Despite the fun, Hart recalls a sense of responsibility she overlooked

Melissa Joan Hart is opening up about a moment from her past that has lingered in her conscience for years. The “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” star recently shared her guilt over taking pop sensation Britney Spears to her first-ever club when Spears was just 17 years old.

The two stars first connected when Hart appeared in Spears’ music video for “(You Drive Me) Crazy.” At the time, Spears was on the brink of superstardom, while Hart, then 23, was a household name thanks to her role as Sabrina. Reflecting on their time together in a new career retrospective interview with Entertainment Tonight, Hart shared, “Britney and I got to do a lot of press together. And we had a lot of fun during this time.” The singer also appeared on the sitcom.

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Despite the fun, Hart recalls a sense of responsibility she overlooked. “I saw that she was just surrounded by people, never able to break free,” Hart said. “And I was like, ‘Hey, want to come [to a club]?’”

Hart explained that she didn’t think much of the invitation. “I would go to a club every night,” she said, describing her love for dancing and nightlife. “But I also knew to be responsible and, like, when to stop.”

Spears, however, was underage and at a different stage in her life. “She was young and underage, and — but I [was] just like, ‘Let’s go out. We’re just gonna go out and have some fun,’” Hart recounted, her voice tinged with regret. “And yeah — and I feel really guilty about that still to this day because I should have known better, being a big sister.”

Once Britney Spears‘ career took off, she continued to make appearances at exclusive clubs. In the early 2000s, her struggles with partying and intense media scrutiny were all over the magazines and TV shows.

Unfortunately, the excess led Britney to have a breakdown in late 2007 and early 2008, resulting in her placement under a conservatorship overseen by her father, Jamie Spears. In 2021, the conservatorship ended after the #FreeBritney movement uncovered alleged irregularities in the guardianship.

Throughout her career, Spears has captivated audiences with her music and performances, while simultaneously grappling with the pressures of fame and the intrusions into her private life. After her freedom, the star tied the knot in a whirlwind romance that lasted only 14 months.

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In May 2024, Britney divorced her third husband, Sam Asghari. The conclusion of her marriage to Asghari coincides with the resolution of her conservatorship case, signifying a period of transition and autonomy for the pop star.