♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, in her own words. britney spears shooting to fame as a teenager with her hit -- ♪ hit me baby one more time ♪ >> britney was immediately a star. >> opening up about some of her biggest heartbreaks in her new memoir, "the woman in me." >> she held out her flip phone, and i saw this text when said, "it's over." >> juju: finally telling her

side of the public breakup with justin timberlake. >> this was an adult, fully realized, fully formed relationship the two of them had. >> juju: the secret even her family didn't know. celebrating 60 years of "general hospital." love, lust, and betrayal in the afternoon. >> you killed me! >> being able to say really dramatic lines is why i get up in the morning. >> juju: the stars and plot lines that kept soap opera fans coming back for more. >> it's half my life. i don't know many actors who can say they've been playing a character 30 years. >> juju: from one of the most-watched moments in daytime tv history to famous faces we've met along the way. honey... honey... nyquil severe honey. powerful cold and flu relief with a dreamy honey taste. nyquil honey, the nighttime, sniffing, sneezing, couging, aching, fever, honey-licious, best sleep with a cold, medicine. jordan's sore nose let out a fiery sneeze,

so dad grabbed puffs plus lotion to soothe her with ease. puffs plus lotion is gentle on sensitive skin and locks in moisture to provide soothing relief. a nose in need deserves puffs indeed. america's #1 lotion tissue. loving this pay bump in our allowance. wonder where mom and dad got the extra money? maybe they won the lottery? maybe they inherited a fortune? maybe buried treasure? maybe it fell off a truck? maybe they heard that xfinity customers can save hundreds when they buy one unlimted line and get one free.

now i can buy that electric scooter! i'm starting a private-equity fund that specializes in midcap. you do you. visit xfinitymobile.com today. ♪ >> juju: thanks for joining us. tonight, we revisit one of the year's most eagerly awaited tell-all memoirs. pop superstar britney spears, "the woman in me" becoming an instant bestseller almost two years after gaining her freedom from a 13-year-long conservatorship. her fans finally hearing her side of the story. >> i would like to be able to share my story with the world and what they did to me, instead of it being a hush-hush secret to benefit all of them. >> juju: that plea from britney spears to a judge ruling on her

conservatorship in june 2021, now a reality. the 42-year-old sharing her truth in her new memoir, "the woman in me," saying in her author's note -- >> we're living everything that you're about to hear. exciting, heart-wrenching, and emotional to say the least. >> juju: her life defined by global fame and extreme scrutiny. now laying bare her heart aches and traumas. >> this book is an emotional experience. every page, there is a revelation. >> juju: in many ways her carefully crafted pop princess image began to crack when her first love broke her heart. >> i walk into her trailer. britney's not dressed for the next scene. she's not ready. hair and makeup isn't ready. that's britney right there. she looks amazing. >> juju: director chris applebaum witnessed the breakup firsthand while filming the

music video "overprotected." >> she's in tears, crying. she's still in like a juicy couture sweat suit. and i could immediately tell something was wrong. i asked her if everything was okay, and she said, "no, things are not okay, because look." and she held out her flip phone, and i saw this text which said, "it's over." which was from her boyfriend at the time, justin timberlake. >> juju: with time running out in their shoot day, applebaum had to make a decision. >> it seemed like that was the end of the video shoot. and i said, "you know, i completely understand, but on the other hand, if you feel like you want to get out there and show him that he just lost the best thing that he ever had, let's do it." 10 or 15 minutes later, she came out and she was on fire. ♪ i don't need nobody telling me ♪

>> this was the britney that everybody knows and loves. >> juju: despite the strength she showed that day, she reveals now in the book for the first time the depths of the heartbreak she hid from the world. "i could barely speak for months. whenever anyone asked me about him, all i could do was cry. i barely left the house. i was that messed up. i lay in my bed and stared at the ceiling." the two soon to be superstars first met when they were cast in the mickey mouse club remake from disney, abc's parent company. the tv show that brought 11-year-old britney spears of kentwood, louisiana, her first real taste of fame. ♪ baby baby when i'm with you ♪ >> she beats out thousands of kids to join the mickey mouse club. she's working with future superstars like christina aguilera, ryan gosling, and of course, justin timberlake. >> juju: she snagged her first

