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Conservatorship is a legal concept in the United States of America, where an entity or organization is subjected to the legal control of an external entity or organization, known as a conservator. Conservatorship is established either by court order (with regard to individuals) or via a statutory or regulatory authority (with regard to organizations). When referring to government control of private corporations such as Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, conservatorship implies a more temporary control than does nationalization. In other legal terms, a conservatorship may refer to the legal responsibilities over a person who is mentally ill, including those who are psychotic, suicidal, incapacitated or is in some other way unable to make legal, medical or financial decisions on behalf of themselves.[1]
Conservatorship is a legal term referring to a person who has been deemed gravely disabled by the court and unable to meet their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. There are two types of conservatorships: Lanterman Petris-Short (Lanterman Petris Short act of 1967, referred to as LPS) and Probate conservatorships. They are governed by the state's individual laws. In California, they are governed by the California Probate Code, and Welfare and Institutions Codes. Some states or jurisdictions refer to it as a guardianship, or even a trustee, instead of a conservator.
Conservatorships are generally put in place for severely mentally ill individuals who are gravely disabled, elderly individuals with Dementia or Alzheimer's Disease who lack mental capacity, or individuals with developmental disabilities who may or may not lack mental capacity. Mental capacity has to be determined by a medical physician or a psychiatrist experienced in the field and is documented and provided to the court as evidence.
A limited conservatorship usually refers to individuals who are developmentally disabled, and they can retain more control over their personal affairs than other conservatees if they are capable. For example, they may retain their right to decide where they may live.
A person under conservatorship is a "conservatee," and can refer to an adult. A person under guardianship is a "ward," and can refer to a minor child.
LPS conservatorships begin with a temporary 30 day conservatorship, and if the conservatee remains gravely disabled, the conservator is reappointed for a year and can be renewed annually, or terminated if no longer needed. Probate conservatorships are referred as general conservatorships, and typically do not have a temporary period unless an urgent emergency exists that is creating risk to the person or their estate. Probate conservatorship do not automatically expire as LPS conservatorship do if they are not renewed by the conservator.
A court appointed conservator over the person is responsible for managing the conservatee's placement, medical decisions, and mental health treatment (LPS conservatorships). A conservator over the estate is responsible for marshalling, protecting, and managing the conservatee's assets that remain in their estate. A conservator reports to the court that appointed them, and is monitored by the supervising judicial court in the county in which the conservatee permanently resides.
An example of a conservator's duties includes: locating and marshalling assets such as property and money which belongs to the conservatee, and can use it to buy food for the conservatee, secure and pay for placement in a facility which would take care of the conservatee or treat a mental illness, pay bills for the conservatee, manage property by paying for property insurance, mortgage payments or rent, property clean-up, or pay for a property management company to rent the property. An example of a conservator or guardian's medical responsibilities is that if the court grants medical authority to the conservator or guardian, the conservator can authorize a physician to place a feeding tube used to provide nourishment into the protected person's stomach if they are in medical need of it. It is not uncommon for one person to hold both offices and be referred to as the "guardian and conservator" of the conservatee, even though a conservator or guardian can be appointed over the person only, the estate only, or both. Generally, a conservator or guardian over the estate is only granted if the conservatee has assets that need to be protected, marshalled, and managed. These terms may be found in use in U.P.C. jurisdictions, even though the U.P.C. uses the term "protected person" in either case.
In most states, an outside party or agency must review the facts of the case and submit a report, usually required to be in writing, to the court before the court makes a decision on the request to establish a conservatorship or guardianship. Usually the outside party is a local County Mental Health representative called an investigator. They are often required to be experts in some appropriate field, such as social work, mental health, a medical field, or law. Procedures for conservatorship of an adult are often different from those for minors. LPS conservatorships usually begin in the County Mental Health system and are referred from acute psychiatric hospitals, where Probate conservatorships can results from any referral source if validated with property medical documentation. Mental Health consumers have the right to a Patient's Rights advocate, and are taken through a series of hearings while they are in the acute hospital before they reach the point of needing a conservator.
The court may appoint an attorney to represent the proposed conservatee or ward. If the proposed conservatee or ward is unable to have an attorney-client relationship because of some impairment, the court may appoint a guardian-ad-litem (who is often also an attorney). A guardian-ad-litem does not take instruction from the client, but rather acts on their behalf and tells the court what the guardian-ad-litem thinks is in the best interests of the proposed conservatee or ward, whether or not that is what the proposed conservatee or ward wants. The conservatee has the right to be represented by an attorney, and if they cannot afford a private attorney, they are appointed a public defender that will represent them free of cost.
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In the United States, in some states, corporations can be placed under conservatorship, as a less extreme alternative to receivership. Whereas a receiver is expected to terminate the rights of shareholders and managers, a conservator is expected merely to assume those rights, with the prospect that they will be relinquished.[2] Robert Ramsey & John Head, law professors who specialize in financial issues, suggest that an insolvent bank should go into receivership rather than conservatorship to guard against false hope and moral hazard.[3]
At the federal government level in the United States, in July 2008, the failing IndyMac Bank was taken into administrative receivership by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and its assets and secured liabilities transferred to a specially-established bridge bank called IndyMac Federal Bank, FSB which was placed into conservatorship, also by the FDIC.
Again, in the U.S. at the federal level, in September 2008, the chief executive officers, and board of directors Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were dismissed, and the companies were placed into the conservatorship of the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) via the determination of its director James B. Lockhart III, with the support and financial backing of U.S. Treasury via Treasury secretary Hank Paulson's commitment to keep the corporations solvent.[4] The intervention leading to the conservatorship of these two entities has become the largest in government history, and was justified as necessary step to prevent the damage to the financial system that would have been caused by their failure. Entities like this are considered too big to fail.[5][6][7][8]
An even more ambitious use of the conservatorship model has been proposed by Duke Professors Lawrence Baxter, Bill Brown and Jim Cox. They suggest that the troubled U.S. banks be placed in conservatorship, that some of their "good assets" be dropped into newly created "good bank" subsidiaries (presumably under new management), and the remaining "bad assets" be left to be managed under the supervision of a conservatorship structure.[1]
Lindsay Lohan | |
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Lohan at a New York Fashion Week fashion show, September 2011. |
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Born | (1986-07-02) July 2, 1986 (age 25) New York City, United States |
Occupation | Actress, singer, model |
Years active | 1989–present |
Parents | Michael Lohan Dina Lohan |
Relatives | Aliana Lohan (sister) |
Website | |
www.lindsaylohan.com |
Lindsay Lohan ( /ˈloʊ.ən/;[1] born July 2, 1986)[2] is an American actress, recording artist, and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Walt Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11. Lohan gained further fame with leading roles in the films Freaky Friday (2003), Mean Girls (2004), and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005). In 2006 she appeared in independent films including Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion and Emilio Estevez's Bobby. In 2004, Lohan launched a second career as a recording artist with her debut album Speak, which was followed by A Little More Personal (Raw) in 2005.
In 2007, her career was interrupted when two driving under the influence (DUI) incidents and three visits to rehabilitation facilities led to the loss of several movie deals. Resuming her career, she guest starred in the TV series Ugly Betty in 2008, and starred in the TV comedy film Labor Pains in 2009. In 2010, she appeared in Robert Rodriguez's film Machete. She has attracted a great deal of publicity, particularly surrounding her personal life.
Lohan was born in New York City and grew up in Merrick and Cold Spring Harbor on Long Island, New York.[2][3] She is the eldest child of Donata "Dina" (née Sullivan) and Michael Lohan. Lindsay has three younger siblings, all of whom have been models or actors: Michael Jr. (who appeared with Lindsay in The Parent Trap), Aliana "Ali", and Dakota "Cody", the youngest Lohan child. Lohan is of Irish and Italian heritage and was raised as a Catholic.[4] Her maternal family were "well known Irish Catholic stalwarts" and her great-grandfather, John L. Sullivan, was a co-founder of the Pro-life Party in Long Island.[5] Lohan attended Cold Spring Harbor High School, where she did well in science and mathematics,[6] until grade 11, when she started homeschooling.[7]
Lohan's parents have a turbulent history. They married in 1985, separated when she was three, and later reunited.[8][9] They separated again in 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2007.[10][11] Her father, Michael, is a former Wall Street trader who has been in trouble with the law on several occasions,[8][12] while her mother, Dina, is a former singer and dancer.[6]
Lohan began her career as a child model with Ford Models at the age of three.[13][14] She modeled for Calvin Klein Kids and Abercrombie kids, and appeared in over 100 television commercials,[6] including those for Pizza Hut and Wendy's, as well as a Jell-O spot with Bill Cosby. By the age of 10, when Lohan played Alexandra "Alli" Fowler in the series Another World, Soap Opera Magazine said she was already considered a show-business veteran.[13][14]
Lohan remained in the role for a year, before leaving to star in Disney's 1998 family comedy The Parent Trap, a remake of the 1961 movie. She played dual roles of estranged twins who try to reunite their long-divorced parents, played by Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson.[4][13] The film earned $92 million worldwide, and critic Kenneth Turan called Lohan "the soul of this film as much as Hayley Mills was of the original", going on to say that "she is more adept than her predecessor at creating two distinct personalities".[15][16] The film won Lohan a Young Artist Award for best performance in a feature film[17] as well as a three-film contract with Disney.[6]
At the age of 14, Lohan played Bette Midler's daughter in the pilot episode of the short-lived series, Bette, but resigned her role when the production moved from New York to Los Angeles.[4][18] She also starred in two Disney television movies: Life-Size opposite Tyra Banks in 2000, and Get a Clue in 2002.[13][14]
Lohan starred as Anna Coleman alongside Jamie Lee Curtis in the 2003 family comedy Freaky Friday. At Lohan's own initiative, her character was rewritten and changed from a Goth style to be more relatable.[19] Critic Roger Ebert wrote that Lohan "has that Jodie Foster sort of seriousness and intent focus beneath her teenage persona."[20] Freaky Friday earned Lohan the award for Breakthrough Performance at the 2004 MTV Movie Awards[21] and, as of 2010[update], it remains her most commercially successful film, earning $160 million worldwide[22] as well as an 88 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[23]
Aiming to become a triple threat — actor, singer and dancer, similar to Ann-Margret and Marilyn Monroe — Lohan began showcasing her singing through her acting.[24] For the Freaky Friday soundtrack, she sang the closing theme, "Ultimate,"[6] as well as recording four songs for the Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen soundtrack. Producer Emilio Estefan, Jr. signed Lohan to a five-album production deal in 2002.[6] Two years later, Lohan signed a recording contract with Casablanca Records, headed by Tommy Mottola.[25]
In 2004, Lohan had two lead roles. The first, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, earned a domestic box office total of $29 million, with Brandon Gray of Box Office Mojo commenting that it was "well above expectations as it was strictly for young girls."[26] The film overall, however, did not meet with critical acclaim.[27] Robert K. Elder of Metromix wrote that, "though still a promising star, Lohan will have to do a little penance before she's forgiven for Confessions."[28]
The teen comedy Mean Girls was Lohan's first movie independent of Disney. The film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $129 million worldwide and, according to Brandon Gray, "cementing her status as the new teen movie queen,"[26][29][30] while Steve Rhodes wrote that "Lohan dazzles us once more. The smartly written script is a perfect match for her intelligent brand of comedy."[31] Lohan received four awards at the 2004 Teen Choice Awards for Freaky Friday and Mean Girls, including Breakout Movie Star.[32] Mean Girls also earned her two awards at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, Best Female Performance and Best On-Screen Team along with several other cast members.[33]
Lohan, then 17, became the youngest host of the MTV Movie Awards in 2004.[34] Following Mean Girls, which was scripted by Tina Fey and featured several alumni of Saturday Night Live, Lohan hosted the show three times between 2004 and 2006, as well as hosting the 2006 World Music Awards.[35]
Speak, Lohan's début album, was released in December 2004, peaking at number four on the Billboard 200[36] and earning Platinum certification by early 2005.[6] Lohan cowrote six of the twelve songs on the album. The album was praised by Linda McGee of RTÉ, who awarded it 4 out of 5 stars and commented that "Speak opens with all the raw emotion and teenage angst that you'd expect from an artist of Lohan's age," and that, "while her vocals are not sensational, their gritty edge keeps Lohan more than afloat throughout this album"[37] as well as comparing the album to the early music of Avril Lavigne.[37] Allmusic, however, awarded it 2 out of 5 stars and claimed the album "feels more like a byproduct of an overdriven, overamplified celebrity culture than an actual album."[38] Though primarily a pop album, Speak was introduced with the single "Rumors." Described by Rolling Stone as "a bass-heavy, angry club anthem,"[39] "Rumors" details Lohan's complaints with the paparazzi[40] and eventually earned a Gold certification in the United States.[41]
