Ava Max Weighs in on #FreeBritney Movement, Britney Spears’ Impact on Pop

Ava Max is a big Britney Spears fan and, much like most of the folks who watched the Framing Britney Spears documentary in February, she’s got a bone to pick with the way the industry treated—and in many ways continues to treat—women.

The “Kings & Queens” star recently caught up with PopCrush Nights host Nicole Murray for an exclusive Zoom interview, which aired on the radio.

When asked about her reaction to the #FreeBritney movement and the documentary inspired by it, which Max revealed she has so far watched “half of,” the pop star shared, “I think what she’s going through is really sad, but also we don’t know the inner workings. We’re not there every day in her house, so it’s tough to judge.”

Calling Spears an icon, Max added, “I love her as a pop star and I want the best for her. I grew up listening to her!”

Watching Framing Britney Spears, however, was hard for Max, who struggled to stomach the awful treatment Spears received by the media and the public in the early-to-mid 2000s.

“Watching that documentary, it’s so sad how they treated her, how they treated her in interviews, and how they were talking about her body—grown men,” Max said. “That’s not okay and I think that should be looked at. All those men that were talking all that crap to her growing up in the spotlight should really get interviewed themselves on why they did that.”

“It’s not okay to talk to a girl, woman, [anyone] like that,” the performer added. “You shouldn’t be talking about someone’s breasts in an interview. I mean, that was horrendous and it made my whole body get all like, ‘Eugh’ … I felt so grossed out watching it.”

Max was also asked about the importance of lifting other women up in the music industry—or any industry, for that matter.

“Any woman trying to get into any industry is hard, because I feel like it’s [all] very male-dominated to this day. When we see a woman CEO, it’s so rare. We need more of them,” she said.

As for her advice to women trying to make it in music or any field? Max credits her mom with giving her this wisdom: “Try and have big goals. I think that’s the biggest thing, but obviously take it step by step. Finish one step at a time and you will get there.”

Below, watch Ava Max’s full PopCrush Nights interview.