Halsey takes inspiration from her own health struggles in the video for “Lucky,” which samples Spears’ track of the same name
Britney Spears is not fond of Halsey‘s “Lucky” video. On Friday, the “Gimme More” pop star said she felt “violated and bullied” by the Gia Coppola-directed video inspired by Halsey’s own health issues.
“For obvious reasons, I’m very upset about the Halsey video. I feel harassed, violated, and bullied,” Spears wrote in a post on X Friday. (Halsey samples Spears’ “Lucky” on the song.) “I didn’t know an artist like her and someone I looked up to and admired would illustrate me in such an ignorant way by tailoring me as a [superficial] pop star with no heart or concern at all.”
“I have my own health problems which is why I took down my IG account yesterday,” Spears continued. “I will definitely be putting it back up to show I CARE. I’m speaking with my lawyers today to see what can be done on this matter. It feels illegal and downright cruel.”
Halsey’s video seemed to take aesthetic inspiration from Spears and the late Nineties, but appeared to be a metaphor for Halsey grappling with her own medical issues. A rep for Halsey did not immediately respond to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment.
In the video, a young girl’s poster with Halsey on it comes to life, showing the behind-the-scenes of a pop star struggling with her personal life and health.
One poignant part of the video sees Halsey taking off a pink wig to show that she’s bald, and about to receive treatment for her medical issues. Before sharing the colorful teasers of “Lucky,” Halsey revealed she had been diagnosed with Lupus SLE and a rare T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder.
Earlier this month, Halsey confirmed that she would sample the Oops… I Did It Again song on “Lucky,” sharing how connected she felt to Spears’ lyrics.
“When I was five, it always felt like Britney was singing directly to me. 24 years later, these words hit different,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “Love you forever.”