When Britney Spears Changed Her Name to ‘Maria River Red’ Days Before Deactivating Instagram

Editor's note: This article was originally published on July 24, 2023. It has since been updated.

Singer-songwriter Britney Spears has caught the attention of fans and media alike by deactivating her Instagram account once again. She had decided to change her name to "River Red" earlier this year and to "Maria River Red" just days before the recent move on social media to deactivate her account.

The 41-year-old pop queen deactivated her Instagram account shortly after releasing Mind Your Business, a new song she co-wrote with Will.i.am. When fans attempted to access the singer's Instagram page, they were saddened to discover that it had been deleted.

She had decided to change her name to "River Red" earlier this year and took to Instagram to share the meaning behind her name change. Spears shared a photo of Mars and wrote in the caption, “A bright one … easy does it !!! Thank you, childhood friend, I found my ball … don’t underestimate the power of purity !!! I see right through it all … it has liquid and is wet … it’s playful and has mass !!! I changed my name to River Red !!! Yet the fire is where it illuminates  … to stare at it and jump right in with no fear at all !!!!” She added, “Sh*t. Now I have to find my FORK !!!”

Just days before deactivating, she once again changed the name to "Maria River Red." She had added the new name to her Instagram bio. She also created an account on Threads using the same name. News outlet Distractify tried to solve the mystery behind her name. According to the outlet, the answer lies within an Instagram Reel Spears shared on July 4, 2023, with the caption, "Maria River Red." In the video, Spears is dancing to a song. She can be heard swaying to Santana's 2010 song Maria Maria, implying that her inspiration came from the song.

One fan with a Twitter handle named @fkahumxn shared that it could possibly be an anagram for “I’ve Remarried.” That is possible given that she did wed Sam Asghari on June 9, 2022, following her controversial marriage with Kevin Federline. Another assumption is that the new name might have something to do with her upcoming memoir, The Woman In Me, where she talks about her 13-year-long conservatorship.

Just like the cryptic social media names, the pop star's decision to remove her Instagram page remains unknown. When fans tried to take a look at the star's Instagram page, the message "Sorry, this page isn't available" appeared in its place. It said, "The link you followed may be broken, or the page may have been removed. Go back to Instagram.” She had posted a video showing her and her husband Sam Asghari donning similar hats just the evening before going off Instagram.

Many fans started speculating about her absence from Instagram on various social media platforms. A person with the Instagram handle @breatheheavy shared a screenshot of a deactivated account with the caption, "Where she at? Where she at? Where she at? Where she at? Where she at? Britney deactivated her Instagram."