Diane Sawyer’s 2003 ABC interview with Britney Spears has resurfaced after the release of The New York Times’ documentary “Framing Britney Spears.”
The documentary was released Friday and contained snippets of Sawyer’s interview with Spears.
Watch the full interview:
Huffington Post blogger Bryan Behar pointed out Sawyer’s line of questioning in the interview Tuesday on Twitter.
“Diane Sawyer asked Britney Spears what she did to cause Justin pain, then told her the Governor of Maryland’s wife wanted to shoot her, implying it’s Britney’s fault because she’s a bad role model to kids,” Behar tweeted. “I don’t care how long has passed-Diane Sawyer should be ashamed of herself.”
Diane Sawyer asked Britney Spears what she did to cause Justin pain, then told her the Governor of Maryland’s wife wanted to shoot her, implying it’s Britney’s fault because she’s a bad role model to kids. I don’t care how long has passed-Diane Sawyer should be ashamed of herself
— Bryan Behar (@bryanbehar) February 9, 2021
“With Madonna as her model, Britney Spears has upset a lot of mothers in the country,” Sawyer said in the middle of the interview with Spears, who was 22 years old at the time, according to Newsweek. (RELATED: Sam Asghari Says Britney Spears’ Dad Is Trying To ‘Control’ Their Relationship Following Documentary Release)
Sawyer went on to identify the Governor of Maryland’s wife, Kendel Ehrlick, as one of the mom’s upset. Ehrlich said “…really, if I had an opportunity to shoot Britney Spears, I think I would” at a domestic violence conference at the time, according to Newsweek.
“Oh, that’s horrible, that’s really bad,” Spears said to Sawyer after she played the clip for the musician. Sawyer replied saying Ehrlich made her statement “because of the example for kids and how hard it is to be a parent and keep all of this away from your kids.”
Ehrlich would later claim that she “inadvertently used a figure of speech.” “It was off-the-cuff and in jest, and that’s stupid when you’re in public life, and I should know better,” she said at the time, according to CBS News.
“Framing Britney Spears” explored the way the media treated Spears during her rise to fame along with her mental health issues and her current conservatorship.