Britney Spears announces career hiatus to take care of ailing father

LOS ANGELES: Pop superstar Britney Spears announced on Friday that she is placing her career on hold indefinitely to take care of her sick father. "I will not be performing my new show Domination," she wrote in an emotional post on Twitter, which featured a picture of herself as a young child alongside her parents.

The 1990s and 2000s icon had been due to kick off a series of concerts at the MGM resort in Las Vegas in February as part of a new residency in the city.

PHOTO: FILE

"I've been looking forward to this show and seeing all of you this year, so doing this breaks my heart," the 37-year-old continued. "However, it's important to always put your family first… and that's the decision I had to make.”

https://twitter.com/britneyspears/status/1081236193189101568

Spears added, "A couple of months ago, my father was hospitalised and almost died. We're all so grateful that he came out of it alive but he still has a long road ahead of him." As a result, she said, she had decided to "put my full focus and energy on my family at this time."

https://twitter.com/britneyspears/status/1081236196359954432

I had to make the difficult decision to put my full focus and energy on my family at this time. I hope you all can understand. More information on ticket refunds is available on https://t.co/SBF4WxXT31.

— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) January 4, 2019

I appreciate your prayers and support for my family during this time. Thank you, and love you all… always.

— Britney Spears 🌹🚀 (@britneyspears) January 4, 2019

Reports indicated Spears' father Jamie suffered a colon rupture but is expected to make a full recovery. Spears had previously held a Las Vegas residency between 2013 and 2017.

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