This sudden dig surprised Spears, and she responded with her own Blender <\/em>interview that following year. \u201c<\/em>I can\u2019t believe Christina said that about me,\u201d she said in the January 2004 issue.<\/p>\n According to Entertainment Weekly<\/em>, Spears then recalled an incident where Aguilera tried to \u201cput her tongue down her throat.\u201d It\u2019s not exactly clear when this moment happened; however, the Blackout<\/em> singer alleged they had a conversation after the awkward kiss. <\/p>\n \u201cI say, \u2018It\u2019s good to see you,\u2019 and she goes, \u2018Well, you\u2019re not being real with me.\u2019 I was like, \u2018Well, Christina, what\u2019s your definition of real? Going up to girls and kissing them after you haven\u2019t seen them for two years?\u201d\u2019 Spears said at the time, concluding that Aguilera might be the \u201clost girl\u201d in question. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n 2004: Aguilera Came After Spears\u2019 Relationship With Kevin Federline<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Spears and Aguilera\u2019s beef continued. In a 2004 interview with Us Weekly<\/em>, Aguilera threw shade at Spears for proposing to Kevin Federline and buying her own engagement ring. \u201c[Her ring] looks like she got it at QVC,\u201d<\/a> Aguilera said at the time, adding: \u201cI know Britney. She\u2019s not trailer trash, but she sure acts that way.\u201d Oof. <\/p>\n ICYMI, Federline (who was Timberlake\u2019s background dancer at the time) and Spears met in June 2004 and tied the knot nearly three months later in September. The former couple went on to have two sons together, Sean Preston and Jayden James<\/a>, before divorcing in July 2007. <\/p>\n The early days of their romance were filled with drama, as it was rumored that Federline was still in a relationship with actor Shar Jackson when he began dating Spears. After months of speculation, Jackson confirmed the rumors<\/a> in November 2005. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n January 2005 – December 2006: Spears & Aguilera\u2019s Feud Seemed To Calm Down<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After one year of rivalry, it appeared Spears and Aguilera were ready for a clean slate. In January 2005, Spears reportedly claimed on her official website that she \u201cwould love to be close with Christina again.\u201d<\/a> The Chicago Tribune <\/em>also reported she sent Aguilera a complimentary letter. <\/p>\n Over a year later, the Stripped <\/em>singer also made an attempt to reconnect with Spears. In December 2006, she revealed she sent Spears\u2019 two sons several gifts for Christmas<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n September 2018: Aguilera Reflects On How Social Media Could\u2019ve Changed Her & Spears\u2019 Past Feud<\/p>\n<\/div>\n During her Sept. 12 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live<\/em><\/em><\/a>, Aguilera shared she believed her feud with Spears would have \u201cended sooner\u201d if they had social media. \u201cIf we had social media back then, we would have probably done a song or something together and squashed it,\u201d Aguilera said. \u201cBack in the day, when people were comparing me to other artists… I would have loved to be able to squash [any beef] before having an interview.\u201d<\/p>\n She then added she would be \u201cdown\u201d to collaborate with Spears. While the two icons never recorded a duet, they would later mingle that same year. In Spears\u2019 memoir, the singer revealed that she, Aguilera, and a few of their background dancers went out for drinks while they were on the road. <\/p>\n The singer doesn\u2019t specify what tour she was on; however, Spears and Aguilera\u2019s tours (Piece of Me<\/a> and Liberation<\/a><\/em>, respectively) kicked off in 2018. According to TIME<\/em><\/a>, Spears noted she couldn\u2019t drink with the group since she was under her former conservatorship<\/a> at the time. She shared that Aguilera \u201cseemed pretty messed up\u201d and hinted she would have loved to \u201cget rebellious, sassy, and fun\u201d with her. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n June 2021: Aguilera Expressed Support For Spears During Her Conservatorship Case<\/p>\n<\/div>\n As the #FreeBritney movement<\/a> rose to prominence, many celebrities shared their support in Spears\u2019 attempt to overturn her conservatorship<\/a> in June 2021. Aguilera soon joined that list and penned a heartwarming note to Spears on social media. <\/p>\n \u201cThese past few days I\u2019ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through,\u201d Aguilera wrote<\/a> in a Twitter post, which featured a photo of the two stars during their Mickey Mouse Club<\/em> years. \u201cIt is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish.\u201d<\/p>\n After months of testimonies, Spears was released of her conservatorship on Nov. 12. The Blackout<\/em> singer celebrated the verdict<\/a> on Instagram, and thanked her fans for their continuous support. While other pop artists such as Lady Gaga<\/a> and Mariah Carey<\/a> publicly rejoiced the news, many fans noticed Aguilera didn\u2019t comment on the victorious moment. That would all change a week later. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n November 2021: Spears Called Out Aguilera For \u2018Refusing To Speak\u2019 About Her Conservatorship<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On Nov. 19, Aguilera spoke about the singer\u2019s conservatorship at the Latin Grammys. While on the red carpet, an interviewer asked the singer if she had reached out to Spears since the announcement. Aguilera\u2019s publicist quickly denied her a chance to comment; however, the pop star managed to say that she\u2019s \u201chappy for her.\u201d<\/p>\n Aguilera\u2019s approach seemingly didn\u2019t sit right with Spears. That following day, the \u201cBreak The Ice\u201d singer shared her thoughts about the interview<\/a> on her Instagram Stories. <\/p>\n \u201cI love and adore everyone who supported me\u2026 but refusing to speak when you know the truth, is equivalent to a lie! 13 years being in a corrupt abusive system, yet why is it such a hard topic for people to talk about? I\u2019m the one who went through it! All the supporters who spoke up and supported me, thank you\u2026 yes I do matter!\u201d Spears wrote. <\/p>\n Aguilera did not publicly respond to Spears\u2019 comment. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n October 2023: Aguilera Dodged A Question About Spears\u2019 The Woman In Me<\/em> Memoir<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On Oct. 17, a week before The Woman In Me<\/em>\u2019s release, Aguilera returned to Jimmy Kimmel Live<\/em>. While there, Kimmel asked Aguilera if she hoped she would be in the highly anticipated book, as several excerpts from the tell-all had already been released.<\/p>\n![\"Britney](\"https:\/\/imgix.bustle.com\/uploads\/getty\/2023\/10\/23\/37b3ac25-b9f3-451a-abec-12bd1ed90691-getty-2221267.jpg?w=760&h=507&fit=crop&crop=faces&auto=format%2Ccompress)
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