For fans the news was heart-sinking: police had been called to a hotel infamous for its hard-partying guests and discovered a barefoot and dishevelled Britney Spears, clad only in her underwear and clutching a pillow to her chest.
The Britney Army, as the supporters who advocated for her release from her conservatorship called themselves, had hoped freedom would mean a new beginning for the 42-year-old singer – the start of a chapter of stability and happiness where she could do as she pleased and build up her life again.
But recent events tell a worrying story. Bizarre foul-mouthed rants, speaking in accents, strange social media posts, a dodgy love interest . . . all this has made people fear Britney is spiralling out of control more.