By Tenai Steele

The year is 2002. MTV ruled pop culture, TRL dictated the charts, and tabloids thrived on the personal lives of those in the spotlight (and still do). With this in mind, it’s no surprise that news of Britney Spears being romantically linked to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst completely dominated headlines. Once news of America’s sweetheart and nu-metal's favourite bad boy hit the tabloids, it quickly became a media frenzy. But what actually happened? Was their rumoured romance true? How did it all start?

Earlier that year, Fred was hired by Britney’s team to pen some tracks for her. He claimed they had been spending some time together and eventually ended up sleeping together. As you can imagine, Britney Spears was everywhere in 2002. She was booked and busy, making moves that cemented her icon status. But this fame also came with the notion that Britney was public property. And when there’s a Stuff-Breaking, no-fucks-giving rockstar claiming he spent the night with her, both the media and the public were practically salivating to find out more.

During an appearance on MTV’s live music show TRL in December 2002, Britney flat out denied the rumours. She said she didn't know Fred that well, that he’s a cool guy, and that they worked together for only three days. Then, the media frenzy transformed into a weird kind of parasocial hysteria. The majority of people weren’t deciding which of the two was telling the truth — they’d already sided with Fred.

Britney Spears performing “Slave 4 U” *at the* 2001 MTV Video Music Awards

A few months later, in February 2003, Fred appeared on The Howard Stern Show, in an interview which has got to be one of the most uncomfortable watches on the internet. Stern introduces Fred as the dude who got to see Britney Spears naked, and for the entirety of the conversation, continues to make lewd and repulsive comments that would have gotten him eaten alive in today’s media landscape.

Howard asks Fred about Britney’s breasts, her pubic hair, and even goes as far as to say, “Don’t mind me if I play with myself during this [interview].” This constant oversexualisation of Britney undermines her own sexual autonomy, suggesting that because she presents as a sexual being, Fred must be telling the truth, and she’s lying through her teeth.

Fred tries to keep it PG, but not really, because no question goes unanswered — whether he answers directly or indirectly. So much so that an entirely separate article is needed to unpack all the misogyny spewed into this burning dumpster of a conversation. Watch it below if you can stomach it.

Throughout the interview, the general feeling is that Britney is a lying harlot, and not just because Howard and his team want to side with their guest. Howard doesn’t bother trying to uncover the truth — he's already made up his mind. He’s already settled on the outcome that satisfies him the most, framing the interview through that lens from the very beginning.

This interview is an uncomfortable reminder of the vicious way female celebrities were (and still are) ripped apart by the press at any given opportunity. Their word counts for nothing, and their worth is about as much as the cut of the day at your local butcher’s — and that’s probably a stretch.

Let’s assume Fred is telling the truth and Britney is lying. As we now know, for the majority of Britney’s career, every move was construed by those around her. Although her conservatorship didn’t begin until 2008, it’s not unreasonable to assume her family/label had a hand to play in her decisions before then. It’s possible they may have told Britney to deny Fred’s claims, as they frantically tried to protect her image from what they believed a man like Fred Durst could do to it.

In the late nineties and early noughties, Britney’s carefully curated brand was making some serious money. But by introducing Fred’s brash and nihilistic aesthetic, those involved in shaping her brand worried it might take a painful hit — i.e. they were worried they’d make less money. Fred even touched on this, saying it was taboo for someone like him to be involved with a girl like Britney.

Now let’s assume Britney is telling the truth and Fred is lying. I don’t think we need to dive too deep here; it really speaks for itself. To devise a lie like that is already insane, but to then go to the press and discuss details of encounters you know you never had is beyond sadistic. Whoever you believe, you can’t argue that Fred didn’t benefit from the misogynistic roots embedded into — and not limited to — the music industry.

Limp Bizkit members Sam Rivers, DJ Lethal, Fred Durst, John Otto & Wes Borland

Later in 2003, Limp Bizkit released “Just Drop Dead,” a very obvious Britney diss track, where Fred calls her a whore, a bitch, and says he deserves more. Britney’s unreleased song “Rockstar” was widely rumoured to be a response, with lyrics including “Hey, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not thinking ‘bout you.” However, “Rockstar”is believed to have been written and recorded in 2002, a year before Fred’s claims, effectively ruling out the idea that it was about him.

Years later in 2009, Fred told MTV News that the whole scandal became a “fiasco of madness,” and that he reflects on it as interesting considering “how things have been sort of unravelling for her since.” Referencing her very public 2007 breakdown and other personal issues, Fred completely undermines Britney, using her mental state to do so. It’s as if he were saying, “Look how unstable she is! Do you believe I slept with her now?”

It’s important to acknowledge the disparities in how Britney and Fred were treated by the press during the drama. Fred was depicted as heartbroken over Britney’s public denial, which somehow gave him free rein to say whatever he wanted about Britney, no matter how malicious. There’s even a short documentary available on YouTube, showing Limp Bizkit recording “Just Drop Dead”, where we see Fred looking all sad and stressed. His phone conveniently rings, he answers, and then swiftly hangs up, saying it’s the third time he’s hung up on Britney. Doubt it. But go off, I guess.

A grainy still of Fred Durst from *Just Drop Dead: The True Story of Britney Spears & Fred Durst*

Although Britney’s diehard fans stood beside her, the media heavily implied her dishonesty, especially following Justin Timberlake’s infidelity claims and the press subsequently turning on her. The disturbing relationship between Britney and the media, that only went from bad to worse, maintained that she was public property, and was to be celebrated or (most often) berated however they saw fit.

While we may never know the full truth about the scandal, what really happened between Britney and Fred tells an age-old tale of music industry misogyny, parasocial relationships, and pop culture’s seemingly endless obsession with sex. Even if it was confirmed that Britney was lying for whatever reason, she still wouldn’t have deserved the public humiliation that came with the scandal. This story is a clear example of the insidiousness of the media, especially when it comes to female stars, and we’ve seen it play out time and time again. How long will it keep repeating itself?

Protect women in music. Protect women in the spotlight. Protect women, period.

What Really Happened Between Britney Spears & Fred Durst?

By Tenai Steele

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