While shooting Herbie: Fully Loaded in 2004, Lohan was hospitalized with a kidney infection brought on by stress in her personal life and of recording her first album while the film was in production, prompting Vanity Fair to label it Lohan's "first disastrous shoot."[42] The magazine also described how Lohan terminated the promotional tour and was de-emphasized on the movie poster due to "un-Disney-like behavior."[42] Lohan began dating actor Wilmer Valderrama in 2004, guest-starring in an episode of That '70s Show, of which Valderrama was a regular.[43] According to Vanity Fair, the breakup with Valderrama contributed to Lohan's issues during the shooting of Herbie: Fully Loaded.[42]
With Mean Girls, Lohan's public profile was raised significantly and paparazzi began following her.[44] She spent several years living out of hotels in Los Angeles, of which two years were spent at Chateau Marmont. In late 2007, after settling down in more permanent residence, she explained that she spent so much time in hotels because she "didn't want to be alone" but that "it wasn't a way of life ... not very consistent."[45][46][47] Lohan has had a series of car accidents that have been widely reported, with minor crashes in August 2004,[48] October 2005,[49] and November 2006, when Lohan suffered minor injuries because a paparazzo who was following her for a photograph hit her car. Police called the crash intentional, but prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges.[50]
Lohan returned to Disney in 2005 for Herbie: Fully Loaded, the fifth film in the series with the anthropomorphic car Herbie. Fully Loaded earned $144 million worldwide and received mixed reviews.[51][52] Stephen Holden of The New York Times called Lohan "a genuine star who ... seems completely at home on the screen",[53] while James Berardinelli wrote that, "as bright a starlet as she may be, Lohan ends up playing second fiddle to the car."[54] In 2005, Lohan became the first person to have a My Scene celebrity doll released by Mattel. She also voiced herself in the animated direct-to-DVD film My Scene Goes Hollywood, based on the series of dolls.[55]
Lohan's second album, A Little More Personal (Raw), was released in December 2005, debuting at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart, falling under the top 100 within six weeks.[6] Lohan cowrote six of the twelve songs on the album. Slant Magazine called the album "contrived ... for all the so-called weighty subject matter, there's not much meat on these bones."[56] The album was certified Gold in early 2006.[57] The music video for the album's first single, "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)", was directed by Lohan and featured the acting debut of her sister, Ali Lohan.[6] The video was a dramatization of the pain Lohan says her family has suffered at the hands of her father.[58] It was Lohan's first song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 57.[59]
Lohan's parents legally separated in December 2005 and finalized their divorce in 2007.[10][11] Lohan spoke in 2007 about her childhood: "I feel like a second parent in the sense that I helped raise my family...I was put between my mother and father a lot. Well, I would put myself between them to try and keep the peace, and I felt good doing that."[60] Despite the conflicts, Lohan calls herself "a family girl" and has spoken very fondly of her family, including her father.[61][62] However, in 2007 and again in 2008 she stated that she was no longer in contact with him, describing his unpredictable behavior as hard to deal with.[63][64][65] In November 2009, her father released recordings of private phone calls with and about Lohan to the media.[66] She commented on Twitter: "I haven't had a real relationship w/Michael Sr. in years."[67]
Lohan's next widely released film, the romantic comedy Just My Luck, opened in May 2006 and, according to Variety, earned Lohan over $7 million.[68] The opening weekend box office takings of $5.7 million "broke lead actress Lindsay Lohan's winning streak" according to Brandon Gray.[69] The film received poor reviews and earned Lohan her first Golden Raspberry nomination for worst actress.[70][71]
Following Just My Luck, Lohan focused on smaller roles in more mature, independent movies.[72] Robert Altman's ensemble comedy A Prairie Home Companion, in which Lohan co-stars with Meryl Streep and Lily Tomlin, had a limited release in June 2006. Peter Travers wrote for Rolling Stone that "Lohan rises to the occasion, delivering a rock-the-house version of 'Frankie and Johnny'."[73] Co-star Streep said of Lohan's acting: "She's in command of the art form" and "completely, visibly living in front of the camera."[74] The Emilio Estevez drama Bobby was released in theaters in November 2006. Lohan received favorable comments for her performance, particularly a scene opposite Sharon Stone.[75][76] As part of the Bobby ensemble cast, Lohan was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and won an award for Ensemble Acting at the Hollywood Film Festival where she also won a Breakout Award for her work in 2006.[77][78]
Lohan's next appearance was in Chapter 27 as a John Lennon fan who befriends Mark David Chapman (Jared Leto) on the day he murders Lennon. Filming finished in early 2006, but was not released until March 2008 due to difficulties in finding a distributor.[79][80][81] In May 2007, the drama Georgia Rule, in which Lohan stars alongside Felicity Huffman and Jane Fonda, was released. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Lohan hits a true note of spiteful princess narcissism."[82] During filming in 2006, Lohan was hospitalized, her representative saying "she was overheated and dehydrated."[83] At the time Lohan was going through a breakup with restaurant owner Harry Morton.[84] This contributed to her problems on the set according to Allure.[60] In a letter that was made public, studio executive James G. Robinson called Lohan "irresponsible and unprofessional." He mentioned "various late arrivals and absences from the set" and that "we are well aware that your ongoing all night heavy partying is the real reason for your so-called 'exhaustion'."[85] Co-star Fonda later commented that "when she showed up on the set, she was always great."[86]
In 2006, Lohan attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.[87] Lohan, who has suffered from asthma since the age of two, is also a smoker.[88][89] In early January 2007, production on the film I Know Who Killed Me was put on hold when Lohan underwent appendix surgery.[90][91][92] Later in the month, Lohan admitted herself to the Wonderland Center rehabilitation facility. Lohan checked out on February 16, 2007 after completing a 30-day stay.[93][94] During the stay she continued shooting the film, returning to the facility at night.[95][96] Shortly thereafter, Lohan withdrew from a film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance, her publicist stating that Lohan needed to "focus on getting better."[97][98] Lohan was replaced in The Edge of Love in April 2007, shortly before filming was to begin, with the director citing "insurance reasons" and Lohan later explaining that she "was going through a really bad time then."[99][100][101] In May 2007, Lohan first dated British TV personality Calum Best.[102]
Lohan was then cast in the film Poor Things.[103] On May 26, four days before production was set to start, she was arrested for DUI and subsequently re-entered rehab. The film's producers initially voiced support and production was put on hold.[104][105][106] Lohan had lost control of her car and run the vehicle up a curb. Beverly Hills police also found what they preliminarily identified as a "usable" amount of cocaine in her car. After receiving treatment for minor injuries, Lohan was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol.[107] She subsequently entered the Promises Treatment Center rehabilitation facility, where she stayed for 45 days.[108][109] Upon her release to outpatient care, Lohan was voluntarily fitted with a SCRAM bracelet to monitor her sobriety.[110][111]
On July 24, 2007, three weeks before filming was scheduled to resume on Poor Things, Lohan was arrested for a second DUI and again returned to rehabilitation.[112] Lohan refused a field sobriety test in Santa Monica and was taken to a police station where her blood alcohol level was found to be above the legal limit. While conducting a search, the police found a small amount of cocaine in her pocket.[110][111][113] Lohan was booked on a felony charge of possession of cocaine and misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.[113][114] In August 2007, Lohan entered Cirque Lodge Treatment Center in Sundance, Utah for a third stint at rehabilitation, staying until discharge on October 5, 2007.[115] Ultimately, The Hollywood Reporter said, she "fell out of" the Poor Things production.[116] Later in 2007, Lohan dated then snowboarder Riley Giles, whom she met during rehab.[117]
In the wake of her second DUI arrest, Lohan withdrew from a scheduled appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in which she had been due to promote I Know Who Killed Me, a low-budget thriller-mystery in which she stars as a stripper with a dual personality.[118] The film premiered to what Entertainment Weekly called "an abysmal $3.5 million."[119] It earned Lohan a dual Razzie nomination for Worst Actress, with Lohan coming first and second, tying with herself.[120]
Hollywood executives and industry insiders commented that it would be difficult for Lohan to find employment until she could prove that she was sober and reliable, citing possible issues with securing insurance.[121][122][123] Robinson, the producer who previously criticized Lohan's work ethic on Georgia Rule, said that he would work with her again if she got the proper medical care, and went on to describe her as "one of the most talented young women in the movie business today."[119]
On August 23, 2007, Lohan pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cocaine use and driving under the influence and was sentenced to one day imprisonment and 10 days' community service. She was also ordered to pay fines and complete an alcohol education program, and was given three years probation. Lohan released a statement in which she said "it is clear to me that my life has become completely unmanageable because I am addicted to alcohol and drugs."[124] On November 15, 2007, Lohan served 84 minutes in jail. A sheriff spokesman cited overcrowding and the nonviolent nature of the crime as reasons for the reduced sentence.[125] The probation was extended by an additional year in October 2009, following several instances in which Lohan failed to attend the court-ordered substance abuse treatment classes.[126]
Following a switch to Universal Motown, Lohan began working on a third album, tentatively titled Spirit in the Dark, in late 2007. In May 2008 the single "Bossy" was released, which reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart.[127][128][129][130][131] In November 2008, Lohan said that work on the album had stalled and that she wanted to avoid the stress of working on movies and music at the same time.[132]
In May 2008, Lohan made her first screen appearance since I Know Who Killed Me, on ABC's television series Ugly Betty.[133] She guest starred in four episodes, spanning seasons two and three in 2008, as Kimmie Keegan, an old schoolmate of the protagonist Betty Suarez.[133] Lohan made a cameo appearance in the drug themed music video for the May 2008 N*E*R*D song "Everyone Nose."[134] Lohan has featured in various men's magazines. She was voted No.10 on the list of "100 Sexiest Women" by readers of FHM in 2005,[135] No.13 in 2006, No.30 in 2007, and No.41 in 2008,[136] while Maxim placed her third on its "Hot 100" list in 2006[137] and first in 2007.[138] In a poll by The Daily Mirror in February 2010, Lohan was voted tenth on a list of "sexiest redheads ever."[139] Lohan has been the face of Jill Stuart, Miu Miu, and Dooney & Bourke, as well as the 2008 Visa Swap British fashion campaign[140][141] as well as being the face of Italian clothing company Fornarina for its Spring/Summer 2009 campaign.[140]
Lohan has a long-lasting fascination with Marilyn Monroe going back to when she saw Niagara during The Parent Trap shoot.[142] In the 2008 Spring Fashion edition of New York magazine, Lohan re-created Monroe's final photo shoot, known as The Last Sitting, including nudity, saying that the photo shoot was "an honor".[142] The New York Times critic Ginia Bellafante found it disturbing, saying "the pictures ask viewers to engage in a kind of mock necrophilia. ... At 21 [Lohan] seems even older than Monroe, who was 36 in the originals ... [and] the photographs bear none of Monroe's fragility".[143] In 2008, Lohan launched a clothes line, whose name 6126 was designed to represent Monroe's birth date (June 1, 1926). The line started with leggings, before expanding to a full collection, covering 280 pieces as of April 2010[update].[144][145][146] In April 2009, Lohan released a self-tanning spray under the brand name Sevin Nyne in collaboration with Sephora.[147][148] In September 2009, Lohan became an artistic adviser for the French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro;[149] a collection by designer Estrella Archs with Lohan as adviser was presented in October, receiving a "disastrous" reception, according to Entertainment Weekly and New York.[150][151] Lohan left the company in March 2010.[152]
During the 2008 US presidential campaign, Lohan offered her services to Barack Obama's election effort, including hosting events aimed at young voters; but her offer was declined. An unnamed source within the Obama campaign told the Chicago Sun-Times that Lohan was "not exactly the kind of high-profile star who would be a positive for us."[153] She nonetheless posted MySpace blogs with her opinions on the election, urging voters to support Obama, criticizing media coverage of vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin, and describing Palin as homophobic, anti-abortion and anti-environmentalist.[154][155][156][157] Lohan had previously expressed an interest in going to Iraq, during the Iraq War in 2006, on a USO tour with Hillary Clinton.[158] Back in 2004, Lohan stated that she did not like to talk about politics in order to avoid alienating any part of her fanbase.[159]
Lohan dated DJ Samantha Ronson in 2008 and 2009.[160][161] Lohan co-hosted club events with Ronson and accompanied her when she was DJ-ing.[162][163] Speaking about her sexual orientation, Lohan has said she is not a lesbian. When asked if she is bisexual, she responded "Maybe. Yeah", adding "I don't want to classify myself."[160] In April 2009, following her breakup with Ronson, Lohan appeared in a skit on the comedy website Funny or Die. The self-deprecating video is a spoof of the personal ads on dating website eHarmony.[164] It was viewed 2.7 million times in the first week and received favorable comments from the media.[165]
In the 2009 comedy Labor Pains, Lohan plays a woman who pretends to be pregnant. During the shoot, Lohan's manager worked with the paparazzi to encourage the media to show her working, as opposed to partying.[166] It was originally planned for a theatrical release, but instead appeared as a TV movie on the ABC Family cable channel in July 2009, "a setback for the star" according to Variety.[167][168] The premiere received 2.1 million viewers, "better-than-average" for the channel according to E! Online.[169] Joanna Weiss of The Boston Globe commented that Lohan "looks to be coasting through a part that requires little effort, anyway".[170] Alessandra Stanley of The New York Times said "this is not a triumphant return of a prodigal child star. ... [Labor Pains] never shakes free of the heavy baggage Ms. Lohan brings to the role".[171]
