Howard Stern has come out in support of the #FreeBritney movement after watching “Framing Britney Spears,” the New York Times-produced documentary streaming on FX and Hulu.
“I think I’m Free Britney now, I think I’m full on Free Britney,” Stern said on his Sirius/XM radio show, in conversation with co-host Robin Quivers.
Though Stern said he thinks Spears may not be fully capable of taking charge of her finances and other aspects of her life, he did compare her situation to other notable male celebrity examples where there was not any court intervention. He listed Charlie Sheen, Shia LaBeouf, Gary Busey and Kanye West.
“Ozzy [Osbourne] bit the head off of a bat in a business meeting. He’s in charge of his own finances,” Stern added.
“Framing Spears” outlines the trajectory of Spear’s career and ascent into fame and the tabloids, and how mental health issues led to a rare, controversial conservatorship. Stern is among many entertainers who have come out in support of Spears since the release of the documentary, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Hayley Williams, Kacey Musgraves, Andy Cohen and Miley Cyrus.
As the documentary lays out, tabloid and legacy media alike, as well as Stern, covered her case harshly and insensitively. For Stern, the pop star is not a new topic of interest. In 2003, Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst went on “The Howard Show” and implied he had sex with Spears.
At the time, MTV reported that Stern asked Durst if he had a one-night fling, to which he replied by quoting lyrics for an upcoming song: “Ain’t it funny scared to admit it/ Very first night made the Limp dog hit it.”
In 2012, Stern was asked for his thoughts on Spears’ rumored “X Factor” contract during a press conference at New York’s Friars Club.
“I think we’re going to tune in to see her, to see if she can function through the thing,” Stern said, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “I think Britney will sit there and eat a lollipop and wear a sexy outfit… I’ll tune in to see what kind of train wreck she is, absolutely.”
