{"id":771801,"date":"2022-01-29T13:19:09","date_gmt":"2022-01-29T13:19:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/01\/29\/why-britney-spears-is-a-cautionary-tale-of-how-toxic-mooching-can-get\/"},"modified":"2022-01-29T13:19:09","modified_gmt":"2022-01-29T13:19:09","slug":"why-britney-spears-is-a-cautionary-tale-of-how-toxic-mooching-can-get","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/01\/29\/why-britney-spears-is-a-cautionary-tale-of-how-toxic-mooching-can-get\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Britney Spears is a cautionary tale of how toxic mooching can get"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/7a775849-319a-51c8-be3e-28f3b49b71e9&#038;operation=CROP&#038;offset=0x162&#038;resize=2403x1352.jpg\" class=\"type:primaryImage\"><\/p>\n<p>Talk about the pernicious families of famous people. Britney Spears has weathered the most destructive storms when it comes to hers.<\/p>\n<p>Just as her 13-year conservatorship ended, bolstered by the support of fans and industry peers in the #FreeBritney campaign, she is hit by another family member mooching off her fame.<\/p>\n<p>Talk about a rough start to 2022. This time it was sister, Jamie Lynn, who was a thorn in Britney\u2019s side.<\/p>\n<p>In promoting her autobiography, \u201cThings I Should Have Said\u201d, she opened a can of worms in her interview on <em id=\"emphasis-70a33a7547994b84d96a24660206840e\">Good Morning America<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>Britney was vexed by this. Understandably so, though. Her name was being bandied around in the most unflattering light.<\/p>\n<p>It was obviously triggering to have her behaviour described as \u201cerratic, paranoid and spiralling\u201d and Britney was done with the exploitation.<\/p>\n<p>After having her father James play puppet master with her life for over a decade, Britney was no longer okay with family leeching off her success. <\/p>\n<p>And she took to social media to lash out, saying, \u201cMy family 100 billion percent ruined my dreams and made me look like the crazy one while I have a 104\u00b0 fever, not being able to move in my bed.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/4d3c2a19-0bd6-56b3-a695-5bef68e6b705.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\"><figcaption>FILE IMAGE: Jamie Lynn Spears at the 49th annual Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas. Picture: Al Powers\/Powers Imagery\/Invision\/AP, file<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>She refused to be dragged into these toxic family feuds either.<\/p>\n<p>As such, Britney had her lawyer Mathew Rosengart send a cease and desist letter to Jamie on January 17, 2022, a day before the memoir was released.<\/p>\n<p>In the letter obtained by Variety, it read: \u201cAs you know, I represent your sister Britney Spears, and I write at her request concerning the above-referenced matter.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe write with some hesitation because the last thing Britney wants is to bring more attention to your ill-timed book and its misleading or outrageous claims about her.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAlthough Britney has not read and does not intend to read your book, she and millions of her fans were shocked to see how you have exploited her for monetary gain. She will not tolerate it, nor should she.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs I have previously stated, having endured a 13-year conservatorship that stripped her of civil rights and fundamental liberties, Britney will no longer be bullied by her father or anyone else. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cBritney was the family\u2019s breadwinner and she also otherwise supported you. Publicly airing false or fantastical grievances is wrong, especially when designed to sell books. It is also potentially unlawful and defamatory.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/9d780bc7-daa3-57ee-ad34-ce6035949aff.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\"><figcaption>Somizi Mhlongo and Mohale Motaung. Picture: Instagram<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>Sadly, this struggle of Britney\u2019s isn\u2019t an isolated one. So many celebrities have found themselves in the same boat.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s a tricky situation to navigate. When you are in the spotlight, those closest to you are the support structure that you turn to, especially when those showbiz pressures start to mount.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, it is often those that are trusted the most that do the most harm.<\/p>\n<p>That holy grail of fame is a sought-after one, especially when you are watching from the sidelines. Who doesn\u2019t want to be rich? Who doesn\u2019t want to be dressed by leading designers? Who doesn\u2019t want to have a flourishing career and hordes of fans around the globe?