Perez Hilton admitted he ‘regrets’ the way he reported Britney Spears after the release of a new Hulu documentary about his tumultuous period in the spotlight.
The 42-year-old blogger expressed guilt over how he covered up his breakdown in 2007 and insisted that he had become ‘older and wiser’ since the height of his career when he appeared on Monday’s Good Morning Britain.
Framing Britney Spears explores the dark side of the 39-year-old singer’s fame – detailing her rise as a child star, her mental health problems and her father’s controversial 13-year-old conservative who launched the #FreeBritney movement.
‘I’m very sorry or most of what I said’: Perez Hilton expressed guilt over how he reported on Britney Spears when he appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday
After receiving criticism from fans, host Charlotte Hawkins asked if the columnist regrets any of the comments he has made about the musician over the years.
‘I am very, very sorry for what you said about Britney, as I am sure that Piers [Morgan] would do if I were here about things I said in the past, ‘said the media personality.
The writer stated that he grew up over the years by adding: ‘Fortunately, I hope that many of us will get older and wiser.’
Furious viewers accessed Twitter to criticize the TV star’s previous statements, in which he called her an ‘inappropriate mother’ and presented T-shirts with the words ‘why couldn’t it have been Britney?’ on his website when actor Heath Ledger passed away in 2008.
Controversial: the release of a Hulu documentary about the tumultuous time of the 39-year-old singer in the spotlight sparked debates about her treatment in the media (portrayed in 2019)
Troubled past: Framing Britney Spears explores the dark side of the 39-year-old singer’s fame – detailing her rise as a child star and her mental health problems (photo in 2007)
Candid: The 42-year-old blogger mentioned how he covered her breakdown in 2007 and insisted that he had become “older and wiser” since the height of his career
They wrote: ‘But it went beyond bullying. I remember Perez showing and laughing in T-shirts that said, “Why couldn’t it have been Britney?” when Heath Ledger died. This is beyond bullying.
‘Perez Hilton commenting on Britney’s situation is totally inappropriate when he was the chief cheerleader.
‘Questionable if this is even a celebrity, but @PerezHilton tried to sell T-shirts when Heath Ledger died who said’ Why couldn’t it be Britney? ‘and called her an inadequate mother.
‘Serious question … Why hasn’t @PerezHilton been canceled for your shit? … PEREZ HILTON owes Britney an apology. WE SIT BRITNEY.
‘@GMB there is no use apologizing to @britneyspears now that this documentary has been released. This is the problem! I’m just sorry that she has to deal with so much hate. @PerezHilton was one of the worst! #FreeBritney.
Harsh: Perez (pictured in 2007) previously called the musician an ‘inappropriate mother’ and featured tops that said ‘why couldn’t it have been Britney?’ on his website when Heath Ledger died
‘It went beyond bullying’: angry viewers accessed Twitter to attack the TV star’s previous statements
“I remember going to Perez Hilton daily. But when Britney’s stories became videos of her crying outside the house with her paparazzi begging to leave her alone, I stopped going to the website.
‘I should have been around 17/18 and think magazines and blogs were killing her! It is not enough to hold Justin Timberlake responsible for pushing Britney Spears’ narrative as a cheating GF he deflowered …
‘But let’s not forget how horrible Perez Hilton was for Britney during her breakdown in 2007. Because he relentlessly mocked her during all of this.’ (sic)
In another part of the interview, the TV star defended journalist Diane Sawyer after she was accused of ‘sl ** – embarrassing’ the artist.
Perez – whose real name is Mario Armando Lavandeira Jr. – said: ‘Someone who was mentioned in this documentary briefly, Diane Sawyer – a respected journalist, a good woman, but many people are painting her as a villain.
Accusation: A large number of spectators accused Justin Timberlake, 40, of having helped to tarnish the blonde’s image after the 2002 separation (photo in 2001)
Cut: Viewers marked Diane Sawyer, 75, a ‘sl ** – shamer’ for her interview with the artist, in which she questioned her about the breakup and her ‘revealing’ clothes (photo in 2019)
‘I think a lot of fans and people just want to blame this person and that person, but it’s not that simple. There are real mental health issues at play with Britney Spears.
‘We need to hold a mirror for ourselves, because I look back, last year, Kanye West had several [mental health breakdowns]. Last year, people did not lead with compassion for Kanye West. ‘
Britney separated from fellow songwriter Justin Timberlake in 2002 after a three-year relationship, and he accused his ex of cheating on him when he released his hit track Cry Me A River.
And while the Mississippi native continued to publicly state that she was still a virgin, Justin suggested the opposite in post-separation interviews.
Britney was widely seen as responsible for the separation and interviewer Diane, 75, took on an accusatory tone during an earlier discussion, asking her, ‘What did you do?’
In 2003, Britney gave an interview with Diane – who showed a clip of Maryland’s first lady, Kendall Erlich, figuratively saying that ‘if I had the opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would,’ an observation for which she later apologized.
The veteran announcer seemed to kindly justify the harsh and shocking statement – which was made in reaction to Britney wearing “revealing” clothing, which was cited as a bad influence on children.
MailOnline recently contacted representatives from Justin and Diane for comment.
Justin, 40, apologized to his ex-girlfriend on Instagram earlier this month, 19 years after publicly blaming her for the breakup and using his ‘broken heart’ to promote his music.
In the long post, hitmaker Rock Your Body said, ‘I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson individually, because I care and respect these women and I know I failed.’
Legal issues: Britney is waging a legal battle to remove her father Jamie from the position of curator – a role he has held since 2008 after his notorious collapse