Lohan was a guest judge on US TV style contest Project Runway sixth season premiere episode, which aired in August 2009.[172][173] The same month Lohan's home was burglarized by The Bling Ring, a group of fashion-motivated burglars whose ringleader considered Lohan to be their ultimate conquest. Video surveillance of the burglary recorded at Lohan's home played a large role in breaking the case.[174]
After the Haiti earthquake, Lohan gave fund-raising assistance to the British Red Cross in March 2010 to provide aid for the country.[175] The same month, Lohan commenced legal proceedings in which she sought $100 million from financial services company E-Trade for a television advertisement that Lohan claimed invoked her likeness without her permission. The suit was settled on confidential terms in September.[176][177][178]
Lohan narrated and presented the BBC Three documentary Lindsay Lohan's Indian Journey about human trafficking in India. The program was filmed during a week in India in December 2009 and aired in April 2010.[179][180][181] A reviewer for The Times said that rather than highlight trafficking "the spotlight was effectively turned on Lohan and under it she wilted."[182] A review in The Independent found it "very compelling" and said that the inclusion of Lohan was "definitely not a terrible choice. Just a very, very odd one."[183] Lohan said the experience was "truly humbling" and "I hope my presence in India will bring awareness to the really important issues raised in making this film."[184]
In May 2010 Lohan travelled to the Cannes Film Festival to promote the biopic Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story, in which she was set to star as the lead, adult-film performer Linda Lovelace.[185][186] While she was in court mandated rehab in November, it was announced that Lohan would be replaced by another actress.[187][188] Because she was in Cannes, Lohan missed a mandatory DUI progress hearing. A bench warrant was issued for her arrest which was rescinded after she posted bail. Lohan was ordered to attend alcohol education classes, wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet, and undergo random drug tests to remain free on bail.[189][190] At a July 6 hearing, the judge determined that Lohan had violated the terms of her probation by missing several mandatory classes and meetings. She was sentenced to 90 days in jail followed by 90 days of mandatory inpatient rehab treatment.[191][192] Lohan served only 14 days of the jail sentence, between July 20 and August 2, due to overcrowding.[193][194][195][196] She then entered an inpatient rehabilitation facility, from where she was released after only 23 days.[195][197][198][199] Her lawyer stated that "the treating doctors at UCLA felt she had done everything required of her there."[200] She was ordered to submit to random drug and alcohol screenings and attend mandatory therapy.[198][199]
In June 2010, Lohan was the subject of a fashion shoot in the photographer docu-series Double Exposure on Bravo.[201] Lohan appeared on the October 2010 cover of Vanity Fair. She told the magazine: "I want my career back" and "I know that I'm a damn good actress". Talking about her DUI incidents she said "These were my college years ... but they were in the public eye. I was irresponsible. I was experimenting."[202][203][204] Lohan appears in one sketch in the movie Underground Comedy 2010 . She is dressed up as Marilyn Monroe, while still visibly wearing a SCRAM bracelet, and shoots at paparazzi photographers. As of September 2010[update], the movie was still seeking a distributor.[204]
Robert Rodriguez's action exploitation film Machete opened on September 3, 2010. Lohan filmed her scenes for the movie in August and September 2009.[205][206] She plays April, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy businessman. Her character takes drugs, is naked in much of her appearance and later dons a nuns habit while toting a machine gun. The Washington Post described Lohan's character as "a campier, trampier version of herself – or at least her tabloid image".[207] Premiere.com said she was "terrible" while Variety called it "her best work in some time."[208][209] Because of her rehabilitation and legal engagements Lohan did not participate in promotion of the movie.[210][211][212]
On September 24, 2010, Lohan's probation was revoked following a failed drug test.[213][214][215] She spent part of the day in jail before being released on bail.[215][216][217][218] A few days later she entered the Betty Ford Center, a drug and alcohol treatment center, where she remained on court order for three months until early January 2011.[210][219][219][220][221][222]
On February 9, 2011, Lohan was charged with the theft of a necklace reported stolen from a jewelry store in January.[223][224][225] She was sentenced to 120 days in jail and 480 hours of community service for misdemeanor theft and probation violation, to which she pled no contest. She was also ordered to remain under supervised probation until the completion of her community service.[226][227][228][229][230] Due to jail overcrowding, Lohan served the sentence under house arrest, wearing a tracking ankle monitor, for 35 days between May 26 and June 29.[231][232][233][234][235][236] In November Lohan was found to have violated the terms of her probation by failing to perform the required community service. She was sentenced to 30 days of jail and 400 hours of community service.[237][238][239][240][241] On November 7 Lohan spent less than five hours in jail due to overcrowding.[242][243] On March 29, 2012, Lohan's supervised probation ended after she completed the required community service and therapy. She will still be on informal probation for the necklace theft until May 2014, with the only requirement to follow the law.[244][245]
Lohan appeared in the January/February 2012 issue of Playboy magazine.[246] Hugh Hefner described the shoot as being inspired by a nude pictorial of Marilyn Monroe which was in first issue of Playboy.[247] Hefner said in a tweet that the issue was "breaking sales records."[248] Lohan hosted the March 3, 2012 episode of Saturday Night Live; her fourth time hosting the show. Her previous time hosting the show was in 2006.[249] Her appearance received mixed to negative reviews. Critics appreciated the self-deprecating references to her personal troubles, but also commented that she largely played a supporting role.[250] The episode had the second highest ratings of the season with 7.4 million viewers.[251][252] On May 15, 2012, Lohan appeared on the television series Glee in the episode "Nationals" as a celebrity judge. Critics commented that her appearance was brief, and said that she was "silly in a good way" but also "sort of depressing".[253]
In April 2012 it was confirmed that Lohan had been cast to play Elizabeth Taylor in a Lifetime TV movie titled Liz and Dick. Filming is planned to begin in June 2012 in Los Angeles.[254][255][256]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1992 | Late Night with David Letterman | Trick-or-Treater Dressed as Garbage | "Episode dated 29 October 1992" |
1996–1997 | Another World | Alexandra "Alli" Fowler | Soap Opera |
2000 | Bette | Rose Midler | "Pilot" (Season 1, Episode 1) |
2004 | King of the Hill | Jenny Medina | "Talking Shop" (Season 8, Episode 22) |
2004–2012 | Saturday Night Live | Herself/Host/Rapunzel/Various | "Lindsay Lohan/Usher" (Season 29, Episode 18) "Colin Farrell/Scissor Sisters" (Season 30, Episode 7, uncredited) "Lindsay Lohan/Coldplay" (Season 30, Episode 20) "Lindsay Lohan/Pearl Jam" (Season 31, Episode 16) "Lindsay Lohan/Jack White" (Season 37, Episode 16) |
2005 | That '70s Show° | Danielle | "Mother's Little Helper" (Season 7, Episode 7) |
2008 | Ugly Betty | Kimmie Keegan | Recurring role; Seasons 2–3 "Jump" (Season 2, Episode 18, uncredited) "The Manhattan Project" (Season 3, Episode 1) "Granny Pants" (Season 3, Episode 5) "Ugly Berry" (Season 3, Episode 6) |
2008 | Living Lohan | Herself | "Acting Up" (Season 1, Episode 9) |
2009 | Project Runway | Herself/Guest Judge | "Welcome to Los Angeles!" (Season 6, Episode 1) |
2010 | Double Exposure | Herself | "I'm Gonna Smash the Ringflash!" (Season 1, Episode 3) |
2012 | Glee | Nationals Judge (Herself) | "Nationals" (Season 3, Episode 21) |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lindsay Lohan |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Lindsay Lohan |
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Preceded by Seann William Scott and Justin Timberlake |
MTV Movie Awards host 2004 |
Succeeded by Jimmy Fallon |
Preceded by Sharon Stone |
Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress 28th Golden Raspberry Awards |
Succeeded by Paris Hilton |
Persondata | |
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Name | Lohan, Lindsay |
Alternative names | |
Short description | American actress and pop singer |
Date of birth | July 2, 1986 |
Place of birth | New York City |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
Amanda Bynes | |
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Bynes at The Heart's Truth Red Dress Collection Fashion Show (February 13, 2009) |
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Born | Amanda Laura Bynes (1986-04-03) April 3, 1986 (age 26) Thousand Oaks, California, United States |
Occupation | Actress, comedian, singer, fashion designer |
Years active | 1993–present |
Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986)[1] is an American actress, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You. She transitioned to a film career, starring in several films aimed at teenage audiences, including What a Girl Wants (2003), Love Wrecked (2005), She's the Man (2006), Hairspray (2007), Sydney White (2007) and Easy A (2010).
She was named one of Teen People's "25 Hottest Stars Under 25" in 2006,[2] and in 2007, Forbes listed her as the fifth highest paid celebrity under 21, with earnings of $2.5 million.[3]
Contents |
Bynes was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, the youngest of three children to Lynn (née Organ), a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist who also practiced stand-up comedy.[4] Bynes has two older siblings, Tommy (born 1973), a chiropractor, and Jillian (born 1983), who has a B.A. in History from UCLA and has also acted.[5] Bynes' ancestors immigrated from Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Romania,[6][7] and her maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario.[8] Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish. Bynes has described herself as Jewish;[9][10][11] regarding her religious beliefs, Bynes had stated: "As far as religion, I was raised both. I learned about both Judaism and Catholicism. My parents said it was up to me to decide [which faith to adhere to] when I grew up. I'm sort of a spiritual person anyway. I haven't decided yet on a religion. I don't know yet exactly what I believe."[12]
In 1993, Bynes attended a comedy camp, and began professionally acting at the age of seven, appearing in a television advertisement for Buncha Crunch candies.[13] During her childhood, she also appeared on stage in versions of Annie, The Secret Garden, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music.[14] Bynes became a regular cast member of Nickelodeon's Figure It Out and All That. She was a regular cast member on All That for seasons three through six. She also starred in her own sketch comedy show, The Amanda Show (1999–2002).
Bynes made her film debut in 2002's modest box office success, Big Fat Liar. Her first leading role was in 2003's What a Girl Wants, co-starring with Colin Firth, Oliver James, and Kelly Preston. From 2002 to 2006, Bynes starred alongside Jennie Garth in The WB Television Network's sitcom What I Like About You. Bynes had voice parts in 2003's Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure and 2005's CGI animated comedy, Robots. She co-starred in Arliss as Crystal Dupree. Bynes appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair's July 2003 edition with nine of Hollywood's other young female stars.[15][16]
In 2006, Bynes starred in She's the Man, a comedy based on William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.[17] Bynes appeared in another romantic comedy, Lovewrecked, which was shot before She's the Man but released after it, showing in cinemas outside of the United States in 2005 and 2006 and debuting in the U.S. on the ABC Family network on January 21, 2007. She also portrays Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. Bynes next starred in another comedy, Sydney White, released on September 21, 2007.[18][19]
In 2008, Bynes appeared in the Lifetime Television movie Living Proof as the student assistant of Harry Connick, Jr.'s character.[20] Bynes was also originally set to star as Ryden Malby in the 2009 comedy Post Grad, but was replaced by Alexis Bledel.[21]
In June 2009, Bynes inked a two picture deal with Screen Gems. The first of the two movies was the 2010 teen comedy Easy A, starring Emma Stone and Lisa Kudrow, and the second was to have been a starring role.[22] Bynes also planned to reprise her role as Penny Pingleton in the sequel to Hairspray.[23] However, Hairspray 2 was canceled.
In June 2010, Bynes stated that she planned to retire from acting, announcing on her Twitter page, "I don’t love acting anymore, so I’ve stopped doing it."[24] A month later, Bynes had an apparent change of heart and "unretired".[25] At the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, Bynes told People Magazine that she's merely taking "time off." [26]
In 2007, Bynes signed a five-year deal with Steve & Barry's to create her own fashion line, Dear, consisting of apparel and accessories. The clothing line launched in stores August 16, 2007. The line was cut short when Steve & Barry's filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 and went out of business completely in January 2009.[27]
Bynes appeared in lingerie on the cover of the February 2010 issue of Maxim magazine.[28]
Bynes started out at University Elementary, and later graduated from Thousand Oaks High School's independent study program (though she attended La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks for some time). She has expressed a desire to attend New York University in the near future. She briefly moved into an apartment in Hollywood, California, but has since returned to her family home in Thousand Oaks.[29] Bynes is interested in drawing and fashion design, having commented that she is "the girl whose biggest nightmare would be to lose my makeup bag while traveling."[16]
In 2007, Bynes spoke out against becoming another wild Hollywood star: "I think I’ll go out as much as I’ve ever gone out... which is not a lot. I like to dance and stuff, but drinking isn’t good for you in every way. It’s not good for your skin; it makes you feel horrible. So, drinking-wise, no".[30] She restated these ideas in interviews throughout the summer of 2007, telling Access Hollywood: "I like being with my family and friends, and I don't need to be out at the clubs."[31] In an interview in December 2007, Bynes described how her parents taught her about alcohol.[32]
Bynes has since stated that she is "reevaluating" how to spend her social time. In the January 2009 issue of Cosmopolitan, she stated: "I used to be known as the girl who was anti the club scene. But I'm finding a balance. I can have a drink and dance if I want. You have to go out to meet people and guys. I'm in that phase where I just want to have fun."
