Britney Spears has just been released from the legal grasps of her father’s thirteen-year-long conservation of her person and finances. Is she finally free to be herself and pursue her own projects?
On the 29th of September Jamie Spears was removed from daughter Britney Spears’ conservatorship, ending the thirteen-year monopoly he held over her fortune and freedom.
The conservatorship – a rare legal proceeding permitted in the United States – meant that Spears’ father had control over her finances and personal life, under the assumption that she was not able to make healthy decisions and choices herself.
The conservatorship was believed to be a temporary solution while the superstar worked on her mental wellbeing. Nonetheless, Britney’s individual freedoms were taken from her and the conservatorship was more heavily enforced, causing Spears to speak out on how the situation was abusive.
What is the #FreeBritney movement?
#FreeBritney has been gaining traction ever since 2019 when the singer’s fans started noticing odd posts on social media and believed that Britney might have been asking for help.
Britney has personally addressed her social media presence and how she feels guilty for having made it seem like everything was fine when she was suffering due to the conservatorship.
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Since 2019, many popular documentaries have been released covering the conservatorship including The New York Times’ Framing Britney Spears (2021), and more recently Netflix’s Britney vs Spears (2021).
While these productions have helped shine a light on the injustice Britney has had to face they also ironically highlight the violation of her privacy. Spears herself has commented on the documentaries, saying they made her scratch her head and wish for a more ‘classier’ dialogue about her case.
The truth is that Britney Spears has been in the spotlight since her days on the Mickey Mouse Club, well before her first single at the age of sixteen. She grew up in the public eye, made the mistakes we all make in the public eye, and yet, somehow, suffered in secret.
Fans have rallied together in protests around the world to ensure Spears gets her well-deserved freedom, and while the press has had some positive influence on this, others claim they are just profiting from her misery.
Fan theories love to be discredited and degraded to ‘conspiracies’, but as it seems sometimes there’s truth to them after all. Indeed we have seen recent cases in the media, from Kesha’s abusive relationship with producer Dr. Luke, Jedward’s accusations against Simon Cowell and The XFactor,Taylor Swift’s fight against Scooter Braun over the ownership of her own music, and rumours about groups like One Direction, Little Mix, and Blackpink.
What has Britney said about #FreeBritney?
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No matter how she may feel about the press, media, and documentaries about her life, Britney seems genuinely grateful to her fans for the effort they put into freeing her. She took to Instagram to say “#FreeBritneymovement … I have no words … because of you guys and your constant resilience in freeing me from my conservatorship … my life is now in that direction !!!!! I cried last night for two hours cause my fans are the best and I know it … I feel your hearts and you feel mine … that much I know is true 💞 !!!!!”
What actually happened during the conservatorship?
In the leaked conservatorship hearing you can hear Spears’ direct account of her hard times which included being forced to work against her will, being forced to take medication against her will, being refused access to private possessions, and being forced to undergo medical procedures and testing on a regular basis.
Britney spoke openly about her feelings, saying: “After I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m okay and I’m happy, it’s a lie. I thought if just maybe I said that enough I’d become happy because I’ve been living in denial, I’ve been in shock. I am traumatised. You know, fake it til you make it. But now I’m telling you, okay? I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, it’s insane. And I’m depressed.”
If you’re wondering why no one knew about what was going on before, Britney stated that:
“I thought people would make fun of me or laugh at me and say ‘She’s lying, she’s got everything, she’s Britney Spears.’ I’m not lying, I just want my life back.’ And indeed, so many people who struggle with mental health or personal issues have a hard time confiding in others – even if they’re not in the public eye.
Britney’s testimony is deeply moving and demonstrates that no matter how exposed a celebrity’s life is or how happy someone might seem, we never truly know what’s going on.
Now to the question on many of Britney’s fan’s minds: will she perform again?
And the answer is a little tricky. While it’s clear to see from her numerous dance videos on Instagram that Britney loves to dance, sing, and perform, this does not mean she’s ready to go on stage.
In fact, Spears has spoken about this herself, stating that “I’d much rather share videos YES from my living room instead of onstage in Vegas where some people were so far gone they couldn’t even shake my hand and I ended up getting a contact high from weed all the time”.
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It’s important to note that in 2017 Spears completed a four-year residency show in Vegas, which was followed by a world tour, and finally a new residency announcement in 2019 which was abruptly cancelled, propelling the #FreeBritney movement.
However, Britney has recently released a video on Instagram where she dances to an unreleased song and said “I feel like I have been a caged animal for half of my life”. This could be an indication that she would like to share more of her work.
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Is Britney Free now?
Well, the conservatorship has not ended altogether. Right now, Britney’s conservator of the person is Jodi Montgomery, who will remain in the role for a further 45 days until the case is reassessed at a termination hearing. However, the key difference is that Jamie Spears has been removed altogether, there is no more conservation of the estate, and Britney now has the freedom to choose her own legal counsel.
Over the past week, Britney has shared her newfound freedom on Instagram, posting videos of incredible experiences such as flying a plane, and her holidays in French Polynesia that she has called a celebration.
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