record deal at age 15. her first two studio albums among the best-selling of all-time with hits like -- ♪ give me a sign ♪ >> juju: "baby one more time." ♪ hit me baby one more time ♪ ♪ oops i did it again ♪ >> juju: "oops i did and "crazy." ♪ you drive me crazy ♪ cementing her status as the princess of pop. >> she was immediately a star. immediately. it was really stunning, and it never stopped from there. >> the first time i met britney spears was at the rehearsal for the first music video i directed for her. i was a little nervous because she was the biggest star in the world at that time. back in the day, i would have these wardrobe fittings. i had these, like, cool polaroids of britney that we

took. this is from "overprotected." some of her fans think that this is some of the best that she's ever looked in terms of wardrobe. >> juju: and the child star turned pop superstar, applebaum says, was surprisingly down to earth. >> she was disarmingly pleasant. so, like, kind. was really caring about, like, wanting to make me teal comfortable. there were couches and chairs in the room, but britney chose to sit on the floor. and so i sat on the floor with her. >> juju: her work ethic, he says, unparalleled. >> i don't know if there's anybody else that i've seen that's like that, that just has this drive to perfect every performance. >> juju: she says she began noticing a sexist double standard in her personal life, especially when it came to her relationship with timberlake. at this point, he was the front man in the boy band nsync. ♪ bye bye bye ♪ >> britney says that she kind of

envied how carefree justin got to be. she noticed that the questions that talk show hosts and journalists were asking him were wildly different from the questions that she got asked. >> when did you know that you wanted to do a solo album? >> um -- honestly, it's always been in the back of my head. >> i'm just wondering how you feel about all the constant speculation about your virginity and whether you are a virgin or not? have there been any changes on that front? >> that's a personal question. >> juju: the pair were teen pop royalty. >> she remembers it as a blissful time. two people who uniquely kind of got what the challenges of each other's lives were. >> one of the revelations that comes out in this book is they had a home they shared in orlando, florida. i think at the time, the world, perhaps, was really intent on

painting this picture of virginity of britney spears. and i think discovering that she and justin lived together really lets you know that this was an adult, fully realized, fully formed relationship that the two of them had. >> juju: britney says she hoped it would last forever, but after three years, it was over. and she now says she was hiding a painful secret. you can see more of my full report, "it's britney" on "impact by nightline" now streaming only on hulu. when we come back, "general hospital." the beloved soap opera celebrating 60 years of love in the afternoon.

i got this $1,000 camera for only $41 on dealdash. dealdash.com, online auctions since 2009. this playstation 5 sold for only 50 cents. this ipad pro sold for less than $34. and this nintendo switch, sold for less than $20. deals like these, and many more,

happen in the thousands of daily auctions on dealdash.com. all auctions start at $0, and remember, everything must go. i got this kitchenaid stand mixer for only $56. i got this bbq smoker for 26 bucks. and you know what? they'll give you a 90-day money back guarantee on your first purchase. this brand-new iphone sold for less than $42. and this dj idrone sold for less than $21. i even got this jeep on dealdash. and shipping is always free. go to dealdash.com right now and see how much you can save. there are auctions going on right now, so what are you waiting for?

♪ >> juju: you know, the beloved soap opera "general hospital" turned 60 this year. with more than 15,000 episodes, it's the longest-running scripted american drama still in production. we take another look at the romances and dramas that have kept the show's millions of viewers riveted for so many years. here's abc's stephanie ramos. >> reporter: since 1963 -- that's 60 years -- >> happy 60th anniversary, "general hospital"! >> reporter: the legendary daytime soap opera "general hospital" has kept their fans hooked. >> i can't believe she's dying and there's nothing we can do about it. >> reporter: set in the fictional town of port charles, plot lines with every twist and turn -- >> you killed me!

