Since Keeping Up With the Kardashians star Kim Kardashian and pop princess Britney Spears are arguably the most famous women in their respective fields, fans are wondering about their relationship. The two women have often been linked within Hollywood. They've shared similarities in their personal lives, from short marriages to public breakdowns. Both have endured an exceedingly large amount of scrutiny from the media. The stars have connected a number of times over the past 15 years, to the delight of pop culture fans.
Kim rose to fame in the 2000s, and the world's first introduction to her was on account of the reality TV star's good friend Paris Hilton. This friendship was the starting point for the ties between Kim and Britney. Paris' friendship with both women ensured that Kim and Britney would attend similar events and parties. Back then, Kim recognized Britney's influence within the media and fooled the paparazzi into reporting fake ties between the pair to boost her fame. In the E! True Hollywood Story special, "Who Is Kim Kardashian West?," Kim and friend Jonathan Cheban recalled a time when the two visited a hotel that Britney was staying in, only to wait in a lobby phone booth and exit ten minutes later. It was later reported that Jonathan and Kim had met Britney for dinner that night.
During Kim’s rise, although they were famous in different areas of pop culture, Britney ultimately felt like there was some comparison between the two stars. "I'm really just a tomboy at heart," Britney remarked in 2012, according to LA Times. "So it's really hard for me to be like Kim Kardashian and be make-up and hair ready every time I go out of my house." Even so, the pair formed a friendship over the years.
Britney was believed to have listed Kim when asked which celebrities she would sleep with, to which Kim later made a cheeky reply that she might sleep with Britney for a million dollars. During the 2010s, Britney and Kim were photographed together at multiple events, with Kim often tweeting her admiration for her friend. Following Kim’s first pregnancy, Britney reflected on the media criticism of the reality star’s changing body. "The tabloids were so mean to her," Britney said, as per UPI. "You are already emotional, and then the paparazzi are taking pictures of you pregnant. That should be the time when your body is the most treasured."
Despite their friendship in the 2010s, it appears that the two have drifted apart. Britney continues a legal battle over her conservatorship, and Kim strives for prison reform while studying to be a lawyer. Fans of the pair have begun to question if there will be possible future ties between the two. Considering their mutual admiration in the past and their goals for the future, many people assumed that Kim would be one of the first to join the #FreeBritney movement. However, that was not the case.
Fans flooded Kim’s social media, asking her to comment on Britney’s situation and questioning the SKIMS founder’s actions. Reports have since indicated that Kim is supporting Britney in private. Speculation as to why Kim has chosen to stay quiet is tied to Britney’s former longtime business manager, Lou Taylor. Taylor reportedly helped Britney’s father Jamie Spears establish the conservatorship. In July 2020, Lou's name was featured on corporate filings for Kim Kardashian's beauty company KKW Beauty. There is speculation that Lou's business connections to Kim have kept her from showing public support for Britney.
Although the duo’s relationship remains out of the public eye, hope remains that Kim is helping Britney behind closed doors. While Kim has shared that she sympathizes with the pop star, only time will reveal whether she also supports Britney with her actions. Despite the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star’s silence, fans should know that Britney is getting public support from many other celebrities, including Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and Kim’s sister Khloé Kardashian.