Bynes appeared in lingerie on the cover of the February 2010 issue of Maxim magazine, highlighting her photo spread inside. She stated "I think every shot ... was sexy" and that the new look is "who I am."[33]
On April 6, 2012, Bynes was arrested and charged with DUI after side-swiping a police car in West Hollywood at 3:00 am. Her bail was set at US$5,000 but she was released without requiring to post bail.[34] Bynes's father, Rick, told People Magazine on April 9 that Amanda does not drink and that she was arrested because "she was upset and emotional."[35] Bynes had previously been stopped by the L.A.P.D. for talking on her cellphone while driving on March 7, 2012.
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
2002 | Big Fat Liar | Kaylee | Film debut |
2003 | Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure | Nellie (voice) | Direct-to-video |
2003 | What a Girl Wants | Daphne Reynolds | |
2005 | Robots | Piper Pinwheeler | Voice role |
2005 | Lovewrecked | Jenny Taylor | ABC Family Original Movies |
2006 | She's the Man | Viola Hastings/Fake Sebastian | |
2007 | Hairspray | Penny Pingleton | |
2007 | Sydney White | Sydney White | |
2008 | Living Proof | Jamie | Lifetime Movie |
2010 | Easy A | Marianne Bryant |
Year | Show | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1996–2000 | All That | Various | Seasons 3–6 |
1997–1999 | Figure It Out | Panelist | Recurring role; 52 episodes |
1998 | Blue's Clues | Herself | |
1999 | Arli$$ | Crystal Dupree | Episode: "Our Past, Our Present, Our Future" |
1999–2002 | Amanda Show, TheThe Amanda Show | Host/Various characters/Penelope Taynt | Lead Role |
2000 | Crashbox | Pink Robot | Episode: "Episode 34" |
2001 | Drew Carey Show, TheThe Drew Carey Show | Sketch player | Episode: "Drew Carey's Back-to-School Rock 'n' Roll Comedy Hour" (parts 1 & 2) |
2001 | Nightmare Room, TheThe Nightmare Room | Danielle Warner | Episode: "Don't Forget Me" |
2001–2002 | Rugrats | Taffy (voice) | Recurring; 6 episodes |
2002–2006 | What I Like About You | Holly Tyler | Lead role |
2008 | Family Guy | Anna | "Long John Peter" |
2009 | Canned | Sarabeth | TV movie (pilot) |
Bynes won Blimp awards at the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards four years in a row, from 2000 to 2003 for Favorite Television Actress in 2000 for All That, Favorite Television Actress in 2001 to 2003 for The Amanda Show as well as the following year(A Record Tied with Selena Gomez). In 2003 she also received the award for Favorite Movie Actress for Big Fat Liar and won another award in 2004 for Favorite Movie Actress for What a Girl Wants.[36] Bynes also was a part of the Hairspray ensemble win at the 2008 Critics' Choice Awards.
Awards | ||||
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Year | Result | Award | Category | Nominated Work |
2000 | Won | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Television Actress | All That |
Won | Favorite Television Actress | The Amanda Show | ||
Nominated | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Leading Young Actress | ||
Nominated | YoungStar Awards | Best Young Actress/Performance in a Comedy TV Series | ||
2001 | Won | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Television Actress | The Amanda Show |
Nominated | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Comedy Series: Leading Young Actress | ||
2002 | Won | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Television Actress | The Amanda Show |
Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Film: Choice Chemistry | Big Fat Liar | |
2003 | Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress: Comedy | What I Like About You |
Nominated | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film: Leading Young Actress | Big Fat Liar | |
Won | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actress | ||
Won | Favorite Television Actress | The Amanda Show | ||
2004 | Nominated | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a TV Series (Comedy or Drama): Leading Young Actress | What I Like About You |
Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress: Comedy | ||
Won | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Actress | What a Girl Wants | |
2005 | Nominated | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Television Star | What I Like About You |
Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Choice TV Actress: Comedy | ||
2006 | Nominated | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Movie Star | She's The Man |
Nominated | Teen Choice Awards | Movies: Choice Liplock | ||
2007 | Won | Hollywood Film Festival | Ensemble of the Year | Hairspray |
2008 | Won | Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | Best Acting Ensemble | Hairspray |
Won | Palm Springs International Film Festival | Ensemble Cast Award | ||
Nominated | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | ||
2011 | Nominated | MTV Movie Awards | Best Line From a Movie | Easy A |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Amanda Bynes |
Persondata | |
---|---|
Name | Amanda Bynes |
Alternative names | Amanda Laura Bynes |
Short description | American actress |
Date of birth | April 3, 1986 |
Place of birth | Thousand Oaks, California, U.S. |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
Britney Spears | |
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Spears performing at her Femme Fatale Tour in Europe, 2011 |
|
Background information | |
Birth name | Britney Jean Spears |
Born | (1981-12-02) December 2, 1981 (age 30) McComb, Mississippi, U.S. |
Genres | Pop, dance |
Occupations | Singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, record producer, author, fashion designer, video director |
Instruments | Vocals, piano |
Years active | 1992–present |
Labels | Jive, RCA[1] |
Associated acts | The New Mickey Mouse Club |
Website | britneyspears.com britney.com |
Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album ...Baby One More Time in 1999, which became the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist.[2] During her first decade in the music industry, she became a prominent figure in mainstream popular music and popular culture, followed by a much-publicized personal life. Her first two albums established her as a pop icon and broke sales records, while title tracks "...Baby One More Time" and "Oops!... I Did It Again" became international number-one hits. Spears was credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s, and became the 'best-selling teen aged artist of all time' before she turned 20,[3] garnering her the honorific title of "Princess of Pop".[4]
In 2001, she released her third studio album Britney and expanded her brand, playing the starring role in the film Crossroads. She assumed creative control of her fourth studio album, In the Zone (2003), which yielded chart-topping singles "Me Against the Music", "Toxic" and "Everytime". After the release of two compilation albums, Spears experienced personal struggles and her career went into hiatus. Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released in 2007 and despite receiving little promotion, it spawned hits "Gimme More" and "Piece of Me". In 2008, her erratic behavior and hospitalizations caused her to be placed in a conservatorship. The same year, her sixth studio album Circus was released, with the global chart-topping lead single "Womanizer", and hits such as "Circus" and "If U Seek Amy". She embarked on her highest-grossing global concert tour,[5] The Circus Starring Britney Spears, in 2009. In October of the same year, she released a chart-topping single, "3", which became her third single to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Her seventh studio album Femme Fatale, released in 2011, has become the first of her albums to yield three top ten singles in the United States, "Hold It Against Me", "Till the World Ends" and "I Wanna Go". The same year, she also gained her fifth number one single when she featured on the remix of "S&M" alongside Rihanna.
Spears work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a Grammy Award, 6 MTV Video Music Awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award, 9 Billboard Music Awards, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2009, Billboard ranked her as the 8th overall Artist of the Decade,[6] and also recognized her as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall.[7] The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) also recognized Spears as the eighth top-selling female artist in the United States, with 33 million certified albums.[8] Nielsen SoundScan ranked Spears the tenth best-selling digital artist of the country, with more than 28.6 million digital singles as of January 2012.[9] She has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[10] Rolling Stone recognized her instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time,[11] while VH1 ranked her eleventh on their "100 Greatest Women in Music" list in 2012.[12] Forbes also revealed that Spears was the sixth most powerful celebrity, and the third best paid musician of 2011-12, having topped the list back in 2002.[13] In Fall 2012, Spears will serve as a judge in the second season of the American version of The X Factor.[14]
Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981, the second child of Lynne Irene (née Bridges) and James Parnell Spears. She is of English heritage through her maternal grandmother, Lillian Portelli who was born in London, and of distant Maltese and Sicilian (Sicani) descent.[15][16][17] Her siblings are Bryan James and Jamie Lynn.[18] At age three, she started to attend dance lessons in her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, and was selected to perform as a solo artist at the annual recital. During her childhood, she also attended gymnastics and voice lessons, and won many state-level competitions and children's talent shows.[19][20][21] Spears made her local stage debut at age five, singing "What Child Is This?" at her kindergarten graduation. She said about her ambition as a child, "I was in my own world, [...] I found out what I'm supposed to do at an early age".[20] At age eight, Spears and her mother Lynne traveled to Atlanta for an audition in the 1990s revival of The Mickey Mouse Club. Casting director Matt Casella rejected her for being too young to join the series at the time, but introduced her to Nancy Carson, a New York City talent agent. Carson was impressed with Spears's vocals and suggested enrolling her at the Professional Performing Arts School; shortly after, Lynne and her daughters moved to a sublet apartment in New York. Spears was hired for her first professional role as the understudy for the lead role of Tina Denmark in the Off-Broadway musical Ruthless!. She also appeared as a contestant on the popular television show Star Search, as well as being cast in a number of commercials.[22][23] In December 1992, she was finally cast in The Mickey Mouse Club, but returned to Kentwood after the show was canceled. She enrolled at Parklane Academy in nearby McComb, Mississippi. Although she made friends with most of her classmates, she compared the school to "the opening scene in Clueless with all the cliques. [...] I was so bored. I was the point guard on the basketball team. I had my boyfriend, and I went to homecoming and Christmas formal. But I wanted more."[20][24]
In June 1997, Spears was in talks with manager Lou Pearlman to join the female pop group Innosense. Lynne asked family friend and entertainment lawyer Larry Rudolph for his opinion and submitted a tape of Spears singing over a Whitney Houston karaoke song along with some pictures. Rudolph decided he wanted to pitch her to record labels, therefore she needed a professional demo. He sent Spears an unused song of Toni Braxton; she rehearsed for a week and recorded her vocals in a studio with a sound engineer. Spears traveled to New York with the demo and met with executives from four labels, returning to Kentwood the same day. Three of the labels rejected her, arguing that audiences wanted pop bands such as the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls, and "there wasn't going to be another Madonna, another Debbie Gibson, or another Tiffany." Two weeks later, executives from Jive Records returned calls to Rudolph.[25] Senior vice president of A&R Jeff Fenster stated about Spears's audition that "It's very rare to hear someone that age who can deliver emotional content and commercial appeal. [...] For any artist, the motivation—the 'eye of the tiger'—is extremely important. And Britney had that."[20] She then sang Houston's "I Have Nothing" (1992) for the executives, and got signed to the label.[26] They appointed her to work with producer Eric Foster White for a month, who reportedly shaped her voice from "lower and less poppy" delivery to "distinctively, unmistakably Britney."[27] After hearing the recorded material, president Clive Calder ordered a full album. Spears had originally envisioned "Sheryl Crow music, but younger more adult contemporary" but felt all right with her label's appointment of producers, since "It made more sense to go pop, because I can dance to it—it's more me." She flew to Cheiron Studios in Stockholm, Sweden, where half of the album was recorded from March to April 1998, with producers Max Martin, Denniz Pop and Rami Yacoub, among others.[20]
After Spears returned to the United States, she embarked on a shopping mall promotional tour to promote her forthcoming album. Her show was a four song set and she was accompanied by two back up dancers. Her first concert tour followed, as an opening act for 'N Sync.[28] Her debut album, ...Baby One More Time, was released on January 1999.[29] It debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and was certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America after a month. Worldwide, the album topped the charts in fifteen countries and sold over ten million copies in a year.[30] It became the biggest selling album ever by a teenage artist.[21] The title track was released as the lead single from the album. Originally, Jive Records wanted its music video to be animated; however, Spears rejected it, and suggested the final idea of a Catholic schoolgirl.[27] The single sold 500,000 copies on its first day, and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, topping the chart for two consecutive weeks.[31][32] "...Baby One More Time" later received a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.[33] The title track also topped the singles chart for two weeks in the United Kingdom, and became the fastest-selling single ever by a female artist, shipping over 460,000 copies.[34] It would later become the 25th most successful song of all time in British chart history.[35] Spears is also the youngest female artist to have a million seller in the country.[36] "(You Drive Me) Crazy" was released as the third single from the album. It became a top-ten hit worldwide and propelled ...Baby One More Time to sell 26 million copies.[37]
The April 1999 cover of Rolling Stone featured Spears lying on her bed, clad with a bra, shorts and an open top. The American Family Association (AFA) referred to the shoot as "a disturbing mix of childhood innocence and adult sexuality" and called to "God-loving Americans to boycott stores selling Britney's albums." Spears responded to the outcry commenting, "What's the big deal? I have strong morals. [...] I'd do it again. I thought the pictures were fine. And I was tired of being compared to Debbie Gibson and all of this bubblegum pop all the time."[38] Shortly before, Spears had announced publicly she would remain a virgin until marriage.[21] On June 28, 1999, Spears began her first headlining ...Baby One More Time Tour in North America, which was positively received by critics,[39] but generated some controversy due to her racy outfits.[40] An extension of the tour, titled Crazy 2k, followed in March 2000. Spears premiered songs from her upcoming second album during the show.[24]