>> reporter: -- imaginable to the screen. >> i would rather die than go one more step with you! >> reporter: murders. betrayals. >> you're not yourself right now. >> reporter: and, of course, romantic love affairs. today, it's the longest-running daytime drama. >> come on, that is insane. >> reporter: debuting on abc when color tvs were just making their way into living rooms. soap operas like "gh," as it's called, are part of a daytime tv genre named after soap ads that commonly ran -- >> get new fab. >> reporter: during commercial breaks. >> puts you in a unique position to get information for us. >> being able to say dramatic lines is why i get up in the morning. >> what is it going to be? >> reporter: since 1985 -- >> wow, that's all i could think about, going away. i won't ever have to hear about

her again. >> reporter: venoa hughes has been captivating fan as a mysterious spy, anna devine. >> i get to see through everybody else, tough and strong. as soon as i put on my outfit, oh, there she is. >> the show will go on. the nurses will always be bigger than all of us. >> i remember watching with my aunt and mom. it was always on. they were so into it. what do you think has given that soap opera so much staying power that it's been around so long? >> i think you said it. it's multigenerational. i hear so much from people, "i used to sit on my grandmother's lap and watch it, and i became a lifelong fan." >> reporter: do you have a favorite storyline? >> my daughter gets kidnapped, and i have to go looking for her. i jump out of the van. we did it only in one take. it was just a really -- for me, an iconic moment because i

remember being so full of emotion. >> give me time to make arrangements for a new place. >> it's half of my life. i don't know many actors that could say they've been playing a character for 30 years. >> reporter: maurice bernard has made millions swoon since 1993, portraying ronnie sonny corinthos. >> why should i believe anything that comes out of your lying mouth? >> they let me create the character, and that's fun. he's a cool dude, and he's a tough guy. but not only one level tough. he's got a lot underneath. >> reporter: some of his treasured scenes hit close to home. >> i played a story line where the character on my show has alzheimer's. and my dad got alzheimer's at the same time. when the character passed away, my dad passed away pretty much the same time. a lot of me on "general hospital" is art imitating life. >> reporter: in the show's heyday in the '80s, many actors

made an appearance before they were household names. from singer/actor rick springfield as the young heartthrob, dr. noah drake, to john stamos as blacky parrish, and a young demi moore back in 1982. >> is there a moment with one of them that stands out at all? >> rick springfield. i was in a sort of love affair with him, which was lovely. he's a sweet person. >> to be your lawful wedded wife -- >> reporter: one of the most famous love stories in tv history had the entire country captivated. >> till death to us part. >> reporter: luke and laura with their legendary butter to toured on-screen romance that culminated with a lavish wedding in 1981. a whopping 30 million americans tuned in, which remains a daytime record. in addition to the dramatic love sagas, the show also tackled tough topics like sexual assault

and important social issues like hiv. >> rob, will i see you? >> reporter: and single motherhood. >> mommy? >> that was in the '80s. i can't tell you how many letters i'd get from single mothers. they could relate. >> reporter: "general hospital" highlighting the difficult subject of mental illness. >> now my character's been pulled around and i get to be like, rrrgh! >> reporter: like many during the pandemic, bernard struggled. as an outlet, he began using his platform to connect with others. >> this is state of mind. one night, i had an anxiety attack at night. i decided to film to it show the audience. >> reporter: his assistant encouraged him to share his experience more widely, leading

to a youtube series called "state of mind." >> then i started getting, like, all these followers. every sunday, like church. >> reporter: today, "general hospital" is only one of three remaining soap operas on the air and showing no signs of slowing down. >> "general hospital" has the most loyal fans in the history of fans. and it's because we're in their living rooms every day. and we become like family. >> we're also in everybody's house five days a week. so people really do get invested in us. >> i dare anyone to try to cancel us. i can tell you right now, with "general hospital," don't even try. because sonny will come after you. >> juju: our thanks to stephanie. we'll be right back.

from the state that's already helped millions of people like you get and pay for health insurance. with financial health to lower the cost of health coverage, you could get a quality health plan for less than $10 a month. every plan covers preventive care, doctor visits, emergency care, and more. if you have questions, we're here to help every step of the way. covered california. this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31 at coveredca.com. ♪ ♪ >> juju: finally tonight, we want to close out this broadcast with a special acknowledgement and thanks to all of those who

make the show possible. from our "nightline" family to yours, we wish you a safe and a very happy new year.