Die-hard Britney Spears fans noticed her absence at the beginning of the year, when she took a noticeable hiatus and cancelled her Domination tour. Rumours then began swirling about the ‘90s pop icon's mental health status when she briefly returned to Instagram with a poignant post about self-care earlier this month. On Tuesday (April 23), Britney took to the social media platform to set the record straight.

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The singer explained the much-needed break from the public was spurred by troubles within her family – notably her father’s health battles. “Hi guys, just checking in with all of you who are concerned about me,” the “Toxic” singer said in the impassioned video she posted. “All is well. My family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I just needed time to deal. But don’t worry, I’ll be back very soon.” But the caption said a lot more.

Britney has struggled with the media and the rumour mill in her past, and her fans have been disappointed their favourite singer is dealing with this again. “I wanted to say hi, because things that are being said have just gotten out of control!!! Wow!!!” the caption under Britney’s video reads. “There’s rumours, death threats to my family and my team, and just so many things, crazy things being said. I am trying to take a moment for myself, but everything that’s happening is just making it harder for myself.”

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Britney – who shares two young sons, Sean, 13, and Jayden, 12, with her ex-husband Kevin Federline – also spoke out about her former manager in the caption. “Don’t believe everything you read and hear,” she wrote. “These fake emails everywhere were crafted by Sam Lutfi years ago... I did not write them. He was pretending to be me and communicating with my team with a fake email address. My situation is unique, but I promise I’m doing what’s best at this moment... You may not know this about me, but I am strong, and stand up for what I want!”

She finished by thanking her fans for their “love and dedication,” but asked for privacy during this time. Miley Cyrus reached out to her friend, commenting on the post: “We love u so much queen,” while her longtime backup dancer Willie Gomez wrote: “Love you babe ✨ sending all the positive energy during this little time off to you and the family.”