Oops!... I Did It Again, her second studio album, was released in May 2000. It debuted at number one in the US, selling 1,3 million copies, breaking the SoundScan record for the highest debut sales by any solo artist.[41] The album sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[42] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone said that "the great thing about Oops! – under the cheese surface, Britney's demand for satisfaction is complex, fierce and downright scary, making her a true child of rock & roll tradition."[43] The album's lead single, "Oops!... I Did It Again", peaked at the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and many other European nations.[36][44] The album as well as the title track received Grammy nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, respectively.[45]
The same year, Spears embarked on the Oops!... I Did It Again World Tour, which grossed $40.5 million; she also released her first book, Britney Spears' Heart-to-Heart, co-written with her mother.[21][46] On September 7, 2000, Spears performed at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards. Halfway through the performance, she ripped off her black suit to reveal a sequined flesh-colored bodysuit, followed by heavy dance routine. It is noted by critics as the moment that Spears showed signs of becoming a more provocative performer.[47] Amidst media speculation, Spears confirmed she was dating 'N Sync member Justin Timberlake.[21]
In February 2001, Spears signed a $7–8 million promotional deal with Pepsi, and released another book co-written with her mother, entitled A Mother’s Gift.[21] Her third studio album, Britney, was released in November 2001. While on tour, she felt inspired by hip hop artists such as Jay-Z and The Neptunes and wanted to create a record with a funkier sound.[48] The album debuted at number one in the Billboard 200 and reached top five positions in Australia, the United Kingdom and mainland Europe and sold over 12 million copies worldwide.[36][49][50] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic called Britney "the record where she strives to deepen her persona, making it more adult while still recognizably Britney. [...] It does sound like the work of a star who has now found and refined her voice, resulting in her best record yet."[51] The album was honored with two Grammy nominations—Best Pop Vocal Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Overprotected"— and was listed in 2008 as one of Entertainment Weekly's "100 Best Albums from the Past 25 Years".[52][53] The album's first single, "I'm a Slave 4 U", became a top-ten hit worldwide.[54]
Spears's performance of the single at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards featured a caged tiger and a large albino python draped over her shoulders. It was harshly received by animal rights organization PETA, who claimed the animals were mistreated and scrapped plans for an anti-fur billboard that was to feature Spears.[47] To support the album, Spears embarked on the Dream Within a Dream Tour. The show was critically praised for its technical innovations, the pièce de résistance being a water screen that pumped two tons of water into the stage.[55][56] The tour grossed $43.7 million, becoming the second highest grossing tour of 2002 by a female artist, behind Cher's Farewell Tour.[57] Her career success was highlighted by Forbes in 2002, as Spears was ranked the world's most powerful celebrity.[58] Spears also landed her first starring role in Crossroads, released in February 2002. Although the film was largely panned, most critics actually praised Spears's acting.[59][60][61] Crossroads, which had a $11 million budget, went on to gross over $57 million worldwide.[61]
In June 2002, Spears opened her first restaurant, Nyla, in New York City, but terminated her relationship in November, citing mismanagement and "management's failure to keep her fully apprised".[62] In July 2002, Spears announced she would take a six month break from her career; however, she went back into the studio in November to record her new album.[63] Spears' relationship with Justin Timberlake ended after three years. In December 2002, Timberlake released the song "Cry Me a River" as the second single from his solo debut album. The music video featured a Spears look-alike and fueled the rumors that she had been unfaithful to him.[64][65] As a response, Spears wrote the ballad "Everytime" with her backing vocalist and friend Annet Artani.[66] The same year, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst said that he was in a relationship with Spears. However, Spears denied Durst's claims.[67] In a 2009 interview, he explained that "I just guess at the time it was taboo for a guy like me to be associated with a gal like her."[67] Spears opened the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards with Christina Aguilera, performing "Like a Virgin". Halfway through they were joined by Madonna, with whom they both kissed. The incident was highly publicized.[61]
Spears released her fourth studio album, In the Zone, in November 2003. She assumed more creative control by writing and co-producing most of the material.[21] Vibe called it "A supremely confident dance record that also illustrates Spears's development as a songwriter."[68] NPR listed the album as one of "The 50 Most Important Recording of the Decade", adding that "the decade's history of impeccably crafted pop is written on her body of work."[69] In the Zone sold over 609,000 copies in the United States and debuted at the top of the charts, making Spears the first female artist in the SoundScan era to have her first four studio albums to debut at number one.[21] It also debuted at the top of the charts in France and the top ten in Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands.[70] In the Zone sold over 10 million copies worldwide.[71] The album produced the hit singles: "Me Against the Music", a collaboration with Madonna; "Toxic"—which won Spears her first and only Grammy for Best Dance Recording; "Everytime" and "Outrageous".[21]
On January 3, 2004, Spears married childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later, stating that Spears "lacked understanding of her actions".[72] She began The Onyx Hotel Tour in support of In the Zone in March 2004.[73] On June 8, 2004, Spears fell and injured her left knee during the music video shoot for "Outrageous". She was taken immediately to a local hospital, where doctors performed an MRI scan and found floating cartilage. The following day, Spears underwent arthroscopic surgery. She was forced to remain six weeks with a thigh brace, followed by eight to twelve weeks of rehabilitation, which caused The Onyx Hotel Tour to be canceled.[74] During 2004, Spears became involved in the Kabbalah Centre through her friendship with Madonna.[75]
In July 2004, she announced her engagement to American dancer Kevin Federline, whom she had met three months before. The romance received intense attention from the media, since Federline had recently broken up with actress Shar Jackson, who was still pregnant with their second child at the time.[21] The initial stages of their relationship were chronicled in Spears's first reality show Britney & Kevin: Chaotic. They held a wedding ceremony on September 18, 2004, but were not legally married until three weeks later on October 6 due to a delay finalizing the couple's prenuptial agreement.[76] Shortly after, she released her first fragrance with Elizabeth Arden, Curious, which broke the company's first-week gross for a perfume.[21] In October 2004, Spears announced she would be taking another career break to start a family.[77] Greatest Hits: My Prerogative, her first greatest hits compilation album, was released in November 2004.[78] Spears's cover version of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" was released as the lead single from the album, reaching the top of the charts in Finland, Ireland, Italy and Norway.[79] The second single, "Do Somethin'", was a top ten hit in Australia, the United Kingdom and other countries of mainland Europe.[80][81] Worldwide, Greatest Hits: My Prerogative sold over 5 million copies.[82] In late 2004, Spears went on KIIS-FM radio in Los Angeles, CA to play a new demo titled "Mona Lisa." The demo was to be the first single from an upcoming album called the "Original Doll." However, Spears' label later cancelled the album for unknown reasons.[83][84] Spears gave birth to her first child, Sean Preston Federline, on September 14, 2005.[85]
In November 2005, she released her first remix compilation, B in the Mix: The Remixes, which consists of eleven remixes.[86] It has sold over 1 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling remix albums of all time.[87] In February 2006, pictures surfaced of Spears driving with her son Sean, on her lap instead of in a car seat. Child advocates were horrified by the photos of her holding the wheel with one hand and Sean with the other. Spears claimed that the situation happened because of a frightening encounter with paparazzi, and that it was a mistake on her part.[21] The following month, she guest-starred on the Will & Grace episode "Buy, Buy Baby" as closeted lesbian Amber Louise.[88] She publicly announced she no longer studied Kabbalah in June 2006, explaining, "my baby is my religion."[75] Two months later, Spears posed nude for the cover of Harper's Bazaar. The picture was heavily compared to Demi Moore's August 1991 Vanity Fair cover.[21] She gave birth to her second child, Jayden James Federline, on September 12, 2006.[89] On November 7, 2006, Spears filed for divorce from Federline, citing irreconcilable differences.[90] Their divorce was finalized in July 2007, when the couple reached a global settlement and agreed to share joint custody of their children.[91] Spears's aunt Sandra Bridges Covington, with whom she had been very close, died of ovarian cancer in January.[92] On February 16, 2007, Spears stayed in a drug rehabilitation facility in Antigua for less than a day. The following night, she shaved her head with electric clippers at a hair salon in Tarzana, Los Angeles. She admitted herself to other treatment facilities during the following weeks.[93] After completing a month-long program at Promises, she wrote on her website, "I truly hit rock bottom. Till this day I don't think that it was alcohol or depression. [...] was like a bad kid running around with ADD."[21] In May 2007, she produced a series of promotional concerts at House of Blues venues, titled The M+M's Tour.[94] Spears lost physical custody of her children to Federline on October 1, 2007. The reasons of the court ruling were not revealed to the public.[95] Also, in 2007 Spears was sued by Louis Vuitton over her 2005 music video "Do Something" for pimping out her Hummer interior in counterfiet Louis Vuitton cherry blossom fabric. Which resulted in her video being banned on European TV stations.[96]
Her fifth studio album, Blackout, was released in October 2007. It debuted at the top of charts in Canada and Ireland, number two in the U.S. Billboard 200,—held off from the top spot by Eagles's Long Road out of Eden— France, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom and the top ten in Australia, Korea, New Zealand and many European nations. In the United States, Spears became the only female artist to have her first five studio albums debut at the two top slots of the chart.[97] Blackout sold over 3.1 million copies worldwide.[98] Peter Robinson of The Observer said that "Britney has delivered the best album of her career, raising the bar for modern pop music with an incendiary mix of Timbaland's Shock Value and her own back catalogue."[99] Dennis Lim of Blender commented, "Spears’s fifth studio album is her most consistent, a seamlessly entertaining collection of bright, brash electropop."[100] Blackout won Album of the Year at MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 and was listed as the fifth Best Pop Album of the Decade by The Times.[101][102] Spears performed the lead single "Gimme More" at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. The performance was panned by many critics. David Willis of BBC stated her performance would "go down in the history books as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards".[103] Despite the backlash, the single rocketed to worldwide success, peaking at number one in Canada and the top ten in almost every country it charted.[104][105] The second single "Piece of Me" reached the top of the charts in Ireland and reached the top five in Australia, Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The third single "Break the Ice" was released the following year and had moderate success due to Spears not being able to promote it properly.[106][107][108] In December 2007, Spears began a relationship with paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.[109]
On January 3, 2008, Spears refused to relinquish custody of her sons to Federline's representatives. She was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, after police that arrived at her house noted she appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. The following day, Spears's visitation rights were suspended at an emergency court hearing, and Federline was given sole physical and legal custody of the children. On January 31, 2008, Spears was committed to the psychiatric ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and put on 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold. The court placed her under temporary conservatorship of her father James Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet, giving them complete control of her assets.[21] Spears was released on February 6, 2008. Her parents expressed disappointment and concern at the decision to release her.[110] The following month, she guest-starred on the How I Met Your Mother episode "Ten Sessions" as receptionist Abby. She received positive reviews for her performance, as well as bringing the series its highest ratings ever.[111][112] In July 2008, Spears regained some visitation rights after coming to an agreement with Federline and his counsel.[113] On September 7, 2008, Spears opened the MTV Video Music Awards with a pre-taped comedy sketch with Jonah Hill and an introduction speech. She won Best Female Video, Best Pop Video and Video of the Year for "Piece of Me".[114] A 60-minute introspective documentary, Britney: For the Record, was produced to chronicle Spears' return to the recording industry. Directed by Phil Griffin, For the Record was entirely shot in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and New York City during the third quarter of 2008.[115] Main shooting began on September 5, 2008, two days before Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards. For the Record was broadcast on MTV on November 30, 2008 to 5.6 million viewers for the two airings on the premiere night. MTV reported that Spears' documentary garnered on average, the highest rating in its Sunday night timeslot, in the network's history.[116]
Her sixth studio album Circus, was released in December 2008. It received positive reviews from critics; according to the music review aggregation of Metacritic, it garnered an average score of 64/100.[117] Circus debuted at number one in Canada, Czech Republic and the United States, and inside the top in many European nations.[105][118] In the United States, Spears became the youngest female artist to have five albums debut at number one, earning a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.[119] She also became the only act in the Soundscan era to have four albums debut with 500,000 or more copies sold.[118] Circus became one of the fastest-selling albums of the year,[120] and has sold 4 million copies worldwide.[121][122] Its lead single, "Womanizer", became her first number one in the Billboard Hot 100 since "...Baby One More Time" and topped the charts in countries such as Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Norway and Sweden.[123][124] It was also nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Dance Recording.[125] In January 2009, Spears and her father James obtained a restraining order against her former manager Sam Lufti, ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib and attorney Jon Eardley—all of whom, court documents claim, had been conspiring to gain control of Spears's affairs. The restraining order forbids Lutfi and Ghalib from contacting Spears or coming within 250 yards of her, her property or family members.[126] Spears embarked on The Circus Starring Britney Spears in March 2009. With a gross of U.S. $131.8 million, it became the fifth highest grossing tour of the year.[127]
She released her second greatest hits album, The Singles Collection in November 2009. "3" became her third number one single in the US, and was the first song to debut at the top of the charts in three years.[128] Later that month, she released an application for iPhone and iPod Touch titled "It's Britney!".[129] In May 2010, Spears's representatives confirmed she was dating her agent Jason Trawick, and that they had decided to end their professional relationship to focus on their personal relationship.[130] Spears designed a limited edition clothing line for Candie's, which was released in stores in July 2010.[131] On September 28, 2010, she made a cameo appearance on a Spears-themed tribute episode of American TV show Glee, titled "Britney/Brittany". Spears approved of the episode, although her appearances received mixed reviews from critics.[132][133] The episode drew Glee's second largest audience, as well as the show's highest ratings ever.[134][135]
In March 2011, Spears released her seventh studio album Femme Fatale.[136] Max Martin and Dr. Luke executive produced the album and the album's first single "Hold It Against Me". The single debuted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100. This gave Spears her fourth number-one single on the chart, and made her only the second artist in history to have two consecutive singles debut at number-one, after Mariah Carey.[137] The album peaked at number one in the United States (selling 276,000 copies in its first week), Canada, and Australia, and peaked inside the top ten on nearly every other chart. The album's peak in the United States ties Britney with Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson for the third-most number ones among women.[138] As of March 9, 2012, Femme Fatale has sold 883,000 copies in the United States and 2.2 million worldwide and has been certified platinum by the RIAA.[139][140] The album received positive critical reviews after its release, receiving a score of 67 on Metacritic, her highest critical score since Oops!... I Did It Again, with many critics naming the album one of Spears's best.[141] In April 2011, Spears appeared in a remix to the song "S&M" by Rihanna after Rihanna asked her fans via Twitter who they wanted her to collaborate with.[142] The song reached number one in the US in mid-April 2011, giving Spears her fifth number one on the chart.[143] In early May, Spears' second single from Femme Fatale, "Till The World Ends", reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and had ninety-eight million audience impressions on the Billboard chart, granting Spears the highest weekly audience of her 13-year chart career.[144]
Femme Fatale's third single "I Wanna Go" reached the top forty on the Billboard Hot 100 in June 2011. Among females in the last thirteen years, Spears now has the third-most top forty hits, with twenty-one.[145] In August, the single managed to reach the top-ten on the Billboard Hot 100, which is the first time for Spears to have three songs from one album in the top-ten.[146] On the week ending September 24, 2011, "I Wanna Go" moved 2–1 on the mainstream top 40, becoming her sixth number-one on that chart (making her tied for third all-time) and her first number-one and third top-ten pop song for Femme Fatale.[147] Spears now has the longest span of number ones on the mainstream top 40, with a length of twelve years, seven months, and four days.[147] In October 2011, the music video for Femme Fatale's fourth single "Criminal" caused controversy when British politicians criticized Spears for using replica guns while filming the video in an area of London that had been badly affected by the 2011 England riots. Members of the Hackney London Borough Council felt Spears "promoted gun violence" and suggested that Spears apologize and make a donation to a Hackney charity.[148] Spears's management briefly responded, stating, "The video is a fantasy story featuring Britney's boyfriend, Jason Trawick, which literally plays out the lyrics of a song written three years before the riots ever happened."[149] Later that month, due to her continued popularity, Spears became the seventh artist to gain one billion cumulative views on her Vevo account.[150] On Billboard's 2011 Year-End list, Spears was fourteen on the Artists of the Year,[151] due to being 32 on Billboard 200 artists and 10 on Billboard Hot 100 artists.[152][153] Additionally, many critics, including those at Rolling Stone, named "Till the World Ends" one of the best songs of 2011.[154][155][156]
On March 2011, Spears announced that she would tour throughout the United States during summer 2011.[157] The Femme Fatale Tour opened June 16 at the Power Balance Pavilion in Sacramento, California[158] to positive reviews.[159] Many critics noted that Spears sang more of the concert live in response to lip-synching accusations during The Circus Starring Britney Spears, and that the dancing is some of her best in years.[159] The first ten US dates of the tour grossed $6.2 million, landing the fifty-fifth spot on Pollstar's Top 100 North American Tours list for the half-way point of the year.[160] The tour ended on December 10, 2011 in Puerto Rico after 79 performances.[161] A concert special of the tour was filmed in 2D and 3D in Canada on August 13 and 14. It premiered on November 12 on Epix, receiving mixed reviews.[162][163][164][165] It was released to DVD on November 21[166][167] and sold 19,000 copies, debuting at no. 2 on the US Billboard DVD Chart behind Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball Tour: At Madison Square Garden.[168] Since its release, the DVD has been certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),[169] and Gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[170]
On June 15, 2011, it was announced by Billboard that the RCA/Jive Label Group would be splitting, with Jive Records being fully moved under RCA Records staying intact. In August it was announced that Spears had officially joined the RCA's roster.[171][172] During the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards on August 28, 2011, MTV played tribute to Spears with a group of young female dancers that memorialised Britney's music videos, performances, and style. Following which, Spears accepted the MTV Video Vanguard Award from Lady Gaga, who said that "industry wouldn't be the same without [her]".[173][174] On September 9, 2011, Spears announced her second remix album, B in the Mix: The Remixes Vol. 2, which was released on October 7, along with the tracklist.[175] On October 7, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. With the shutdown, Spears (and all other artists previously signed to these three labels) will release her future material on the RCA Records brand.[176][177]
On December 16, Spears confirmed her engagement to her long-time boyfriend Jason Trawick, her former agent.[178] Spears revealed her three-carat diamond ring at a party in Las Vegas on December 17.[179] According to Joe Riccitelli, the executive vice president of promotion for RCA Records, Spears would be taking time off during 2012.[180] However, on January 30, 2012, will.i.am confirmed that he recorded a track with Spears, set to be included on his upcoming fourth studio album, #willpower (2012).[181] It was also reported that Simon Cowell was in talks with Spears for her to join the new season of the The X-Factor.[182] According to Billboard and The Hollywood Reporter, Trawick negotiated Spears' contract with the show,[183] which was later approved by conservatorship judge Reva Goetz.[184] Cowell and the producers of the show agreed to pay the singer $15 million for season two, and also added Trawick as a one of the producers for the season.[185] The rumor was later confirmed to be true.[14][186][187] Spears also teamed up with Hasbro to release an exclusive version of Twister Dance, which will include a remix of "Till the World Ends".[188] The singer also participated on a commercial, which was directed by Ray Kay, to promote the game.[188]
Following her debut, Spears was credited with leading the revival of teen pop in the late 1990s. The Daily Yomiuri reported that "[m]usic critics have hailed her as the most gifted teenage pop idol for many years, but Spears has set her sights a little higher-she is aiming for the level of superstardom that has been achieved by Madonna and Janet Jackson."[189] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone wrote: "Britney Spears carries on the classic archetype of the rock & roll teen queen, the dungaree doll, the angel baby who just has to make a scene."[190] Rami Yacoub who co-produced Spears's debut album with lyricist Max Martin, commented, "I know from Denniz Pop and Max's previous productions, when we do songs, there's kind of a nasal thing. With N' Sync and the Backstreet Boys, we had to push for that mid-nasal voice. When Britney did that, she got this kind of raspy, sexy voice."[191] Following the release of her debut album, Chuck Taylor of Billboard observed, "Spears has become a consummate performer, with snappy dance moves, a clearly real-albeit young-and funkdified voice ... "(You Drive Me) Crazy", her third single ... demonstrates Spears's own development, proving that the 17-year-old is finding her own vocal personality after so many months of steadfast practice."[192] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic referred to her music as a "blend of infectious, rap-inflected dance-pop and smooth balladry."[193] Spears later commented, "With ...Baby One More Time, I didn't get to show my voice off. The songs were great, but they weren't very challenging".[194]
Oops!...I Did It Again and subsequent albums saw Spears working with several contemporary R&B producers, leading to "a combination of bubblegum, urban soul, and raga."[195] Her third studio album, Britney derived from the teen pop niche, "[r]hythmically and melodically ... sharper, tougher than what came before. What used to be unabashedly frothy has some disco grit, underpinned by Spears' spunky self-determination that helps sell hooks that are already catchier, by and large, than those that populated her previous two albums."[196] Guy Blackman of The Age wrote that while few would care to listen to an entire Spears album, "[t]he thing about Spears, though, is that her biggest songs, no matter how committee-created or impossibly polished, have always been convincing because of her delivery, her commitment and her presence. For her mostly teenage fans, Spears expresses perfectly the conflicting urges of adolescence, the tension between chastity and sexual experience, between hedonism and responsibility, between confidence and vulnerability."[197]
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Spears possesses a soprano[203] vocal range; her vocal ability however has been criticized, often drawing unfavorable comparison to her pop rival, Christina Aguilera.[204] Critic Allan Raible derides her overdependence in Circus on digital effects and the robotic effect it creates. "She’s never been a strong vocalist..." writes Raible, "Could she handle these songs with stripped down arrangements and no vocal effects? More importantly, would anyone want to hear her attempt such a performance? Does it matter? No. The focus is still image over substance."[205] Her image and persona are also often contrasted to Christina Aguilera. David Browne of Entertainment Weekly observed "Christina Aguilera may flash skin and belly button, but in her music and manner, she's too eager not to offend — she's a good girl pretending to be bad. Spears, however, comes across as a bad girl acting good ... Spears' artificial-sweetener voice is much less interesting than the settings, yet that blandness is actually a relief compared with Aguilera's numbing vocal gymnastics.[206] In contrast, Allmusic comments: "Like her peer Christina Aguilera, Britney equates maturity with transparent sexuality and the pounding sounds of nightclubs ... Where Christina comes across like a natural-born skank, Britney is the girl next door cutting loose at college, drinking and smoking and dancing and sexing just a little too recklessly, since this is the first time she can indulge herself.[207] Sal Cinquemani of Slant Magazine notes, "The disparity between Aguilera and Spears can't be measured solely by the timbre and octave range of their voices ... [Aguilera's] popularity has never reached the fever pitch of Britney's."[208]
It has been widely reported that Spears lip-syncs in concert. Author Gary Giddins wrote in his book Natural selection: Gary Giddins on comedy, film, music, and books (2006) that "among many other performers accused of moving their lips while a machine does the labor are Britney Spears, Luciano Pavarotti, Shania Twain, Beyoncé, and Madonna."[209] Rashod D. Ollison of The Baltimore Sun observes: "Many pop stars ... feel they have no choice but to seek vocal enhancement. Since the advent of MTV and other video music channels, pop audiences have been fed elaborate videos thick with jaw-dropping effects, awesome choreography, fabulous clothes, marvelous bodies. And the same level of perfection is expected to extend beyond the video set to the concert stage. So if Britney Spears, Janet Jackson or Madonna sounds shrill and flat without a backing track, fans won't pay up to $300 for a concert ticket."[210] Giddins adds, "it was reported Britney Spears fans prefer her to lip-sync—despite her denials of doing so (contradicted by her own director)—because they expect flawless digitalization when they pay serious money for a concert."[209]
In Australia, NSW Fair Trading Minister Virginia Judge has advised disclaimers be printed on any ticket for concerts which contain any prerecorded vocals. She commented: "There could have been some instances where people actually go and purchase a ticket thinking that they're going to have a live performance ... for some people that means that everything is live, it's fresh, it happens instantaneously, it's not something that's been pre-recorded. You want to make sure that they're actually paying for what they think they're getting."[211] Noting on the prevalence of lip-syncing, Los Angeles Daily News reported "in the context of a Britney Spears concert, does it really matter? Like a Vegas revue show, you don't go to hear the music, you go for the somewhat-ridiculous spectacle of it all".[212] Similarly, Aline Mendelsohn of the Orlando Sentinel remarked: "Let's get one thing straight: A Britney Spears concert is not about the music ... you have to remember that it's about the sight, not the sound."[213] Critic Glenn Gamboa comments her concert tours are "like her life—a massive money-making venture designed to play up her talents and distract from her shortcomings with a mix of techno-tinged sex appeal and disco-flavored flash. And, like her life, it is, more or less, a success.[214]
