Britney Spears' 2007 Meltdown: A Complete History

@GriggsayBritney Spears.

BAREFOOT IN A GAS STATION BATHROOM.pic.twitter.com/rkjpYcJnSK

In 2004, two years before Spears's major breakdown, she got criticized for walking barefoot out of a Ventura, California gas station bathroom. This moment marked the start of her downfall.

In 2006, photos showed Spears driving an SUV with her infant son in her lap. The new mother defended the action, saying paparazzi harassed her. "I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm’s way, but the paparazzi kept stalking us," she stated. "I love my child and would do anything to protect him." The Department of Children and Family Services started an investigation into the incident.

During an interview with Matt Lauer in June 2006, Spears cried while explaining her side of the story.

"Paparazzi were coming up on the sides of the car; that is scary for me. They bang on the windows, and I do not want my baby to [experience] that. So I get my baby [in] the car, and I go home. I just feel like they are taking cheap shots... That driving incident was five minutes away, and Starbucks is right there. I cannot go anywhere without someone judging me. I did it with my dad. I’d sit on his lap and drive. We are country."

Paparazzi surrounded Spears as she left her New York City hotel in May 2007. She held a drink in one hand and Sean Preston sat on her hip. While moving to the car, Spears stumbled and almost dropped her son; the baby looked startled as his orange cap fell off.

Britney's mental health issues and rumored addiction gained public attention in February 2007. Spears walked into a hair salon in Tarzana, California, and asked the stylist to shave her head. When the stylist politely refused, Spears grabbed the clippers andshaved her head herself.. The paparazzi followed Spears everywhere to capture every moment. After she left the salon, she got a tattoo at a parlor in Sherman Oaks, California. When the artist asked Spears why she shaved her head,she answered, "I don’t want anyone touching me. I’m tired of everybody touching me." Also, sheshared the followingShe walked out of a gas station bathroom not wearing shoes to MTV's 2008 documentary.For the Record:

"I was going through so much artificial stuff with my kids and Kevin at the time. He’d just left me and I was devastated. People thought that it was me going crazy and stuff like that, but people shave their heads all the time. I was going through a lot, but it was just like a little bit of rebellion, or feeling free, or shedding stuff that had happened, you know?"

#RememberWhenDid Britney Spears have a meltdown in 2007? Which year has been your worst so far?pic.twitter.com/0XXEOlTJmR

Five days after the head-shaving, Spearsattacked a paparazzo's car.Spears attacked a car with an umbrella. This happened after Spears visited Kevin Federline's home, her ex-husband. Months later, Spears claimed the umbrella attack prepared her for a new role.

After failing rehab attempts, Spears finished an inpatient program at Promises in Malibu, California in March 2007. Her family felt hopeful. Kevin Federline kept the kids while Spears was at Promises.

Spears kept trying to perform and make music, ignoring personal trouble. In September 2007, she made her big comeback at the opening number of the MTV Video Music Awards.ABC Newsgaveher "Gimmie More" performance a harsh review:

She seemed to sleepwalk through her routine, flailing her arms and failing to match her lips to the bad dance song blasting from the speakers. Her sequined bra and panty outfit showed that the abs of her former pop-star magnetism were now just a memory.

In September 2007,Spears was chargedwith a hit and run and driving without a license. The charges came from an August incident in Studio City, California, where Spears hit a car in a parking lot and ran.

The courts started acting. In September 2007, Spears lost custody of her two young sons, likely because of the hit and run charges. The judge cited Spears's "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol."

In January 2008, Spears had a three-hour custody standoff, refusing to give her kids back to their father at the end of an appointed visit. Authorities took her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, wherea media circus started, and she stayed in a psychiatric hospital at a UCLA hospital. Days later, a judge gave temporary control of her money and assets to her father and her lawyer; the conservatorship laterbecame permanent.

A post by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)onMay 10, 2015 at 2:17pm PDT/

Once her father became a conservator, Spears's life improved. Her January 2008 hospitalization made the courts cancel all her custody rights. By July that year, shegot visitation rights. "Britney’s doing great. She’s very pleased. The kids are with her right now," her lawyer said.

Britney's fall from grace was not final. Her music and shows struggled during her breakdown, but she returned stronger. After two albums in 2007 and 2008, Spears took a break from recording. Her 2011 album,Femme Fatale, Brit showed the world she remained a major force.

Spearsjoined the judging panel of the American version of The X FactorThe X FactorThe X Factorin 2012. She earned $15 million for the gig, the highest TV judge paycheck ever. Spears left the show after one season. But earning $15 million for a few months? Why leave?

In 2013, Spears beganhad a four-year residencyat the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. This run became one of the most successful residencies. Reports say she will start a new residency in 2019.

A post by Britney Spears (@britneyspears)onFeb 5, 2018 at 1:25pm PST/time>

As of 2018, Spears regained her career momentum. She is also in a serious relationship.dating Sam Asgharisince 2017, and the two seem deeply involved. Brit deserves a happy ending.