‘Cruel’: Britney slams pop star publicly

Britney Spears has threatened to take legal action against Halsey after she appeared to referenced the star’s troubles in her new music video.

Britney Spears has threatened to take legal action against Halsey in a shocking social media post.

Halsey on Friday released her new song, Lucky, with a music video that has drawn Britney’s ire online.

In the music video, Halsey channels her inner Britney as she samples her 2000s hit Lucky.

She also seems to find inspiration from Britney’s Toxic music video as she went nearly naked underneath a sparkly sheer bodysuit.

Britney, however, was not a fan.

US singer Halsey has been slammed by Britney Spears on social media. Picture: ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP

The Oops! I Did It Again singer shared a statement on X.

“For obvious reasons I’m very upset about the Halsey video,” Britney began.

“I feel harassed, violated, and bullied.”

“I didn’t know an artist like her and someone I looked up to and admired would illustrate me in such an ignorant way by tailoring me as a superficial pop star with no heart or concern at all,” the hit maker continued.

“I have my own health problems which is why I took down my IG account yesterday.”

“I will definitely be putting it back up to show I CARE,” she spat.

“I’m speaking with my lawyers today to see what can be done on this matter. It feels illegal and down right [sic] cruel,” she concluded.

Halsey appears to reference Britney's life story in her new song, which sample's the star's iconic single 'Lucky'. Picture: YouTube

The US Sun has reached out to Halsey’s rep for comment.

Fans rushed to the X post’s comment section to share their support for Britney.

“We are with you Queen!” one fan said. “You will forever be the Queen of Pop!” Stay strong Britney, we love you!”

“It definitely gave off a mocking tone not gonna lie,” commented a second fan.

“We [love] you. Definitely not cool Halsey,” added a third.

Another commenter disagreed, writing, “I ran to YouTube to watch Halsey’s video. I was prepared to be outraged. And I really don’t know what the issue is …”

Britney Spears later took to Twitter to claim she had been “hacked”. Picture: Brekken/Getty Images for Clear Channel

“It’s a fabulous video and song. This response is extremely odd,” they added.

“I don’t understand Halsey video is very sympathetic and very beautifully made. Make me like you more if it’s about your journey,” they shared.

They continued, “If it’s about her it makes me like her more. And it can be about both of you and I will like you both.”

Just minutes after posting the scathing message, Britney reversed her stance on the video with another post.

“Fake news !!! That was not me on my phone !!! I love Halsey and that’s why I deleted it!!!” she wrote.

The music video for Halsey’s single Lucky tells the story of the relationship between pop stars and their fans.

It follows a teenage girl, who idolises Halsey and appears to be modelled after Britney in the video, as she models her style and makeup after the singer while also hearing the gossip surrounding the star.

The glamour of the music videos and red carpets are juxtaposed against the singer’s real life which includes loneliness, broken relationships, and illness.

Halsey shows that the life of a pop star, no matter how “lucky” it may seem, comes with its own trials and may not be so different from that of its fans.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission.