My followers should hear it straight from me—it’s finally time for me to speak up and raise my voice’, she declares. “I will take responsibility for my past, present, and future – no more lies or conspiracies.” Spears told PEOPLE she hopes the main lesson is to “speak up,” and she would love to urge others to do the same. Speak up. Realise your value. Motivate others and, above all, practise kindness.

I spent a long time pushing the lady inside of me down. They wanted me to act like a robot outside of the stage and to be wild as they instructed. I thought I was losing out on the wonderful secrets of life, the basic transgressions of pleasure and adventure that are what define humanity. Their goal was to eliminate all uniqueness and maintain a high level of rote learning. My artistic creativity was killed by it.

Before I felt ready to share my story, it took a lot of time and effort. I hope it can touch people’s hearts and inspire them in some way. Now that I’m free, I have to create an entirely new persona. I had to acknowledge that this was who I was—someone submissive and agreeable. A girl . And now this is who I am: a self-assured, robust person. A woman

from Britney Spears’ The Woman in Me. © 2023 Britney Jean Spears. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from Simon & Schuster Inc.’s Gallery Books division. **** In advance of its October 24 release, The Woman in Me is available for pre-order.