Britney Spears fans condemn man who mocked her breakdown in meet and greet photo

Britney Spears is one of the greatest musical icons that the world has ever seen.

Spears’ fans love her not only because of her stunning back catalogue, including iconic pop songs …Baby One More Time, Toxic and Slave 4 U, but also because of her strength and adversity when dealing with personal troubles.

Spears’ infamous head shaving incident made headlines across the world. It was followed by a series of public outbursts, including an incident where Spears hit a paparazzi car with an umbrella.

With the benefit of hindsight, most people, but especially Spears’ fans, know that mocking what was clearly an incredibly difficult time for the singer is completely off limits. Mental health issues should not be punchlines.

But sadly, there are some who didn’t get the memo. In a recent meet and greet for a show, one of Spears’ fans dressed up as her to recreate the infamous umbrella incident. The user, who Instagrams using the account @uonderrrock, allegedly captioned his photo “HI BRITNEY I’M THE GHOST OF 2007” before later editing it.

Spears, ever the professional, could be seen standing awkwardly next to him, but realistically this is something she should not have to put up with.

Spears’ fans have been quick to leap to her defence, calling the stunt "disgusting" and "vile".

One Twitter user claimed that the umbrella had been photoshopped into the image, providing the photos below. But even if this is the case, it's undeniable that the final image is disrespectful.

If a “fan” of Spears can treat her this way, it’s clear there’s still a long way to go in terms of educating people about the sensitivities of mental health issues.

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