Britney Spears has deactivated her Instagram account following a series of cryptic posts.
The pop icon has recently been confusing fans with her content, posting optical illusions and fantasy-inspired images, along with image captions that seem to hit out at her critics.
Newsweek has reached out to Britney Spears for comment via email.
The singer shared a mysterious post about the "enemy right in front of her" following her split from husband Sam Asghari in September, as well as asking fans what they saw in a succession of ambiguous artworks.
The images were accompanied by enigmatic captions that alluded to treacherous people in the 42-year-old's personal life.
A post in December also hinted at a reconciliation with her estranged father, Jamie Spears. The pair fell out over her controversial conservatorship, with Jamie Spears removed from the court-ordered arrangement in 2021 after 13 years.
Recent posts suggested the 42-year-old's feud with ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake had escalated. The former boyband star faced fierce backlash online last autumn, after the release of Spears' memoir The Woman in Me.
The stars dated from 1999 and 2002, followed by a messy public split. The memoir accused Timberlake of repeatedly cheating on Spears, along with using their break-up to launch his solo career at the expense of her reputation.
In January, Spears said she was "deeply sorry" for anyone she'd hurt with the memoir, before praising Timberlake's new single "Selfish." However, her mood seemed to change after Timberlake reportedly mocked her apology at a concert.
"Someone told me someone was talking s*** about me on the streets !!!," Spears wrote on Instagram in February. "Do you want to bring it to the court or will you go home crying to your mom like you did last time ??? I'm not sorry !!!"
Spears changed her name on Instagram shortly afterward, adding "Xila" to her moniker. The Grammy winner has swapped Instagram names several times in the past, with the changes seeming to signal a transition in her personal or professional life.
Spears changed her Instagram name to "Channel 8" in 2022, igniting a surge in fan theories.
The singer also announced that she was now going by "Maria River Red" in January 2023, telling followers: "I see right through it all... it has liquid and is wet... it's playful and has mass!!!
"Yet the fire is where it illuminates... to stare at it and jump right in with no fear at all!!!!"
Users were unsure if the singer was referring to a legal name change, or just her Instagram title.
Update 03/07/24 05:18 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include further information on Britney Spears' Instagram account and recent posts.
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