Britney Spears briefly deactivated her Instagram account ahead of the release of her memoir 'The Woman in Me'

Before removing, and then restoring, her Instagram over the weekend, she posted a long message expressing her worries over the public's reactions to her autobiography.

Britney posted on X and her Instagram: "I don't like the headlines I am reading. "That's exactly why I quit the business 4 years ago !!!"

The mum-of-two stressed the book has stories from decades ago and that she sees herself recounting her past experiences as a starting a "beautiful clean slate" with her life.

She said: "I am here to establish it that way for the rest of my entire life!!! Either way, that is the last of it and s*** happens!!!

"This is actually a book I didn't know needed to be written... although some might be offended, it has given me closure on all things for a better future!!!

"Again, my motive for this book was not to harp on my past experiences which is what the press is doing and it's dumb and silly!!! I have moved on since then !!!"

Her book tells how she got an abortion while dating Justin, now 42, from 1999 to 2002.

Britney, whose husband Sam Asghari, 29, filed from divorce from her in August, says in her book about the reason behind the termination: "I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I'd anticipated.

"But Justin definitely wasn't happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren't ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young."

Britney also uses her book to accuse Justin - who is now settled with two sons with his 41-year-old actress wife Jessica Biel - of secretly bedding two celebs behind her back, one of whom is believed to be All Saints singer Nicole Appleton.

In 2000 it was widely rumoured Justin and Nicole, now 48, had an affair after they were photographed slipping into the St Martins Lane Hotel, west London, where he was staying after a night out.