They were kids back in the 1990s when they both starred on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club and would later join together for that infamous Madonna kiss on stage at the 2003 MTV VMAs. Both Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears would become Pop icons in their own rights, and after Spears's recent impassioned testimony at her conservatorship hearing went viral, Aguilera has come forward with an open letter of support for her longtime friend.
"These past few days I've been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through," wrote Aguilera. "It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish."
"To be silenced, ignored, bullied or denied support by those 'close' to you is the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable," the singer added. "The harmful mental and emotional damage this can take on the human spirit is nothing to be taken lightly. Every woman must have the right to her own body, her own reproductive system, her own privacy, her own space, her own healing and her own happiness."
Aguilera admitted that she isn't privy to private knowledge regarding Spears's case and is making her judgments based on the information that has been provided publicly. "The conviction and desperation of this plea for freedom leads me to believe that this person I once knew has been living without compassion or decency from those in control."
Read through Aguilera's open letter in full below.