Pop princess Britney Spears took to Instagram Wednesday amid swirling
rumors she was being held against her will in a mental facility,
telling her 22 million followers: “All is well.”
“Hi guys. Just
checking in with all of you who are concerned about me. All is well,”
the 37-year-old “Toxic” singer said in a brief video message.
“My
family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I
just needed time to deal, but don’t worry I’ll be back very soon.”
Entertainment website TMZ and industry bible “Variety” reported last
month that Spears had voluntarily checked into a mental health facility
as she
dealt with a number of personal issues.
The Mississippi
native had announced earlier this year she was taking a break from her
Las Vegas residency to concentrate on her father’s declining health.
A hiatus in social media activity sparked a number of unfounded
conspiracy theories about the singer being held against her will at a
“wellness center,”
many posted alongside the hashtag #FreeBritney.
There was even a protest on Monday outside the city hall in West
Hollywood, California, where fans brandished placards bearing the
hashtag and
demanding her release.
Spears accompanied her
Instagram video with a caption expressing frustration over “just so many
things crazy things being said” and complaining that her family was
receiving death threats.
“My situation is unique, but I promise I’m
doing what’s best at this moment,” she wrote, without directly
addressing the mental health facility rumors.
The artist hit the
headlines 11 years ago when she was rushed to a psychiatric unit after a
prolonged public meltdown during which she had shaved her head, filed
for divorce and attacked a photographer’s car with an umbrella.
In a
rare public sighting that appeared to give the lie to the recent
rumors, Spears was seen buying frozen yogurt with her bodyguard in Santa
Monica, California on Tuesday, People magazine reported, reports AFP,
Los Angeles.