SUPPLY CHAIN CRISIS: Britney Spears new book held up due to paper shortage

"Paper is one of many goods in short supply these days, and the shortage has been exacerbated by supply chain jams and a resurgence in demand," industry rag Marketplace reports. And it's not only affecting Spears' publishing plans, but is an issue across magazine publishing as well.

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TMZ reports that the book is said to be "dishy," and that Spears got a $15 million advance on the deal, signed in February. This was one of the largest advances for a memoir on record, after the Obamas' Penguin Random House deal of $60 million.

Spears' book will recount her time as a child star, to becoming a pop star and international sensation, through the issues she's had with her family and the problems that mounted due to her being in a legal conservatorship with her father.

In November, that conservatorship came to an end, per a judges order that terminated it effective immediately. "The time has come after more than a decade for the conservatorship to be terminated in its entirety," Spears' attorney, Mathew Rosengart, told the court.

Fans gathered outside the court chanting, "What do we want?" "Free Britney!" "When do we want it?" "Now!" They broke into cheers when the news was announced, playing her songs over a loudspeaker.

"Good God I love my fans so much it's crazy!!! I think I'm gonna cry the rest of the day!!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen," Spears wrote on Instagram.

In another post, Spears wrote on Instagram of the celebratory news: "I can't freaking believe it !!!! Again … best day ever!!!!"

Front Desk Supply documented concerns over the paper shortage in March, saying that:

"When the pandemic hit in early 2020, workers were already in short supply. As COVID-19 spread global supply chain issues erupted around the world. Delays created a growing demand for paper which came in at an unprecedented rate, and domestic paper mills couldn’t keep up. Before long, the mills oversold their capabilities, and their systems were not designed to deal with the demand and this ultimately led to the paper supply shortage we are seeing today. Further, some mid-sized mills went out of business during covid, further reducing overall capacity."

"The whole process — harvesting timber and hauling it to pulp mills, getting the ingredients to the paper machines, shipping paper to pressrooms and delivering the finished product to readers — depends on an interconnected network that is vulnerable to global and local events," Mother Jones’ production director, Claudia Smukler said.

Recently, Paris Hilton bailed on an invitation from President Biden to instead attend Spears' wedding.