Originally appeared on E! Online
Britney Spears felt like something wasn't right in the United States.
Which is why the "Baby One More Time" singer revealed on her 43rd birthday that she'd made the decision to move to Mexico in an effort to get away from the paparazzi.
"It really kind of hurts my feelings," Spears shared in an Instagram video Dec. 2, "that the paparazzi make my face look like I'm wearing, like a white Jason mask. It doesn't even look like me."
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The "Stronger" singer added that the paparazzi have "always been incredibly cruel to" her and that while she knows she's "not perfect at all by any means," she believes the way that they've treated her has been "extremely mean and cruel."
As she explained, "And that's why I've moved to Mexico."
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In another Instagram video shared the same day, Spears joked that she wasn't actually getting older, saying, "I'm turning 5 this year. I'm turning 5-years old, and I have to go to kindergarten tomorrow."
But it wasn't just her birthday and move to Mexico that made Dec. 2 a big day for the Grammy winner, as it was also when she became a legally single woman following her split from ex-husband Sam Asghari in August 2023.
Although the former couple settled their divorce in May, legal documents obtained by E! News confirmed the date upon which their marital status officially ended was Dec. 2, 2024.
Despite the split, Asghari has looked back fondly on his time with Spears.
"You learn so much from being in relationships in general," the 30-year-old told E! News in July. "I appreciate all the amazing experiences that I got."
He added that his time with Spears is "something that's always going to be a part of me."
"I wish her the best," he said. "She's an amazing person and a huge part of my life and I always appreciate the moments we had together."
