This week, Britney Spears spoke on the phone during a remote court hearing as part of an appeal to lift the nearly 13-year conservatorship that she was placed under after what appeared to be a very public breakdown over the course of 2007. While a collection of avid fans who’ve dubbed themselves the #FREEBRITNEY movement has been expressing concern about the conservatorship since 2009, the issue got a boost earlier this year when a New York Times documentary painted a picture of Spears as a pawn stuck under her father’s controlling hand. While the #FREEBRITNEY cohort has theorized Spears was hiding cries for help in her Instagram videos, which they say are being controlled by her guardian, this week was the first time Spears has spoken publicly about wanting to end the conservatorship, confirming that she very much wants out. While it’s unclear whether she was really nestling cries for help in her twirling Instagram videos, Da Vinci Code style, it’s become clear that she very much wants out of the conservatorship. There’s a lot to break down.
What is a conservatorship?
The setup that Spears has now is basically that of a minor: a court-appointed guardian makes decisions for another adult whom the court has deemed unable to care for themselves. A conservatorship is typically reserved for the elderly or very ill, and it’s an extreme measure: you need to prove to a judge that someone is so gravely disabled (mentally or physically) that they cannot meet their own basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter. While the primary responsibilities are financial, guardians in a conservatorship can make all kinds of decisions over a conservatee’s daily life. Spears stated on Wednesday that she’s been forced to perform and tour, take lithium, attend therapy sessions, and stay at mental health facilities, all against her will. The conservatorship is also barring her from marrying or removing her IUD so that she can have another child.
Who’s making all these decisions for Spears?
Britney’s father, Jamie Spears. Back in 2008, he petitioned for an emergency “temporary conservatorship” after her second stay at a psychiatric facility. A judge granted Jamie oversight of her estate and health, while the financial responsibilities were assigned to her attorney Andrew Wallet. Around the beginning of 2019, Wallet resigned as co-conservator, turning over all financial decisions solely to Jamie. Spears’ father has been attempting to extend the conservatorship since 2019; it’s been extended four times in 2020, and as of right now is set to last until September 3, 2021.
So can she get it lifted?
The analysis of legal experts is pretty grim. The Times reported on Friday that Spears has been trying to end the conservatorship since at least 2014, and records from the intervening years revealed even more details of her life that had been wrested from her control, including her friends, romantic partners, and the color of her kitchen cabinets. Yesterday Spears called the conservatorship “abusive” and said that the court has not listened to her many pleas to have it removed. She continued: “I’m traumatized. I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, it’s insane, and I’m depressed. I cry every day.”
Was she really sending secret messages in her social media posts?
Probably not. After her hearing, however, Spears posted on Instagram seemingly of her own will, apologizing for not being forthcoming about how unhappy she was and saying that her social media accounts have helped her cope with her situation. “I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok [sic] the past two years,” the post read. “I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me.” And, for what it’s worth, the #FREEBRITNEY petitioners are far from off-base: last year one of Spears’ lawyers said that the movement is “far from being a conspiracy theory.”
So what happens next?
Conservatorships can be tricky to end because the onus will be on Spears to prove she can make decisions for herself now. The most likely outcome is that the conservatorship will stay but Jamie will be removed—but only if the court feels he’s mishandled her financials or been detrimental for her.
Any word from her father?
Throughout the course of these trials, Jamie Spears has insisted that the conservatorship is still in his daughter’s best interest and that she’s free to have it lifted if she wants, but hasn’t asked to do so. His lawyer spoke on his behalf during Wednesday’s trial, saying, “He is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain.”