<\/p>\n<p>But what these individuals, blinded by their avarice, quickly forget is that: a) you have to have talent and that \u201cje nais se quoi\u201d b) you have to put in the hard work and c) you do it on your own steam.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/ef888caf-3aaf-5d0e-8171-cce40d7e229c.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\"><figcaption>Britain&#8217;s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle speak at the 2021 Global Citizen Live concert at Central Park in New York, U.S., September 25, 2021. Picture taken September 25, 2021. Picture: Reuters\/Caitlin Ochs<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>Ever since Meghan Markle\u2019s fairy-tale romance with Prince Harry grabbed headlines, several of her estranged family members crawled out of the woodwork with unflattering comments to the media about the former <em id=\"emphasis-7bb6979cd8fd3b77ac9cbedef265d268\">Suits<\/em> actress.<\/p>\n<p>But she took the high road and didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n<p>As time wore on, some of them backtracked \u2013 and even apologised \u2013  when they realised that piggybacking off her fame was detrimental to them.<\/p>\n<p>Closer to home, Somizi Mhlongo felt the sting of a loved one riding his coat-tails. When he started dating Mohale Motaung, he didn\u2019t pay heed to talk about all those \u201cgold-digger\u201d comments.<\/p>\n<p>As far as Somizi was concerned, he was in love. And he was enjoying his soft life with Mohale, who lapped up being swathed in luxury 24\/7.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this also meant that Somizi\u2019s industry clout inadvertently opened doors for Mohale. And, at the time, Somizi had no qualms about sharing his success.<\/p>\n<p>Fast-forward to two years after they tied the knot in September 2019 and the cracks in the relationship were showing.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, what broke the camel\u2019s back, so to speak, was Mohale\u2019s claims of abuse, which left Mzansi shook as well as divided at a time when SA\u2019s gender-based violence stats left the country enraged.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/f25c3c96-0a77-5794-8a52-33df4b84e9d0.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\"><figcaption>Vusi Buthelezi and Zodwa Wabantu. Picture: Instagram<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>Reality TV star and entertainer Zodwa Wabantu has had the worst luck as well.<\/p>\n<p>Her attraction to Ben 10s left her vulnerable to being taken advantage of. And she ended up raising hell when Vusi Ngubane, who she dated after splitting from her fianc\u00e9 Ntobeko Linda, abused her generosity.<\/p>\n<p>She took to Instagram to vent about the \u201cfraudster\u201d she allowed into her life and confirmed that she had opened a criminal case against him.<\/p>\n<p>She wrote: \u201cYou slept in my house for a year, I paid for everything. You used my contacts and connections to get a new Audi because you knew my name would help you.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease give me back everything that is mine, I am coming for you and I am not scared.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Being famous has a few drawbacks. Among the more disturbing ones is letting the wrong person into your life. Even if you are related by blood, loyalty isn\u2019t guaranteed.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"baobab-embedded-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/6500e199-b99f-5bcc-ae85-d224a5ed550b.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\"><figcaption>Bonang Matheba and Pinky Girl. Picture: Instagram<\/figcaption><\/img><\/figure>\n<p>That\u2019s why celebrities need to trust themselves before endorsing a loved one. Some of them are happy to ride the gravy train while a select few will be grateful for life for you opening a door or two for them.<\/p>\n<p>In this world of fame and fortune, be a Bonang Matheba and Pinky Girl and not a Britney and Jamie!<\/p>\n<p \/>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Talk about the pernicious families of famous people. Britney Spears has weathered the most destructive storms when it comes to hers. Just as her 13-year conservatorship ended, bolstered by the support of fans and industry peers in the #FreeBritney campaign, she is hit by another family member mooching off her fame. Talk about a rough [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":771802,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-771801","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrity-gossip"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771801","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=771801"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/771801\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=771801"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=771801"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=771801"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}