LOS ANGELES - Her fans staged a protest in Hollywood on Monday (April 22), claiming that Britney Spears was being held against her will in a treatment centre.

They voiced dismay over a photograph that showed the singer in a dishevelled state.

On Tuesday, the 37-year-old star was quick to calm her fans, posting that "things that are being said have just got out of control".

"There are rumours, death threats to my family and my team, and just so many crazy things being said. I am trying to take a moment for myself, but everything that's happening is just making it harder for me," she said.

Urging her fans not to believe everything they read and hear, she clarified that "my situation is unique, but I promise I'm doing what's best at this moment".

"What I need right now is a little bit of privacy to deal with all the hard things that life is throwing my way. If you could do that, I would be forever grateful."

Her boyfriend Sam Asghari also told the TMZ portal: "Nobody needs to worry."

Earlier this month, People magazine reported that Spears had sought a respite from stress, spending "me time" at the centre, after her father's ill-health led her to cancel her Las Vegas residency.