The drama between the exes — who dated between 1999 and 2002 — erupted out of nowhere, with Justin seemingly shading Britney at a concert shortly after she apologized to him and anyone else she’d “offended” in her 2023 tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me. She wrote on Instagram, “I wanna apologize for some of the things I wrote about in my book. If I offended any of the people I genuinely care about, I am deeply sorry,” before going on to name-check Justin by praising his recently released song, “Selfish.”

However, Justin quickly made it known that he wasn’t feeling quite as apologetic, declaring on stage at his show in New York days later that he had “fucking nobody” he wanted to say sorry to. And, seemingly as a result, Britney wasted no time walking back her apology the following day.

“Someone told me someone was talking shit about me on the streets!!!” she wrote on Instagram. “Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time??? I’m not sorry!!!”

As things unfolded online, several fans said it was “immature” of Justin to seemingly shade Britney for simply apologizing — especially given his notorious treatment of her after their 2002 split, which he eventually apologized for in 2021 after mass public criticism.

All while Justin perpetuated the negative portrayal of Britney in the press for years after they broke up, she largely remained silent — even after she was brought to tears in a grueling interview about their relationship.

With this in mind, Britney’s recent apparent response to Justin wound up sparking a wider conversation around her refreshing newfound courage when it comes to calling people out, with Vogue magazine publishing an article stating that she “shouldn’t have to apologize” given how long she’s put up with unnecessary digs and jabs.

Unlike Justin, Britney has spent years as a “punching bag” for tabloids, with fans pointing out that she’s endured “decades of bad press.” Away from invasive questions about Justin and their sex life, the ”Toxic” singer was scrutinized over almost every aspect of her personal life throughout the ‘00s — from her clothing choices, to her eventual divorce from Kevin Federline, to her parenting once she welcomed her two sons.

And even though Britney was as young as 17 when she was asked some of these inappropriate questions, she always bit her tongue and refrained from snapping back — something that continued for years and years, even after her controversial conservatorship came into effect in 2008.

To paint a clearer picture, here’s a breakdown of the ways Britney handled invasive questions and cruel criticism between the late ‘90s and ‘00s, compared with exactly how she’s started to defend herself in recent years.