Throughout her career, Spears has drawn frequent comparisons to Madonna and Janet Jackson, in terms of vocals, choreography and stage presence, citing both as influences in her work. She has also named Michael Jackson as a source of inspiration.[215] According to Spears: "I know when I was younger, I looked up to people... like, you know, Janet Jackson and Madonna. And they were major inspirations for me. But I also had my own identity and I knew who I was, you know."[216] In the 2002 book Madonnastyle by Carol Clerk, she is quoted saying: "I have been a huge fan of Madonna since I was a little girl. She's the person that I've really looked up to. I would really, really like to be a legend like Madonna."[217]
Many critics have argued that Spears should not be considered in the same league of talent as Jackson or Madonna. Journalists Erika Montalvo and Jackie Sheppard of the Rocky Mountain Collegian observed "[s]ome may argue that Spears is not only a good recording artist but also an important cultural icon."[218] However, in examining her level of skill as an artist, it is questioned that "[a]lthough she has been classified among female elites such as Janet Jackson and Madonna, what does Ms. Spears really have in common with these divas of rock?"[218] Joan Anderman of The Boston Globe remarked that "[t]hirteen costume changes in 90 minutes won't bless her with Madonna's intelligence or cultural barometer. An army of cutting-edge R&B producers won't supply her with Janet Jackson's sense of humor or sincere smile ... Britney's heroes aren't great singers. But they're real singers. Spears sounds robotic, nearly inhuman, on her records, so processed is her voice by digital pitch-shifters and synthesizers."[219]
Reporter Ed Bumgardner commented her transition from teen pop start to adult sex symbol with her third studio album Britney "takes its cues from two other successful performers—Madonna and Janet Jackson—both of whom she brazenly rips off and both of whom, like Spears, are passable singers, at best."[220] Critic Shane Harrison wrote: "From the minimalist thump and "Nasty" feel of "I'm a Slave 4 U" to the scattered quotes in "Boys", [Britney] feels like [Spears's] attempt at 'Control'."[215]
Citing Jackson's resolve to incorporate personal and social issues into her work and Madonna's ability to constantly redefine the boundaries of socially acceptable material in the industry, Spears's catalog ultimately pales in comparison, because "[w]hile Jackson and Madonna wrote their own music about subjects of importance, [Spears's] music sounds like an upbeat version of either, 'I want to grow up but the media won't let me,' or 'Here kitty, kitty, I'm wearing my underwear outside of my leather pants'-type ballads."[218] In contrast, Guy Blackman argues that although "no one would argue that Spears is some kind of pioneering pop auteur, there’s still a lot to like about her back catalogue. During her world-conquering peak, she was just about as cutting edge as you could get in the world of global pop superstardom. Spears didn’t just work with big names, she gave big names their names, and maintained her high currency in the world’s most fickle industry for years, when most aspiring starlets are lucky to manage months."[197]
After meeting Spears face to face, Janet Jackson stated: "she said to me, 'I'm such a big fan; I really admire you.' That's so flattering. Everyone gets inspiration from some place. And it's awesome to see someone else coming up who's dancing and singing, and seeing how all these kids relate to her. A lot of people put it down, but what she does is a positive thing."[221] Madonna's respect for Spears has also been a subject of observation. Santiago Fouz-Hernández and Freya Jarman-Ivens, authors of Madonna's drowned worlds: new approaches to her cultural transformations, 1983-2003 (2004) note that the most well known cross-generational relationship exists between Spears and Madonna in which "the entertainment newsmedia almost became obsessed with their relationship of mutual admiration."[222] The biographers also report "[s]ome observers of popular culture, however, feel that the comparisons between the two artist are meaningless and fail to recognize Madonna's unique contribution: Madonna was never 'just another pop star' whereas Britney can more easily be seen as a standard manufactured pop act."[222]
Spears became an international pop culture icon immediately after launching her recording career. Rolling Stone magazine wrote: "One of the most controversial and successful female vocalists of the 21st century," she "spearheaded the rise of post-millennial teen pop ... Spears early on cultivated a mixture of innocence and experience that broke the bank".[223] She is listed by the Guinness World Records as having the "Best-selling album by a teenage solo artist" for her debut album ...Baby One More Time which sold over thirteen million copies in the United States.[224] Melissa Ruggieri of the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, "She's also marked for being the best-selling teenage artist. Before she turned 20 in 2001, Spears sold more than 37 million albums worldwide".[225] As of 2011, she has sold over 100 million albums worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time.[10] She was also ranked as the fourth VH1's "50 Greatest Women of the Video Era" show list, ahead of most of her contemporaries and only behind veterans like Madonna, Janet Jackson, and Whitney Houston.[226] Spears is also recognized as the best-selling female artist of the first decade of the 21st century, as well as the fifth overall.[7] In December 2009, Billboard magazine ranked Spears the 8th Artist of the 2000s decade in the United States.[6]
Spears is also known for her iconic performances and music videos.[227] The music video for her debut single, "...Baby One More Time", was ranked number one on TRL's Final Countdown of the most iconic music videos.[228] On the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, before performing "Oops!... I Did It Again", the singer appeared behind a backlit screen, and descended a spiral staircase and started performing "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", while wearing a tuxedo.[229] After performing a shortened version of the track, she tore the tuxedo off, revealing a skin-tight flesh-coloured outfit.[230] The following year, Spears performed her single "I'm a Slave 4 U". Jocelyn Vena of MTV summarized the performance, saying, "draping herself in a white python and slithering around a steamy garden setting – surrounded by dancers in zebra and tiger outfits – Spears created one of the most striking visuals in the 27-year history of the show."[231] She also duetted "The Way You Make Me Feel" with pop singer Michael Jackson on his 30th anniversary concert a few days earlier.[232] During the opening of the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards on August 27, 2003, Spears joined Madonna, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott.[233] Halfway through the performance, Madonna kissed Spears and Aguilera on the lips.[234] The kiss between Spears and Madonna generated strong reaction from the media.[235] This performance was listed by Blender magazine as one of the twenty-five sexiest music moments on television history.[236] MTV listed the performance as the number-one opening moments in the history of MTV Video Music Awards.[237] In 2011, Spears was honored with the MTV Video Vanguard Award, for having made a profound effect on the MTV culture.[238]
Barbara Ellen of The Observer has reported: "Spears is famously one of the 'oldest' teenagers pop has ever produced, almost middle aged in terms of focus and determination. Many 19-year-olds haven't even started working by that age, whereas Britney, a former Mouseketeer, was that most unusual and volatile of American phenomena — a child with a full-time career. While other little girls were putting posters on their walls, Britney was wanting to be the poster on the wall. Whereas other children develop at their own pace, Britney was developing at a pace set by the ferociously competitive American entertainment industry".[239] In 2011, Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly commented on the cultural significance of Spears' voice and music. "We don't ask a whole lot from Britney Spears as an entertainer...we'll still send her straight up the charts simply because she's Britney. She's an American institution, as deeply sacred and messed up as pro wrestling or the filibuster. Musically, though, Spears will always have to measure up to her own gold standards of pop euphony: the operatic slither of 2004's 'Toxic' and the candied funk of 2000's 'Oops!...I Did It Again.' Spears is no technical singer, that's for sure. But backed by Martin and Dr. Luke's wall of pound, her vocals melt into a mix of babytalk coo and coital panting that is, in its own overprocessed way, just as iconic and propulsive as Michael Jackson's yips or Eminem's snarls."[240] 'Britney Spears' was Yahoo!'s most popular search term between 2005 and 2008, and has been in a total of seven different years.[241] Spears was named as Most Searched Person in the Guinness World Records book edition 2007 and 2009.[242] She was later named as the most searched person of the decade 2000 - 2009.[243] Spears is the most followed person on Google's social network, Google+. Reaching 100,000 in under two months of the sites launch, quadrupling the amount within 10 days. By November she had over 760,000 followers,[244] and by the end of December 2011, Spears became the first person to reach over 1 million followers.[245]
Spears has been cited as a musical inspiration by contemporary artists. Gwyneth Paltrow's character on 2010 drama film Country Strong was inspired on the singer's public meltdown. According to film director Shana Fest, "that's where this movie came from. I mean, I was seeing what was happening in the media to Britney Spears. I think it's tragic how we treat people who give us so much, and we love to see them knocked down to build them back up again, to knock them down again."[246] Nicki Minaj has cited Spears as a major influence on her career, and commented, "the fact that she came back out with just so much fire inspires me, and it inspires young women and people all over the world. It just inspires you. A lot of my fans feel like they are the underdog and feel like they are the people who aren’t ever accepted for themselves, or who are laughed at or poked fun at forever. It just goes to show that once you keep at whatever it is you’re doing, people may not like you, people may not love you, but they will have to respect you at the end of the day. And that respect is all that matters."[247] Lana Del Rey revealed that she is compelled by Spears in an interview with MTV, saying, "I'm not really interested in a ton of female musicians but there is something about Britney that compelled me – the way she sings and just the way she looks."[248] Del Rey also said that the "Toxic" music video is a main inspiration of her work.[249] During the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, Lady Gaga said that Spears "taught us all how to be fearless, and the industry wouldn't be the same without her."[238] Miley Cyrus credits Spears as her biggest inspiration, and has referenced the singer in her hit song "Party in the U.S.A." (2009).[250][251] Spears' personal breakdown was also cited as an inspiration for Barry Manilow's album "15 Minutes".[252]
Spears has also become a major influence among many new artists, including Demi Lovato,[253] Katy Perry,[253] Kristinia DeBarge,[254] Little Boots,[255] Marina and the Diamonds,[256] Pixie Lott,[257] and Selena Gomez & the Scene.[258] In 2007, Beyoncé Knowles also expressed her love for Spears in an interview with TRL Italy, saying, "I love Britney, I'm a fan of hers. I like her new album ['Blackout']."[259] Fergie of The Black Eyed Peas revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she was happy with Spears' return to the music industry, and continued, "It's amazing. For this many years being in the business, and everything she's been through, it's wonderful to see her make this huge of a comeback. Really, it's a beautiful thing."[260] Simon Cowell explained that he is "fascinated by [Britney]. The fact that she’s one of the most talked about – not just pop stars – but people in the world today, means that you’ve got this star power. [...] She’s still hot, she’s still having hit records and she’s still controversial, there’s a reason for that."[182] Bebo Norman wrote a song about Spears, called "Britney", which was released as a single. Boy band Busted also wrote a song about Spears called "Britney", which was on their debut album. South Korean KPop singer, BoA has also spoken of love and Spears' influence on her. First meeting in 2003 while Spears was promoting "In The Zone" - Britney would later provide a writing credit to the song, Look Who's Talking, on BoA's eponymous debut English album. Spears' version of the song leaked in 2012.[261][262] Richard Cheese called Britney Spears "a remarkable recording artist" and also went on to say that she was "versatile" and what the industry calls an "artist". People magazine and MTV reported that October 1, 2008, the Bronx's John Philip Sousa Middle School, named their music studio in honor of Britney Spears.[263] Spears herself was present during the ceremony and donated $10,000 to the school's music program.[264]
In 1998, Spears entered a relationship with fellow pop singer Justin Timberlake, with whom she had worked on the New Mickey Mouse Club in 1993 and 1994. The relationship ended abruptly in March 2002 after reports of infidelity, however, both parties stated that the split was due to "conflicting schedules".[265] The breakup influenced the lyrics and themes of their songs, "Everytime" and "Cry Me a River." In June 2011, Timberlake stated that he had not spoken with Spears in 9 years, and that their relationship had no chance of surviving the long term.[266] On January 3, 2004, Spears married childhood friend Jason Alexander at The Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. The marriage was annulled 55 hours later, Spears stating she "lacked understanding of her actions to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to the marriage".[72]
In July 2004, she announced her engagement to American dancer, Kevin Federline, whom she had met three months before. The initial stages of their relationship were chronicled in Spears's first reality show Britney & Kevin: Chaotic, and received intense media attention. They held a wedding ceremony on September 18, 2004, but were not legally married until three weeks later on October 6, 2004 due to a delay finalizing the couple's prenuptial agreement.[76] With Federline, Spears had two children, sons, Sean Preston Federline, on September 14, 2005, and Jayden James Federline, on September 12, 2006.[85][89] She filed for divorce from Federline on November 7, 2006, citing irreconcilable differences.[90] Their divorce was finalized in July 2007, when the couple reached a settlement and agreed to share joint custody of their children.[91] However, due to Spears' erratic behavior (including her shaving her head bald).[267]in the following year, she lost physical custody of her children to Federline on October 1, 2007. The reasons of the court ruling were not revealed to the public.[95] After a visit with her children on the night of January 3, 2008, Spears refused to give up her sons to Federline's representatives and locked herself in a bathroom. She was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, after police that arrived at her house noted she appeared to be under the influence of an illicit substance. The following day, Spears's visitation rights were suspended at an emergency court hearing, and Federline was given sole physical and legal custody of the children. On January 31, 2008, Spears was, again, committed to the psychiatric ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and put on 5150 involuntary psychiatric hold. The court placed her under temporary conservatorship of her father, James Spears, giving him complete control of her assets.[21] In July 2008, Spears regained some visitation rights after coming to an agreement with Federline and his counsel.[113] And in September 2009, Spears and Federline agreed on sharing 50/50 of the children[268]
