Busy Philipps Reveals What She Thought of BFF Michelle Williams Voicing Britney Spears' Memoir Audiobook

Busy Philipps couldn’t be more proud of her BFF Michelle Williams for voicing the audiobook of Britney Spears’ memoir. 

The Mean Girls star, 44, appeared on Tuesday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live! with Andy Cohen and opened up about what she thought of her former Dawson's Creek costar and longtime friend, 43, being asked to read the audiobook of The Woman in Me. Not only did Philipps reveal that she encouraged the Oscar-nominated actress to take on the project, she said that Williams ”really felt a connection” to the pop icon’s story. 

“I mean, we lost it,” Philipps said on the talk show after a fan tuned in to ask what her initial reaction was when Williams told her she had been offered the opportunity.

The Girls5eva star continued, “She was like, ‘I have to do this. Right?’ I was like, ‘Yes! Obviously!’ And she’s like, ‘I really do, Biz.’ She really felt a connection.”

The performer explained that the two saw their own stories reflected in Spears’ memoir — which chronicles her rise towards superstardom from her youth and reflects on the personal struggles that she faced, like her conservatorship that lasted 13 years. 

“We all — and Michelle even younger than me — we all came up in a very particular time in this industry. That was what the majority of my memoir is about, as young women, and we were subjected to a lot,” she shared, referring to her 2018 book This Will Only Hurt a Little. 

Philipps shared, “I think that there was a lot that was sadly very relatable to all women in Britney’s book, but I thought that Michelle doing was just incredible and really beautiful." 

The TV and film star added that she believes “Britney deserves our respect” and wishes her peace and happiness. 

Ahead of The Woman in Me’s publication in late October 2023, PEOPLE exclusively announced that the star of The Fabelmans was the narrator of its audio edition. 

The Golden Globe winner shared a simple statement of support towards the “Toxic” singer at the time. “I stand with Britney,” she said. 

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Spears, meanwhile, explained in a statement why she would not be reading the full book herself. "This book has been a labor of love and all the emotions that come with it,” the Grammy winner said. “Reliving everything has been exciting, heart-wrenching, and emotional, to say the least. For those reasons, I will only be reading a small part of my audiobook.”

She added, "I am so grateful to the amazing Michelle Williams for reading the rest of it."

Williams’ narration has been widely acclaimed. Portions of it also went viral upon The Woman in Me’s release, such as an impression she made of Spears’ ex Justin Timberlake when recalling an interaction the couple shared with R&B star Ginuwine.

The pop star’s memoir has been hugely successful since it hit shelves on Oct. 24, 2023 — selling over 1.1 million copies within its first week of sales and hitting No. 1 on The New York Times Best Sellers list, where it still remains.

When the memoir, released by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, became the fastest selling book in the publisher’s history, the “Hold Me Closer” singer expressed her gratitude with a statement in a release. “I poured my heart and soul into my memoir, and I am grateful to my fans and readers around the world for their unwavering support,” she said at the time. 

Spears also exclusively spoke to PEOPLE via email ahead of the book’s publication about reclaiming her story and navigating her newfound freedom. 

“It is finally time for me to raise my voice and speak out, and my fans deserve to hear it directly from me,” the music legend shared. “No more conspiracy, no more lies — just me owning my past, present and future.”