The news of Spears’ turn from Christianity came on Monday when an audio recording of her discussing issues she has with her family was posted on Instagram and later posted to YouTube.
As reported by The Christian Post, the “Toxic” singer cited issues with her family as the primary reason why she no longer believes in God.
“God would not [have allowed] that to happen to me if God existed. I don’t believe in God anymore because of the way my children and my family have treated me,” Spears said toward the end of the profanity-laced recording.
“There is nothing to believe in anymore. I’m an atheist, y’all,” she concluded.
Spears’ recording follows a “60 Minutes Australia” interview with her ex-husband Kevin Federline and their son, Jayden. In the interview, Federline spoke about his past relationship with the pop singer, their children and Spears’ highly publicized conservatorship, which she was released from last November.
In 2008, a judge awarded Spears’ father, James “Jamie” Spears, conservatorship of her finances – estimated to be around $60 million – after she suffered a mental breakdown, shaved her head and reportedly contemplated suicide. A year earlier, Federline was awarded sole custody of their sons, Jayden and Sean Preston.
During the interview, Jayden defended his grandfather, who was heavily criticized for his handling of the conservatorship.
He “doesn’t deserve all the hatred he’s getting in the media,” Jayden told the outlet.
Jayden also shared that he and his brother refused to attend their mother’s wedding to model and actor Sam Ashgari in June because “she didn’t invite the whole family.”
“And then if it was just going to be me and Preston, I just don’t see how that situation would have ended on good terms,” he added.
In Spears’ recording, she accused her sons of “being hateful,” “undermining her behavior” and having “secretly loved looking at me as if something was wrong with me.”
“It saddens me not one of you have valued me as a person.” she continued. “You’ve witnessed me how my family has been to me, and that’s all you know.”
Spears, who was raised Southern Baptist, has had a complicated relationship with religion. Over the years, she has practiced Protestantism, Hinduism, Kabbalah and Catholicism.
Last year, the same year she shared with the world that she had converted to Catholicism, Spears told a judge during a virtual court hearing that she prefers to take her issues to God rather than be subjected to intense therapy multiple times a week.
“I don’t feel like I can live a full life,” she said at the time. “I don’t owe them to go see a man I don’t know and share [with] him my problems. I don’t even believe in therapy. I always think you take it to God. I want to end the conservatorship without being evaluated.”