Justin Long recalls being struck by ‘disarmingly down-to-earth’ Britney Spears

Justin Long remembered being “struck” by how "normal and easygoing" Britney Spears was despite being a famous star back  then when they shot Crossroads.

In an interview Entertainment Tonight, The Wave actor talked about the time he worked with the Toxic singer on their 2002 coming-of-age movie.

"I remember her being so down-to-earth, like disarmingly down-to-earth," the actor told the outlet. "I remember being struck by how normal and easygoing she seemed for all the hoopla surrounding her."

At the time when the singer filmed the romantic-comedy, she already had two best selling albums to her name and was a well-known name around the world.

"And then a couple of years later seeing what the paparazzi did to her, it was really sad that we live in that kind of culture that can do that to a human being. She was so nice to everyone," Long added.

The Barbarian actor previously shared his experience on how kind Spears was on set with him in a 2020 Instagram post while the mother of two was under the conservatorship.

“I remember being slightly nervous to work with Britney Spears - she was such a massive star in 2002 (as she still is). When she introduced herself to me in the makeup trailer, I was disarmed by how sweet and NOT famous she seemed - just a nice girl (not yet a woman) from Louisiana. She immediately made me feel comfortable...” he wrote.

Lung continued: “Britney seemed to get exponentially more tense (totally understandably) whenever we walked off set with her bodyguard 'Big something' (my memory is so bad but I remember really liking him - a massive, warm, friendly, terrifying guy), People would clamor to get to her and paparazzi were constantly lurking behind trees, in bushes, etc.”

“Years later, when the tabloid frenzy surrounding Britney reached a fever pitch, I remember feeling so sorry for her,” Lung went on. “Nobody deserves to be hounded and harassed like that - least of all a very sweet person - one who behaved kindly towards a young nervous actor who occupied a much lower rung on the hierarchical ladder of that film set.”

Spears got her much awaited freedom from the legal binding in November 2021 and often shares on her social media handles how much her family abused her during the 13-year-long conservatorship.