On September 2011 Spears' former bodygaurd Fernando Flores persued a $10 million sexual harassment suit, also, citing alleged child abuse against her two sons.[269]
On December 16, 2011, Spears confirmed her engagement to her boyfriend, Jason Trawick.[270] Spears revealed her three-carat diamond ring at a party in Las Vegas on December 17.[179]
In 2000, the singer released a limited edition of glasses titled Shades of Britney.[271] In 2001, Spears signed a deal with shoe company Skechers,[272] and a $7–8 million promotional deal with Pepsi, their biggest entertainment deal at the time.[273] Aside from numerous commercials with the latter during that year, she also appeared in a 2004 Pepsi television commercial in the theme of "Gladiators" with singers Beyoncé Knowles, Pink, and Enrique Iglesias.[274] On June 19, 2002, she released her first multi-platform video game, Britney's Dance Beat, which received positive reviews.[275] In March 2009, Spears was announced as the new face of clothing brand Candie's.[276] Dari Marder, chief marketing officer for the brand, explained why they choose the singer, saying, "everybody loves a comeback and nobody's doing it better than Britney. She's just poised for even greater success."[276] In 2010, Spears designed a limited edition line for the brand, which was released in stores in July 2010.[131] In 2011, she teamed up with Sony, Make Up For Ever and PlentyofFish to release her music video for "Hold It Against Me", earning her $500,000 for the product placement.[277]
Spears range of commercial deals and products also includes beauty care products and perfumes. She released her first fragrance with Elizabeth Arden, Curious in 2004, which broke the company's first-week gross for a perfume.[21] By 2009, she had released seven more fragrances, which earned her the recognition of the best-selling celebrity fragrance line on the market. The singer's Elizabeth Arden scents make up 34% of celebrity fragrance sales.[278] In 2010, Spears released her eighth fragrance, Radiance. In March 2011, company Brand Sense filed a lawsuit against Spears and Elizabeth Arden seeking $10 million in damages, claiming that the singer and her father, Jamie, allegedly stopped paying their thity-five percent commission that was agreed as part of the contract terms.[279] In July 2011, a Los Angeles judge denied the request by the company lawyers, claiming the fact that Spears is still under conservatorship.[280] Brand Sense, however, stated that they would appeal the decision.[280] In 2011, Radiance was re-issued in a new fragrance titled Cosmic Radiance.[281] Worldwide, Spears has sold over one billion bottles in only five years, which earned her an estimated $1.5 billion.[282] By the time of Mother's Day in 2012, Fantasy, her second fragrance released back in 2006, was among the top three best selling fragrances of the year's first quarter.[283]
The singer founded The Britney Spears Foundation, a charitable entity set up to help children in need. The philosophy behind the Foundation was that music and entertainment has a healing quality that can truly benefit these kid.[284] The Foundation also supported the annual Britney Spears Camp for the Performing Arts, where campers had the opportunity to explore and develop their talents.[285] In April 2002, through the efforts of Spears and The Britney Spears Foundation, a grant of $1 million was made to the Twin Towers Fund to support the children of uniformed service heroes affected by the disaster of September 11, 2001, including New York City Fire Department and its Emergency Medical Services Command, the New York City Police Department, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the New York State Office of court Administration and other government offices.[286] However, it was reported in 2008 that the Foundation had a deficit of $200,000.[287] After the singer went through conservatorship, her father and lawyer Andrew Wallet zeroed out the effort, leading to its closure in 2011.[288]
On October 30, 2001, Spears, alongside Bono and other popular recording artists under the name "Artists Against AIDS Worldwide", released a single titled "What's Going On", with the intention to benefit AIDS programs in Africa and other impoverished regions.[289] In the wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2006, Spears donated $350,000 to Music Rising.[290] Later in 2011, the singer raised $200,000 during An Evening of Southern Style at a private residence in Beverly Hills to benefit the St. Bernard Project, with the help of several celebrities, including Hilary Duff, Selena Gomez, Kelly Osbourne, Kellan Lutz and Kim Kardashian.[291] Spears has also helped several charities during her career, including Madonna's Kabbalah-based Spirituality for Kids,[292] cancer charity Gilda's Club Worldwide,[293] Promises Foundation, and United Way[disambiguation needed ], with the latter two focused on giving families from various disadvantaged situations new hope and stable foundations for the future.[290]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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2000 | Longshot | Flight attendant | Cameo appearance |
2002 | Austin Powers in Goldmember | Herself | Cameo appearance |
2002 | Crossroads | Lucy Wagner | Teen Choice Award for Best Actress Drama/Action Adventure Teen Choice Award for Best Chemistry (with Anson Mount) Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actress Nominated—Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Dressed |
2004 | Fahrenheit 9/11 | Herself | Cameo appearance Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress |
Year | Title | Character |
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1993–1994 | The Mickey Mouse Club | Various Roles (Series regular) |
1999 | The Famous Jett Jackson | Herself |
1999 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Herself |
1999 | The Famous Jett Jackson | Herself |
1999 | Kenan & Kel | Herself |
1999 | Médico de familia | Herself |
1999 | Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree | Herself |
2000 | The Simpsons | Herself |
2000 | Saturday Night Live | Herself |
2002 | Stages: Three Days in Mexico | Herself |
2002 | Robbie the Reindeer in Legend of the Lost Tribe | Donner (voice) |
2002 | Saturday Night Live | Herself (host) |
2003 | Punk'd | Herself |
2004 | Britney & Kevin: Chaotic | Herself |
2006 | Will & Grace | Amber-Louise (1 episode) |
2008 | How I Met Your Mother | Abby (2 episodes) |
2008 | Britney: For the Record | Herself |
2010 | Glee | Herself |
2012 | The X Factor | Judge |
2012 | The Pauly D Project | Herself (1 episode) |
Book: Britney Spears | |
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Find more about Britney Spear on Wikipedia's sister projects: | |
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Persondata | |
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Name | Spears, Britney |
Alternative names | Spears, Britney Jean |
Short description | American musician, singer, songwriter, actress, author |
Date of birth | December 2, 1981 |
Place of birth | McComb, Mississippi, United States |
Date of death | |
Place of death |
Zsa Zsa Gabor | |
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Publicity photo of Gabor, 1955 |
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Born | Sári Gábor (1917-02-06) February 6, 1917 (age 95) Budapest, Austria-Hungary (present-day Budapest, Hungary) |
Nationality | Hungarian American |
Occupation | Actress, socialite |
Years active | 1936–1997 |
Spouse | Burhan Asaf Belge (1937–41; divorced) Conrad Hilton (1942–46; divorced) George Sanders (1949–54; divorced) Herbert Hutner (1962–66; divorced) Joshua S. Cosden, Jr. (1966–67; divorced) Jack Ryan (1975–76; divorced) Michael O'Hara (1976–83; divorced) Felipe de Alba (1983; annulled) Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt (1986–present) |
Children | Francesca Hilton (b. 1947) |
Parents | Vilmos and Jolie Gabor |
Relatives | Magda Gabor, Eva Gabor (sisters, deceased) |
Sári Gábor (born February 6, 1917), known as Zsa Zsa Gabor, is a Hungarian-born American actress, who acted in supporting roles in movies, on Broadway, and occasionally on television. Gabor was also a socialite.
She began her stage career in Vienna, Austria, at the age of 15, and was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936.[1] She emigrated to the United States in 1941 and became a sought-after actress with "European flair and style", with a personality that "exuded charm and grace".[2] Her first movie role was as supporting actress in Lovely to Look At. She later acted in We're Not Married! and played one of her few leading roles in Moulin Rouge (1952), directed by John Huston, who described her as a "creditable" actress.[3] Besides her film and television appearances, she is best known for having nine husbands, including hotel magnate Conrad Hilton and actor George Sanders. She once stated, "Men have always liked me and I have always liked men. But I like a mannish man, a man who knows how to talk to and treat a woman—not just a man with muscles."[4]
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Born in Budapest (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), her birth name was Sári Gábor. She is the middle of three daughters born to Vilmos Gábor (1884–1962), a soldier, and Jolie Gábor (died 1997).[5] Gabor was named after Sári Fedák, a popular Hungarian actress.[6] Her elder sister Magda was a socialite and her younger sister Eva was an actress and businesswoman.
Gabor's mother, Jolie, was an aunt of Annette Lantos, wife of Hungarian-born U.S. congressman and Holocaust survivor, Tom Lantos.[7][8] Jolie was of Jewish descent[9] and barely escaped from Hungary after the Nazis occupied Budapest in 1944. She credits Magda's lover for helping her: "For Magda's Portuguese Ambassador I thank God. It was this man who saved my life."[10] Gabor's maternal grandmother and uncle Sebastian (Annette Lantos's father) chose to remain in Budapest feeling they "had a good place to hide". However, both died during a bombing raid.[10]
Following studies at Madame Subilia's, a Swiss boarding school, Zsa Zsa Gabor was discovered by the tenor Richard Tauber on a trip to Vienna in 1936 and was invited to sing the soubrette role in his new operetta, Der singende Traum ("The Singing Dream") at the Theater an der Wien, her first stage appearance. Author Gerold Frank, who helped Gabor write her autobiography in 1960, describes his impressions of her while the book was being written:
Zsa Zsa is unique. She's a woman from the court of Louis XV who has somehow managed to live in the 20th century, undamaged by the PTA ... She says she wants to be all the Pompadours and Du Barrys of history rolled into one, but she also says, "I always goof. I pay all my own bills ... I want to choose the man. I do not permit men to choose me."[11]
Television host Merv Griffin, in his autobiography, described the Gabors, "in their heyday," as "glamour personified": "All these years later, it's hard to describe the phenomenon of the three glamorous Gabor girls and their ubiquitous mother. They burst onto the society pages and into the gossip columns so suddenly, and with such force, it was as if they'd been dropped out of the sky."[12]
A biographical film is to be made on her life by Italian director Gabriela Tagliavini[13] who claimed that Gabor "is a perfect celebrity to be the focus of a movie". According to Insider, Gabor is "an original. Her free spirit, eccentricity and wicked wit made her one of the most memorable celebrities of our time."[13] Gabor's husband will reportedly be involved in the film's production.[13]
Gabor has been married nine times. She was divorced seven times, and one marriage was annulled. Her husbands, in chronological order, are:
Gabor's high number of divorces inspired her to make numerous quotable puns and innuendos about her marital (and extramarital) history. She commented: "I am a marvelous housekeeper: Every time I leave a man I keep his house."[22][23] When asked, "How many husbands have you had?", she was quoted as responding, "You mean other than [or 'apart from'] my own?".[22]
While Gabor was still married to Conrad Hilton, she once admitted to having sexual relations with her stepson Nicky, future husband of Elizabeth Taylor.[24]
In 1974, she purchased a home in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California which once belonged to Elvis Presley. In June 2011, it was announced that Gabor placed the house for sale.[25][26] It was originally built by Howard Hughes[27] and featured a unique-looking French style roof.
Gabor's only child, a daughter named Constance Francesca Hilton, was born on March 10, 1947.[15] According to Gabor's 1991 autobiography One Lifetime Is Not Enough, her pregnancy resulted from rape by then-husband Conrad Hilton. She was the only Gabor sister to have a child.[24] In 2005, Gabor accused her daughter of larceny and fraud, alleging that she had forged her signature to get a US$2 million loan on her mother's Bel Air house, and filed a lawsuit against Francesca in a California court. However, the Santa Monica Superior Court threw out the case because of Gabor's refusal to appear in court or to sign an affidavit that she indeed was a co-plaintiff on the original lawsuit filed by her husband, Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt.[28]
In 2002, Gabor was a passenger in an automobile crash in Los Angeles, from which she would remain partially paralyzed and reliant on a wheelchair for mobility. She survived strokes in 2005 and 2007 and underwent surgeries.[29] In 2010, Gabor fractured and underwent a successful hip replacement.[30][31] In 2011, her right leg was amputated above the knee to save her life due to an infection.[32] She was hospitalized again during 2011 for various emergencies.[33][34][35]
On June 14, 1989, in Beverly Hills, California, Gabor was accused of slapping the face of a police officer named Paul Kramer when he stopped her for a traffic violation.[36] She poked fun at her role in the incident in various cameo appearances, most notably in the 1991 comedy The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, where she swats the police siren at the end of the opening credits shouting, "This happens every fucking time I go shopping!!"
Gabor also had a long-running feud with German-born actress Elke Sommer that began in 1984 when both appeared on Circus of the Stars and escalated into a multi-million dollar libel suit by 1993.[37]
On January 25, 2009, the Associated Press reported that her attorney stated that forensic accountants determined that Gabor may have lost as much as $10 million invested in Bernard Madoff's company, possibly through a third-party money manager.[38][39] Marcus Prinz von Anhalt, a German nightclub owner and adopted son of Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt, reportedly provided significant financial assistance to the couple.[40] However, official New York Bankruptcy Court records reportedly do not show Gabor as a victim.[41]
Gabor appeared in several plays, most notably Forty Carats, on Broadway, and Blithe Spirit (as Elvira), in the national tour.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zsa Zsa Gabor |
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Zsa Zsa Gabor |
Persondata | |
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Name | Gabor, Zsa Zsa |
Alternative names | Gábor Sári (birthname) |
Short description | Hungarian-American actress and socialite |
Date of birth | February 6, 1917 |
Place of birth | Budapest, Austria-Hungary (present-day Budapest, Hungary) |
Date of death | |
Place of death |