Britney Spears was at a crossroads — and not just because the film “Crossroads” was soon to be released, marking her acting debut.

The year was 2001. Spears, then just 19, was one of the most famous people on the planet, championed as the ultimate teen dream by legions of fans across the globe and a leering celebrity industry. That year, she'd performed during the Super Bowl halftime show and changed the course of fashion forever — first, showing up with beau Justin Timberlake in matching denim at the American Music Awards and then with an albino python around her neck during her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.

She was entering adulthood, full steam ahead, after enjoying a meteoric run with her first two albums, 1999's “… Baby One More Time” and 2000's “Oops!…