Britney Spears speaks out against ‘abusive’ conservatorship at hearing
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US pop star Britney Spears has spoken out against her conservatorship at a hearing in Los Angeles.
In a rare public testimony, the singer told a court her father controlled her “100,000%” and he “loved” it.
“I am traumatised,” she said, speaking remotely. “I just want my life back.”
Jamie Spears was granted control over his daughter’s personal and business affairs in a court-ordered conservatorship in 2008.
The order was originally granted after the star was hospitalised amid concerns over her mental health.
There has been speculation for years about how Ms Spears, 39, felt about the arrangement, with fans eagerly combing her social media output for clues.
“I want to end this conservatorship without being evaluated,” she told the court, calling it “abusive”.
“I deserve to have a life, I’ve worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two to three-year break,” she said in an emotional 20-minute address.
Ms Spears said she wants to marry her boyfriend and have a baby, but the conservatorship will not allow her to. The singer claimed she has a contraceptive intrauterine device (IUD) fitted but her conservator would not let her have it removed so she can get pregnant.
“This conservatorship is doing me way more harm then good,” she said.
Mr Spears was troubled by the singer’s allegations, according to his lawyer.
“He is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain,” the representative said in a statement read out in court. “Mr Spears loves his daughter, and he misses her very much.”
Mr Spears’ legal team has previously insisted he has done a good job of managing his daughter’s finances.
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Dozens of fans from the so-called #FreeBritney movement gathered outside the court before the hearing, holding signs reading “Free Britney now!” and “Get out of Britney’s life!”
“I’m here for her to have her rights and her freedom again,” one protester, Sage Gerwig, told the BBC.
What is the conservatorship?
A conservatorship is granted by a court for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, like those with dementia or other mental illnesses.
Spears’ conservatorship is split into two parts – one is for her estate and financial affairs, the other is for her as a person.
Under this legal agreement, Spears has not controlled her finances since 2008. That’s around the time she began to behave erratically amid her divorce from Kevin Federline and a custody battle over their two children.
The star made headlines in a series of public incidents, including shaving her head, and she was twice admitted to hospital.
Timeline: The key dates
First taste of stardom
Britney Spears, 16, catapults to the top of global pop charts with her debut single …Baby One More Time.
More than 20 years later, her debut album of the same name remains the best-selling album by a teenage solo artist.
Personal struggles burst into public view
Spears is hounded by the press amid a tumultuous custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline, allegations that she is an unfit mother and questions about her mental health.
Amid the tabloid frenzy, she is captured on camera shaving her head. A few days later, she smashes a paparazzo’s SUV repeatedly with an umbrella.
Spears’ father becomes her conservator
After stints in hospital and rehab, Spears’ father Jamie petitions a Los Angeles court to place his daughter under a temporary conservatorship. He is charged with making decisions about her career, as well as her estate and financial affairs.
The conservatorship is extended indefinitely later that year.
Las Vegas residency
Despite being unable to handle her own affairs, Spears continues to work. After rehabilitating her image with a successful seventh studio album and several appearances on television, she begins a four-year concert residency in Las Vegas.
Tussling over the conservatorship
Spears says she is taking a break from work because of her father’s health issues. Later in the year, Jamie Spears steps away as her conservator temporarily, citing his poor health.
Britney Spears indicates through her lawyers that she no longer wants her father to be involved in handling her career. A lawyer says Spears is “afraid of her father” and will not return to the stage as long as he retains control.
Framing Britney Spears film premieres
A New York Times documentary about the pop star’s rise and fall, as well as about her treatment by the media, generates mass public interest in her conservatorship.
The piece highlights the #FreeBritney movement, the legions of Spears fans who have stood beside the pop star and attempted to decode her public appearances as calls for help.
Specifics of the conservatorship have never been made public, but her father Jamie was initially in charge of both parts of the conservatorship.
He stepped down temporarily as his daughter’s personal conservator in 2019 because of health reasons – a move the pop star has requested to be made permanent.
What is the #FreeBritney campaign?
The hashtag originates from a fan site that disagreed with the conservatorship agreement in 2009, according to the New York Times.
Campaigners believe she has been forced to stay under the arrangement. They regularly demonstrate outside court hearings and have gathered again outside the courthouse in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
They have even asked the White House to end her conservatorship, submitting petitions with tens of thousands of signatures.
After Spears abruptly cancelled a Las Vegas residency and checked into a mental health centre in 2019 citing emotional distress from her father’s illness, the campaign gained renewed prominence.
A number of celebrities have also expressed support for the campaign, including Paris Hilton, Bette Midler and Miley Cyrus.
Why is this hearing so highly anticipated?
Both the #FreeBritney movement and the recent release of a New York Times documentary about the singer have renewed public interest.
But the pop star has not publicly commented much on the conservatorship battle, although members of her own family have spoken out against the order.
Court records from 2019, the last time she spoke in court, have never been made public. Spears’ online persona has often been very upbeat and she has steered clear of the case.
Why is she speaking now?
In April, the pop star asked to address the court through her court-appointed attorney.
She has previously indicated through lawyers that she no longer wants her father to be involved in handling her career.
Her lawyer told the judge that Spears was “afraid of her father” and would not return to the stage while he retained control.
She is seeking to permanently install Jodi Montgomery, a care professional, as her personal conservator instead of reinstating her father.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-57586405
