Busy Philippscouldn’t be more proud of her BFFMichelle Williamsfor voicing the audiobook ofBritney Spears’ memoir.
TheMean Girlsstar, 44, appeared on Tuesday’sepisodeofWatch What Happens Live!withAndy Cohenand opened up about what she thought of her formerDawson’s Creekcostar and longtime friend, 43, being asked to read the audiobook ofThe Woman in Me. Not only did Philipps reveal that she encouraged the Oscar-nominated actress to take on the project, she said that Williams ”really felt a connection” to the pop icon’s story.
“I mean, we lost it,” Philipps said on the talk show after a fan tuned in to ask what her initial reaction was when Williams told her she had been offered the opportunity.
Busy Philipps; Michelle Williams; Britney Spears.KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images; Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images; Image Group LA/Disney Channel via Getty Images
KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images; Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images; Image Group LA/Disney Channel via Getty Images
TheGirls5evastar continued, “She was like, ‘I have to do this. Right?’ I was like, ‘Yes! Obviously!’ And she’s like, ‘I really do, Biz.’ She really felt a connection.”
The performer explained that the two saw their own stories reflected in Spears’ memoir — which chronicles her rise towards superstardom from her youth and reflects on the personal struggles that she faced, like her conservatorship that lasted 13 years.
“We all — and Michelle even younger than me — we all came up in a very particular time in this industry. That was what the majority of my memoir is about, as young women, and we were subjected to a lot,” she shared, referring to her 2018 bookThis Will Only Hurt a Little.
Philipps shared, “I think that there was a lot that was sadly very relatable to all women in Britney’s book, but I thought that Michelle doing was just incredible and really beautiful."
Ahead ofThe Woman in Me’s publication in late October 2023, PEOPLE exclusively announced that the star ofThe Fabelmanswas thenarrator of its audio edition.
The Golden Globe winner shared a simple statement of support towards the “Toxic” singer at the time. “I stand with Britney,” she said.
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Spears, meanwhile, explained in a statement why she would not be reading the full book herself. “This book has been a labor of love and all the emotions that come with it,” the Grammy winner said. “Reliving everything has been exciting, heart-wrenching, and emotional, to say the least. For those reasons, I will only be reading a small part of my audiobook.”
She added, “I am so grateful to the amazing Michelle Williams for reading the rest of it.”
Britney Spears; Michelle Williams.Allen Berezovsky/WireImage; Arturo Holmes/Getty
Allen Berezovsky/WireImage; Arturo Holmes/Getty
Williams’ narration has been widely acclaimed. Portions of it also went viral uponThe Woman in Me’s release, such asan impression she madeof Spears’ exJustin Timberlakewhen recalling an interaction the couple shared with R&B starGinuwine.
The pop star’s memoir has been hugely successful since it hit shelves on Oct. 24, 2023 —selling over 1.1 million copies within its first week of salesand hitting No. 1 onThe New York TimesBest Sellers list,where it still remains.
Spears also exclusively spoke to PEOPLE via email ahead of the book’s publication aboutreclaiming her story and navigating her newfound freedom.
“It is finally time for me to raise my voice and speak out, and my fans deserve to hear it directly from me,” the music legend shared. “No more conspiracy, no more lies — just me owning my past, present and future.”
source: people.com
