Inside Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera’s Love-Hate Relationship Over The Years Amid New Feud
They're at each other's throats yet again.
Tinseltown / Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com Britney Spears has revived longstanding rumors about a feud between her and Christina Aguilera after seemingly fat-shaming the fellow pop star.
On Monday, September 13, Spears shared a quote on her Instagram accredited to comedian Rodney Dangerfield that read: “I found out there was only one way to look thin: hang out with fat people."
Spears captioned the post by saying she wished she could have chosen her backup dancers for live performances and referred to them as "the nannies for my children."
Spears continued “I mean if I had Christina Aguilera's dancers I would have looked extremely small... I mean why not talk about it ??"
Aguilera unfollowed Spears after fans quickly accused the "Toxic" singer of bullying her former friend.
But the comment isn't the only time Spears and Aguilera appeared to be on bad terms.
What happened between Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera? A look back at their ups and downs over the years.
The two popstars, who started off their careers as friends, have often been pitted against each other which has seemingly caused drama over the years.
Spears and Aguilera were first introduced at The Mickey Mouse Club.
The two crossed paths when they were both cast in Disney's "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" in 1993.
The show is famed for launching Spears and Aguilera’s careers as well as Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, and more.
Britney Spears blew up the pop scene with her hit "...Baby One More Time" released in 1998.
Following Spears’s release, Aguilera debuted “Genie In A Bottle" in 1999.
These hit releases thus commenced the endless comparisons between the two young women growing up in the ever-evolving, sexualized music industry.
Spears and Aguilera first fell out over their MTV Video Music Awards performance with Madonna.
The infamous 2003 performance ended with Madonna planting a kiss on both Spears and Aguilera.
Aguilera's spotlight on stage was overshadowed by Madonna kissing Spears first and then the camera panning to Justin Timberlake (Spears' ex), thus painting the singer to be second string.
Christina told Andy Cohen in 2018 that “It was a Justin reaction shot... it was a cheap shot." She continued, saying “I definitely saw the newspaper the next day. It was like, 'Oh, well, I guess I got left out of that one.'”
The performance led to some hostility between the two as there were remarks made in the media from this point on.
Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears criticized one another in separate interviews.
In the December 2003 issue of Blender Magazine, Aguilera said Spears was quite distant during rehearsals.
Aguilera stated “Every time I tried to start a conversation with her—well, let's just say she seemed nervous the whole time," she said.
“I feel I’ve grown a lot this year, and we did use to be friends once, after all. She seems to me like a lost little girl, someone who desperately needs guidance.”
Spears's rebuttal was published in the following Blender issue, via US Magazine, saying “A lost girl? I think it's probably the other way around. I can't believe she said that about me.”
Spears continues “She comes up to me in a club in front of all these people and tries to put her tongue down my throat!” she stated.
“I say, 'It's good to see you,' and she goes, 'Well, you're not being real with me.' I was like, 'Well, Christina, what's your definition of real? Going up to girls and kissing them after you haven't seen them for two years?'”
In 2004, Aguilera insulted Spears' upcoming wedding to Kevin Federline and poked fun at her engagement ring.
Aguilera commented in a US Weekly interview that "It looks like she got it at QVC," and added "I know Britney. She's not trailer trash, but she sure acts that way."
Fast forward four years, Aguilera expressed regret towards that comment to the Daily Mail explaining “When we both started releasing records, it was a funny time for me," she said.
"It must have seemed as if we were competing with each other, but, in reality, Britney is someone that I used to hold hands with," she continued. "We were silly little girls together on the Mickey Mouse Club. What a journey it has been for both of us!”
Aguilera continued to wish Spears nothing but the best.
In celebration of International Women's Day, Aguilera included Spears in her Instagram post.
The post was captioned “Well-behaved women rarely make history.”
Christina Aguilera showed support for Britney Spears during her recent conservatorship battle.
During an interview for her newest "La Fuerza" EP, Aguilera expressed “I would love to [speak with Spears].”
“I would always be open to that. It’s a subject that I definitely want to be careful of because I never want to speak out of [turn] about somebody that I have so much respect and admiration for,” the now 41-year-old singer explained.
Aguilera conveyed that she was “happy” that Spears was released from legalities that controlled her medical, personal and financial decisions since 2008.
Annabelle Miller is a writer for YourTango based in Connecticut. She covers news, celebrity gossip, and pop culture topics.