Britney Spears has shared a scathing Instagram post addressing those who didn’t “show up for her” during difficult times in her life.

The singer was back in the headlines this week when it was announced she had been granted permission to choose her own attorney in the ongoing legal battle over the conservatorship she’s been under for the past 13 years.

At a hearing, Britney also called for her father Jamie Spears to be charged with “conservatorship abuse”.

With many figures from Britney’s past now speaking out in her defence, a cryptic post has been uploaded on her Instagram page, seemingly accusing some people in her life of only supporting her “to save face for yourself publicly”.

“There’s nothing worse than when the people closest to you who never showed up for you post things in regard to your situation whatever it may be and speak righteously for support,” she wrote. “There’s nothing worse than that!!!!”

Britney continued: “How dare the people you love the most say anything at all… did they even put a hand out to even lift me up at the TIME!!!??? How dare you make it public that NOW you CARE… did you put your hand out when I was drowning???? Again… NO.

“So if you’re reading this and you know who you are… and you actually have the nerve to say anything about my situation just to save face for yourself publicly!!! If you’re gonna post something… please stop with the righteous approach when you’re so far from righteous it’s not even funny.”

The chart-topping singer ended the post by adding: “If you’re reading this today and you can relate …. I’m sorry because I know what it’s like… and I send you my love.”

Britney was placed under a conservatorship in 2008, which gave her father Jamie and other parties legal power over her finances and various aspects of her personal life.

Last month, the Stronger star spoke publicly about the arrangement for the first time in over a decade, claiming at a hearing she had been forced to take lithium in place of her regular medication, and be on birth control despite wanting to have a child with her boyfriend Sam Asghari.

Addressing the court, Britney also stated she wanted to sue her family, telling the judge: “They should be in jail. I just want my life back.”

After it was decided on Wednesday that Britney could choose her own legal representation, she marked the occasion with a celebratory Instagram post in which she was seen performing cartwheels and riding a horse.