Chris Crocker Told the World to 'Leave Britney Alone' 10 Years Ago and We Feel Old AF

Chris Crocker had no idea how iconic he would become when he uploaded a video to YouTube in 2007 defending Britney Spears from media scrutiny.

On the 10 year anniversary of the upload, Crocker opened up on social media about his experience as one of the world's first viral memes and his life since. "10 years ago on this day, I defended my favorite pop star against the media," he wrote on Instagram. "While I'm known to do comedy: This was the one video that I was serious in."

Crocker then opens up about his private life that affected his defensiveness of Ms. Spears.

"That year, my mom was battling addiction & became homeless after serving for our country in Iraq. The struggles in my home life and family life made me defensive over any woman going through a hard time. The internet and YouTube was a very different, less LGBT friendly place at the time. Nothing I said in the video was listened to. I was mocked for my femininity. I was called every gay slur in the book. Talk show hosts questioned if I was a man or woman, after playing the clip. I knew there was no way people would take me serious. So I decided that I would play up to the joke everyone thought I was. Realizing that telling them about what had actually triggered my emotional reaction (What my mom was battling) wouldn't be of interest to anyone. So I gave them a cartoon of what they assumed I was, in my public appearances afterward. But the truth is and always was about standing up for someone and not standing idly by when you see someone being hurt by others. In the 10 years since this video- A lot of LGBT YouTubers are celebrated for who they are. I often wonder if I had started videos later, if I would've been treated differently. But what I will say is this: Even if I got a public beating for standing up for what's right: I'm happy I did. And I'll always love @BritneySpears."

Trending Stories

Out and About with Karan Soni

How climate disasters hurt mental health in young people

Turn your Easter into the colors of the rainbow with these Pride-themed shortbread treats

French Polynesia doesn’t need Pride flags to earn its place on every LGBTQ+ bucket list

Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times

All 6 rogue Mississippi cops got long prison sentences in 'Goon Squad' torture of 2 Black men

Must-see LGBTQ+ films every straight ally should watch

Elon Musk uses burner accounts on X, doesn’t fact-check: report

Joe Biden has tied the record for most LGBTQ+ judges confirmed in federal courts

Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes

Gay man Nancy Mace cursed out in South Carolina Ulta says ‘a fire was lit’ from Republican's ‘meltdown’

500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis

Pope Francis dead at 88: Looking back on his LGBTQ+ rights legacy

Pete Buttigieg says he met Chasten on the apps—reacts to Grindr surge at RNC claims

BREAKING: Trump Justice Department asks Supreme Court to reinstate trans military ban blocked by courts

Broadway bound: The best hotels in NYC’s Theater District for every type of traveler

Discover the power of Wellness in your life

France becomes world’s first country to enshrine abortion rights in constitution

Gay asylum-seeker's lawyer worries for the makeup artist's safety in Salvadoran ‘hellhole’ prison

'Drag Race' winner Venus shares apology video to Mexican people

12 batsh*t things Nancy Mace has done in her anti-transgender attention grab

Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring

Beyond Wonderland's accepting & unifying rave culture is needed more than ever

20 lesbian movies you probably haven't seen but really should

Why Harvey Fierstein deserves his Tony for Lifetime Achievement

So what has he learned since the video went viral?

1. Don't let the things people say online get to you.
2. Don't let the words other people say about you define you.
3. Be cautious of what you post online.
4. Let the haters kick fucking rocks.