Britney Spears is a singer, dancer, songwriter, actress and author. She appeared as a Mousekateer on The New Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994, until she was 13, however, it was her 1998 debut single “…Baby One More Time” which catapulted her into super stardom and made her a household name. The single became an instant international success and peaked at number one on the Billboard's Hot 100.

As of October 2007, Spears has reportedly sold over 83 million records worldwide with 32 million albums in the U.S. alone, making her one of the best-selling female artists of all-time. Spears’ success as a recording artist has allowed her to work in other media, including acting in film and television, and writing two books.

 

As a result of her fame, Spears' personal life has received much media attention. Her highly publicized romantic relationships include a four-year relationship with Justin Timberlake, which ended in early 2002. In 2004, Spears married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a shotgun Las Vegas wedding; the marriage lasted 55 hours and was annulled.

She married her former backup dancer, Kevin Federline in September 2004. She gave birth to her first child, Sean Preston, in 2005 and to her second child, Jayden James, in 2006. The media frenzy further escalated after her marriage ended in divorce in November 2006. Since then, Spears has continued to garner huge media coverage as a result of her ongoing custody battle with Federline. As of October 1, 2007, Federline has had full custody of their two children due mainly in part to Spears reported drug and alcohol abuse. Spears holds some visitation rights.