Britney Spears has opened up about a lot in her new autobiography, The Woman In Me, including the pregnancy that resulted from her relationship with Justin Timberlake, and her difficult experiences with the paparazzi during the 00s.

Writing about her 'party era' after becoming a mother of two in 2006, the singer shares that the tabloid stories about her that claimed she used hard drugs were inaccurate, saying instead that her "drug of choice" was Adderall – a medication typically prescribed to those with ADHD.

"The tabloids were full of accusations: She's a slut! She's on drugs!" Britney writes, before explaining "I never had a drinking problem. I liked to drink, but it was never out of control. Do you want to know my drug of choice? The only thing I really did except for drinking? Adderall, the amphetamine that's given to kids for ADHD."

She adds, "Adderall made me high, yes, but what I found far more appealing was that it gave me a few hours of feeling less depressed. It was the only thing that worked for me as an antidepressant, and I really felt like I needed one of those. I never had an interest in hard drugs."

In her memoir, Britney speaks candidly about her experience of social anxiety and perinatal depression (depression that occurs during or after pregnancy) and postpartum depression, sharing that she felt unsupported by those around her and unable to freely make the typical mistakes new mothers do, due to being in the spotlight.

Britney and Paris pictured at the MTV Music Awards in 2008

Reflecting back on those times (her son Sean Preston was born 14 September 2005 and Jayden James followed on 12 September 2006), Britney also praised fellow celebrity, Paris Hilton, for being a good friend.

"She saw that I had babies and that I was suffering [following a break-up with Kevin Federline], and I think she felt sorry for me. She came over to my house and helped me out so much."

When discussing her social anxiety, Britney says how it may seem ironic that someone who can command an arena full of people would get nervous speaking with a couple of people backstage, but rightly points out that anxiety disorders have little logic.

Related Story

Related Story

 Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLvSpqapp5yewaK6jZympmeloHyju8OyZqGdkaHBqXvAbWxva2VtgHV7waugraaVrnqisMOeqZqknGK9or7TsqCnn18%3D