In the late 90s, Britney Spears was beginning to take the world by storm. She shocked parents everywhere by wearing a provocative Catholic school girl uniform in her first video "...Baby One More Time." She became a teen icon of that time, experiencing an amount of success unheard of for someone her age.At the same time, Melissa Joan Hart was starring in the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She was also filming the teen movie Drive Me Crazy, which was about to be released.The two stars' paths would cross during this time, as they collaborated on several different projects. Hart has often spoken about the time she spent with Spears over the years. They even reunited at Spears' Las Vegas show many years later.
Melissa Joan Hart Took Britney To Her First Nightclub When She Was Underage
Spears was singing and dancing from the time she was a child. She went from performing in local fairs to making her television debut on Star Search. Although Spears didn't win the competition, she definitely made an impression.
As she entered her pre-teens, Spears joined the cast of The All-New Mickey Mouse Club. She eventually pursued a music career. After being rejected by several big labels, Spears was signed by Jive Records.
Spears was then thrown into a whirlwind of recording, rehearsing, and promoting. Hart spent some time with Spears during this period and saw firsthand the pressure she was under. While speaking on the show Bethenny, Hart told a story of how she took Spears to her first club.
"She was young and I could see the stress on her face," Hart said. "I was like, 'Do you want to got lunch?' and she was like, 'Yes, yes. Let's go to lunch,' and then someone behind her would go, 'No, no, no. You have interviews you have to go to vocal coaching, you have to go to the gym and then you have to go on your tour.' And she was like, 'Okay, maybe later.' And I was like, 'Let's go to dinner tonight.'"
She continued, "So I went to her hotel and I invited her to come out with me and we went to a club. She was underage so I snuck her in the back door and we did a little dancing and then people sort of swarmed on top of her and then she got stuck at a table hanging out with people, chit chatting and I was like, 'I've got to go to work tomorrow can I go?' And she was like, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, go I am good. They will get me home.'"
Melissa Joan Hart Said Britney Spears Was A 'Pro' During Her Guest Spot On 'Sabrina The Teenage Witch'
Hart and Spears first began hanging out during the promotion of Hart's film Drive Me Crazy. The film was originally titled Next To You, but the title was changed in order to be cross-promoted with Spears' single "(You Drive Me) Crazy." The song was featured in the movie and Hart appeared with Spears in the video.
Hart later admitted that she didn't like the idea of the film being named after Spears' song. While speaking to Bustle, she said that she didn't think Spears' career would last very long. Obviously, her prediction was incorrect.
"I tried to fight Fox on that," Hart said. "I was like, 'Some little teenybopper's gonna come in and rename our movie? She's gonna be a flash in the pan, nobody's gonna remember her in five years and then our movie's gonna be named after her song.' I was a little wrong."
Hart was also starring on the hit sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, which aired on ABC. The family sitcom gave Hart the right kind of exposure to the film's target demographic. As a result, Spears guest-starred on the show and her song was featured in the episode.
"She was a pro," Hart said of Spears' work ethic on set. "It worked every time, she knew what she was doing, she was playing herself…I feel like it was an easy breezy kind of scene."
Melissa Joan Hart And Britney Spears Reunite At Her Show In Las Vegas
After appearing on Sabrina, Spears' career continued to skyrocket. Her albums sold millions of copies, her tours sold out in record time, and her videos received heavy rotation on MTV. Spears became the Princess of Pop, leading the way for solo female acts of the new teen pop generation that started in the late 90s.
In 2013, Spears celebrated her enduring career with a residency show in Las Vegas. The show became a huge success and led the way for a new chapter of Vegas entertainment. It also marked a new chapter in Spears' career. She was often visited by fellow artists and celebrities. One of which was Hart, who attended one of the shows in 2015.
Hart posted a picture on her Instagram of her with her friends waiting for Spears to hit the stage. The two also posed for a picture together backstage.
After the show, Spears tweeted this message to Hart, "It was so good to see you!! It's been TOO long. Hope you had fun tonight!"
Hart responded, "Awesome show! Such fun to see you girl!"
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