In an emotional statement to an open court on June 23rd, popstar Britney Spears spoke out about the conservatorship that has been controlling her life for more than a decade. In a 23-minute address which was broadcast in a courtroom, the 39 year old singer said her conservatorship was traumatic and abusive.
Post a public breakdown and consequent rehabilitation in 2008, Britney was subjected to a conservatorship controlled by her father, Jamie Spears. He petitioned the court for legal authority over his daughter due to concerns about her mental health. A conservatorship is something granted to an individual to take care of an organization or another adult who is deemed unfit to take care of themselves or their finances.
In January 2008, Britney was admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles after police had found her under the influence of an unknown substance. Post this, she lost custody of her two children and her father filed for temporary conservatorship over Britney. Once she got out of the hospital, she consulted with her lawyers as she did not want her father to be her conservator, but the court deemed Britney unfit to make decisions regarding appointing her own legal counsel.
In October of that year her father petitioned the court to make him a permanent co-conservator, which the court approved making him and his lawyer Andrew wallet co- conservators. Because of this conservatorship, her father got power over visitations, wealth, security, and had control over her recording and TV deals.
While she continued to go on tours and create albums, she had no power over the wealth she generated and had no say in any decisions that were made regarding her life. She announced in 2019 that she would not perform until her father was removed as a conservator, and she has been in the middle of a legal battle since. Britney’s lawyer Sam Ingram filed documents revealing that the singer is strongly opposed to her father continuing the conservatorship and requested that he be immediately removed as the sole conservator of her estate.
During her statement she revealed that she was denied her reproductive rights and had an IUD inside her body which she was not allowed to take out. An ex-boyfriend who wanted to remain anonymous said that the singer has always wanted a daughter but was prevented from having another child.
He said, “What she wants more than anything is to have a baby girl. They kept her from that. They told her she had to do the Vegas show instead,".
She also added that she was medicated against her wishes, traumatized, and not allowed to get married. She was also forced to work and go on tours against her wishes by her father and her management.
She urged the court to end her conservatorship.
"I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry it's insane. And I'm depressed. I cry every day. It’s enough. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does.”
During this whole ordeal, her fans started a #FreeBritney movement, protesting the conservatorship and demanding the courts to remove Jamie Spears as the conservator. Many Hollywood celebrities including Miley Cyrus, Halsey, and Paris Hilton came out in support of Britney on social media.
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