The Real Reason Fans Think Britney Spears Was Behind Framing Britney Spears

Britney Spears is one of the most famous pop stars in the world, which is why fans know so much about her, from her many popular songs to her Las Vegas residency and her Instagram habits. However, there's still a lot about the famous figure that fans don't know much about, and a deeper look at her story was revealed in the 2021 New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears.

"The documentary... began as a look back at the misogynistic media coverage of Spears throughout her career through a post-Me Too lens," Entertainment Tonight explained before noting that the "scope expanded as the singer entered an ongoing legal battle with her father, Jamie Spears, over her conservatorship, which the [star] has been under since she was 26."

Framing Britney Spears was led by director Samantha Stark, who "insists that while she did try to get in touch with Britney, she got 'nothing' in response," according to the Daily Mail. "There's a big ethical conflict for me in making a film where the central person in it isn't participating," Stark told ET. "It's really something that I've been thinking about this entire time that's really challenging. I guess I would want to say to her, 'Call me. I want to hear your side.'"

Despite that, many fans are convinced that Spears actually was involved, and they say they have proof.

When Framing Britney Spears — a documentary from The New York Times which hit both FX and Hulu — came out on Feb. 5, 2021, it sparked a reaction from Britney Spears herself, and may have been why her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, spoke out about their life together. It also left many fans under the impression that Spears had actually been involved in the project, and they had plenty of proof to back up their theory. 

The Daily Mail noted that "eagle-eyed Britney fanatics are pointing out that the presence of roses throughout the film are proof that the star was involved, after she spent months promoting the mysterious Project Rose on Instagram." Indeed, while Spears has kept the exact details of her endeavor under wraps, the star has mentioned the project, worn rose-patterned clothing, and posed with roses plenty of times.

Even before the documentary came out, Distractify reported that "[f]ans who follow Britney on Instagram believe that she's been sending signals and hidden messages in her posts, many of which include flower imagery — especially roses."

While it's unclear at this time what Project Rose really is, the star did assure her Instagram followers back in September 2020 that we would be "seeing way more of Project Rose in the future." So maybe we'll be seeing Project Rose down the road — that is, if we didn't already see it when we were watching Framing Britney Spears.