Source: Variety
Last June 23, 2021, Britney Spears asked a Los Angeles judge to end the court-appointed conservatorship that has possessed all control over the star’s life and career, preventing Spears from living on her own. Ever since she publicly struggled with her mental health, she has lost all autonomy of her life. For over ten years, the pop star allowed this to continue until she declared via a remote connection that “enough is enough.”
In a highly passionate statement, Britney Spears openly expressed to the judge her desire for the conservatorship to end. For the past decade, the 39-year-old has been under the sole conservatorship of her father, Jaime Spears, who has taken control of her life since 2008, from managing her finances to handling her social life. This legal arrangement was then converted to a co-conservatorship with a wealth management company, Bessemer Trust.
“I think this conservatorship is abusive. I don’t think I can live a full life,” she said. “I feel ganged up on, I feel bullied, and I feel alone.”
“I shouldn’t be in a conservatorship if I can work and provide money and work for myself and pay other people. It makes no sense,” she added.
Britney Spears talked about her life under a conservatorship that was kept hidden from the public eye. She said that she was constantly being exploited, which caused Spears to suffer from sleep deprivation and depression. She even added that the conservatorship traumatized her, recalling one incident in Las Vegas in which she did not want to do additional shows. Although the talented artist’s handlers did not force her to perform shows anymore, there were consequences to that. Days later, her therapist changed her regimen because Spears was allegedly uncooperative in Vegas.
In another shocking revelation, Britney Spears claimed that the legal arrangement prevented her from starting a family with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari. She further revealed that she was prohibited from visiting a doctor to remove the IUD inside of her, forcing Spears to keep them in place.
“I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told I am not able to get married,” the singer claimed. “I have an IUD inside me so that I won’t get pregnant, but this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out.”
“This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good,” she added.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny lauded Britney Spears for her brave statement, encouraging her to file a petition to end the conservatorship. “Mrs. Spears, I just want to commend you again for really stepping forward and stepping out to have your thoughts heard by not only myself but everybody who has been involved in this case,” she said. “I just want to let you know how much I appreciate that,” she added.
On the other hand, Jamie’s legal team argued that the conservatorship had improved Britney’s estate, which is no longer swimming in debt. They also added that her father’s motive had always been his “unconditional love for his daughter and a fierce desire to protect her from those trying to take advantage of her.”
Nonetheless, Britney’s lawyers vowed that the pop star would no longer perform any shows until she regains control over her life.
“I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy—it’s a lie. I thought just maybe if I said that enough, maybe I might become happy because I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized,” Britney Spears shared.
References:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/britney-spears-conservatorship-hearing-2021-06-23/
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/jun/22/britney-spears-conservatorship-testimony
