The Free Britney Movement – Conservatorship
After two years of legal guardianship, Britney Spears of the United States has asked a Los Angeles court to end what she calls abusive supervision of her career. She has expressed a desire to have her life back.
Jamie Spears was ordered to take responsibility for her estate and other aspects of her life as part of the court deal. However, the singer eventually attempted to remove her father from the role.
Activists behind #FreeBritney have created a grassroots campaign to support the singer in reclaiming control of her affairs. An increased level of attention was paid to the long-running legal dispute following the premiere of the film in 2021.
Even though Britney has repeatedly returned, her 38-year-old fans have expressed their displeasure over her continued conservatorship. Social media was utilized by #FreeBritney fans to raise awareness of the anomalies surrounding the conservatorship, believing the singer wishes to be freed from the arrangement.
The official website of the California Courts defines a conservatorship as when a judge appoints someone or something to take care of an adult who cannot look after themselves or manage their finances. The “conservatee” in Britney’s case is her father, Jamie, while the “conservator” is Britney.
The public breakdown of Britney in 2008 led to her being placed in conservatorship. An umbrella hit a paparazzo’s car with the singer’s umbrella after she had shaved her head and allegedly acted erratically for a year, leading to her being placed in a psychiatric hospital for a mental health evaluation.
As a result of his daughter’s mental health issues, Jamie petitioned the courts for an emergency “temporary” conservatorship at the time.
Provisional conservatorships had been formed around that time, and have been extended over the last decade – although the specifics of the order have not been disclosed.
The free Britney movement
During the conservatorship, Spears released three albums, held a lucrative Las Vegas residency, and appeared on many television shows, including a judge role on the US version of the X-Factor.
There has been some skepticism among Britney fans as to the conservatorship terms, questioning whether they were in Britney’s best interests. The #FreeBritney movement has recently gained traction after an unnamed lawyer, who once worked for the firm that controls Britney’s conservatorship, pointed out that Britney’s camp and her father regulate the pop star’s life.
Britney Spears’ brother, Bryan Spears, drew attention for an unusual interview in July. Podcast host Drew Plotkin spoke about his sister’s conservatorship in his podcast As NOT Seen on TV.
“She’s been in this business for a long time. Obviously, there was a need for it at the start. Now that they’ve made some adjustments, all we can do is hope for the best “Bryan stated.
“She’s always wished she could get out of it. It’s incredibly aggravating to have someone repeatedly urge you to do something, whether they’re coming in peace to help or coming in with an attitude. She’s been wanting to get out of it for a long time.”
What Britney has to say
For years, the singer’s online presence was cheery and unrelated to the news surrounding her case, and she never openly commented on the Free Britney Movement or conservatorship dispute.
On social media, there were some suspicions that she was sending covert messages. Her comments appeared to have responded directly to requests that she wears a yellow outfit next time if she needed some help.
Her father was placed under conservatorship as early as February 2008, according to the New Yorker, calling a lawyer while in the hospital. During the court proceedings, she was represented by Adam Streisand, who reaffirmed her desire not to have Jamie go under conservatorship.