Framing Britney Spears Director Responds To Pop Star's Criticism of Documentary

The director of "Framing Britney Spears" responded to the criticism of her documentary from its pop star subject.

After the Emmy-nominated film caused renewed interest in her controversial conservatorship, which stemmed from her public breakdown, Spears took to her Instagram in July to post, "I didn't like the way the documentaries bring up humiliating moments from the past."

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter on Friday, Samantha Stark said she understood Britney's response and explained why the production team decided to reveal such personal footage onscreen.

"While we were making the film, we talked a lot about re-traumatizing Britney and her family by showing these moments," Stark began. "Part of the reason it's called 'Framing Britney Spears' is there are these still-photo frames that were humiliating to her. We thought it was really important to pull outside the frame because so many people had all these assumptions based on one frame. In the end, we felt like we had to put some of them in because we wanted people to have more context."

Stark went on to say that the "Toxic" singer "deserves to be mad" that the public is still looking at those humiliating photos.

"They shouldn't have been there in the first place," she added. "As much as I want to explain myself to her, I totally understand where she's coming from."

The director also explained how it was "easy for people to make fun of Britney," so the documentary makers wanted to avoid that trap and help shine a light on her struggle with the conservatorship.

"At our first meeting together, we agreed we would never make fun of Britney Spears, and we all took that to heart," Stark explained. "It’s been incredible that it feels like now the world is also taking that to heart."