Britney Spears Was Never Scheduled to Perform at the 2025 MTV VMAs, Insider Confirms
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The pop icon has delivered several memorable MTV VMA performances over the years, with her latest taking place in 2016.
Britney Spears Not Set to Perform at the 2025 MTV VMAs, Source Confirms
Despite growing speculation from fans, Britney Spears won’t be taking the stage at this year’s MTV Video Music Awards.
The 43-year-old pop legend was the subject of widespread rumors online suggesting she would make a highly anticipated return to the VMAs for the first time in nearly a decade. However, a source has clarified to PEOPLE that there’s no truth to the claims: “She was never scheduled to perform.”
Whispers of a surprise appearance began circulating in late July on X (formerly Twitter), when a prominent Spears fan account claimed she would deliver a 10-minute medley of her greatest hits—supposedly tied to the surprise drop of a new album in September. TMZ was the first outlet to debunk the rumor, reporting that Spears would not be making an appearance at the show.
Spears has a long and iconic history with the VMAs. Her 2001 performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U” featuring a live python remains one of the show’s most talked-about moments. Two years later, she made headlines again with her onstage kiss with Madonna during a joint performance with Christina Aguilera of “Like a Virgin.”
Her 2007 comeback performance of “Gimme More,” however, was met with widespread criticism. In her 2023 memoir, The Woman in Me, Spears revealed she had suffered a panic attack before going onstage and felt pressured to perform despite not being emotionally ready.
In 2011, Spears was honored with the prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award, and her most recent VMAs appearance came in 2016 when she performed “Make Me” and “Me, Myself & I” alongside G-Eazy.
While she’s stepped back from public performances, Spears continues to share glimpses of her life through social media, often posting dance videos on Instagram. In June, she shared a photo and video with her 18-year-old son Jayden, one of two sons she shares with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Their eldest, Sean Preston, is now 19.
The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards are set to broadcast live from UBS Arena in New York on Sunday, September 7.