“West Side Story” star Rachel Zegler is facing backlash for her dramatic reading of Britney Spears’ Twitter messages to estranged sister Jamie Lynn Spears.
“I’m sorry but if you’re still making fun of Britney Spears in 2022 you’re a piece of s–t. Grow up,” one social media user wrote, while another added, “Taking Britney’s trauma and turning it into a self-tape is weird ass behavior.”
After Britney, 40, addressed claims made by Jamie Lynn, 30, in her new memoir, “Things I Should Have Said” — followed by a succession of media appearances — Zegler, 20, took the opportunity to read the pop superstar’s words as if she were auditioning for a movie role.
“Rachel Zegler — people aren’t all of a sudden not liking her just bc it’s trendy,” another person wrote. “She took someone’s trauma & did a weird ass monologue for her own pleasure.”
Several social media users also called out Zegler for her close relationship with embattled “West Side Story” co-star Ansel Elgort, who was accused of sexual assault last year. (Elgort, 27, later denied the allegations in an Instagram post.)
“Can’t expect much from someone who removed ‘believe survivors’ from their [social media] bio bc they were hanging out with people accused of sexual abuse…,” someone wrote.
Another person pondered Zegler’s “thought process” behind posting the video, which appears to have been scrubbed from her social media accounts.
“How do you see a person relive their trauma in public and your first thought is to treat it like a script for a fake audition?” they asked.
Meanwhile, another individual wondered why Zegler’s team didn’t step in to prevent such a video from making its way onto the internet.
“What happened to publicists? What happened to social media control?” they wrote. “What happened to think before you post? Y’all are STUPID.”
In response to critics, Zegler eventually apologized to Britney — and thanked those who “held [her] accountable” — via Twitter.
“Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Britney and am rooting for her always. While I meant no disrespect whatsoever, I should have thought about how this could be perceived, and I’m so sorry for upsetting or disappointing anyone,” she wrote.
“This is not a situation to be taken lightly, and we should all be lifting Britney up in this pivotal time. Thanks for hearing me out, and a big thank you to all who held me accountable.”
In Britney’s message — the one parodied by Zegler — she denied Jamie Lynn’s allegation that she held her younger sister in a room while holding a knife. The Grammy winner also implored the former “Zoey 101” star to stop “telling lies” about her as an attempt to sell more books.
In a follow-up message, Britney explained that she loved Jamie Lynn “unconditionally,” though she is still processing pain from perceived inaction on Jamie Lynn’s part to help her end a 13-year conservatorship that she has described as “abusive.”
During an explosive address to the court in June 2021, Britney alleged that, under the watch of her estranged father, Jamie Spears, she was forced into a mental health facility, forced to take lithium and forced to have an IUD contraceptive inserted, all against her will.
Jamie Lynn has claimed that she once provided Britney with “contacts” who could help terminate the restrictive legal arrangement, but alleged that the singer refused her help. With the help of attorney Mathew Rosengart, though, Britney’s conservatorship was finally dissolved in November 2021.
Britney has said in the past that she would like to “sue [her] family” for their roles in her conservatorship, not excluding brother Bryan or mom Lynne Spears — the latter of whom Britney has accused of concocting the conservatorship alongside former business manager Lou Taylor before Jamie, 69, took control.
Britney has also stated that she wants her father charged with “conservatorship abuse” and sent to jail.