Perez Hilton apologised to Britney Spears before documentary aired

Watch: Framing Britney Spears trailer. Video / Britney Spears Media

Celebrity gossip columnist Perez Hilton says he has personally apologised to singer Britney Spears.

The 42-year-old media personality spoke in light of the Framing Britney Spears documentary - which explored the singer's fame; the mistreatment she has faced from fans, media and fellow celebrities; and the conservatorship she's been living under since 2008 when she had a mental health crisis.

Perez has recently expressed remorse at the way he covered stories about Spears, revealing he regrets "a lot or most of what I said about Britney".

Perez said: "I don't want to get into details, but I did apologise to Britney recently ... actually I'll, I'll say when - in December.

Earlier this month, Britney Spears supporters gather outside a court hearing concerning the pop singer's conservatorship. Photo / AP

"I don't need to go into details about how, but, you know, I went through this big emotional break in December."

Perez was encouraged to contact to Spears after discussing the issue with his therapist.

Perez also suggested he's guilty of having "wronged" the chart-topping pop star.

He said: "It's kind of like the things that people often do in 12-step programmes. You know, they'll reach out to people that they have wronged and apologise.

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"And even though I had apologised before, there's nothing wrong with apologising again or differently. So I did. And she was one of the few people that I reached out to in December."

The Framing Britney Spears documentary has thrown a new light on her conservatorship battle.

And while Perez acknowledges that her dad "controls her life", he insists she could clarify the situation if she really wants to.

He told Chanel In The City with Chanel Omari: "Yes, her father still controls her life, but she is not a prisoner in her home.

I will get a lot of hate for this - and I don't care. It needed to be said! https://t.co/8jqMBo78s5 #BritneySpears #DianeSawyer #FramingBritney

— Perez (@ThePerezHilton) February 15, 2021

"If she wanted to speak out, she would, it could be as simple as going out with her boyfriend, going down Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

"Like she used to back in the day and then giving a spontaneous press conference to the paparazzi. But she has chosen not to do that. And people like myself and others and her fans and the free Britney movement are left speculating.

"So if I'm going to speculate, I'm going to speculate that. I think I have to believe her because up until now, she's just said she doesn't want her father as her conservator."

Since the documentary's release, Spears has been flooded with online support from fans and celebrity pals alike.

Among them have been Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Elli Goulding, Hayley Williams and Sarah Jessica Parker

• Framing Britney Spears is available in New Zealand exclusively on ThreeNow