Can you believe it has been a decade since Chris Crocker's viral Leave Britney Alone video?
It's no secret 2007 wasn't Brit's best year; she went to rehab, shaved all her golden locks off, got divorced, fled the scene of a car accident because she didn't have a licence and majorly flopped at her MTV VMA performance.
Really, it wasn't the best.
But she had one staunch supporter out there: Chris Crocker.
Remember his viral video defending the pop star? Here's a refresher:
The clip took the world by storm and accumulated over 24 million views.
The rant is the second most discussed video of all time in all categories on YouTube and it gained Crocker international attention that was off the charts.
Now, ten years later, the man himself has shared a post on Twitter and Instagram revealing what caused him to record and share something so emotional with the entire world.
Crocker's mum, a war veteran, had returned home from Iraq and was battling addiction before she became homeless.
He wrote, "The struggles in my home life and family life made me defensive over any woman going through a hard time."
According to the now 29-year-old, instead of people listening to what he had to say, he claims he was mocked for his femininity.
"I was called every gay slur in the book. Talk show hosts questioned if I was a man or a woman, after playing the clip."
Crocker said he realised no one would listen to what had triggered his emotional response, so he played up being the joke everyone thought he was.
"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."
He said, "Even if I got a public beating for standing up for what's right: I'm happy I did. And I'll always love Britney Spears."
Crocker also cautioned a warning to everyone about the indefinite lasting nature of the things we all share online.
He said, "Here we are ten years later still talking about this. So definitely be cautious about when you post things."
The internet is forever, folks. Don't forget.
