What You Need To Know About Britney Spears’ Conservatorship, and Why She Needs Our Support

If you have been on the internet recently, you have likely heard about all of the news surrounding Britney Spears, her father, and her management team. The thirty-nine year old pop star has spent the past thirteen years under a conservatorship, which by definition is the event in which a judge appoints a person to act as a guardian or “protector” of another. This person would take control of the conservatee’s daily life and finances due to circumstances that deem them unfit to manage themselves (i.e. old age, mental illness, physical ailment, etc.)

However, despite its beginnings rooted in a concern for her mental health, Spears has proven countless times throughout the length of her conservatorship that she is a fully capable adult: releasing four studio albums, headlining a global tour, and serving as a celebrity judge on the X Factor, on top of being a mother and human being in her right mind. Despite this, Spears’ conservators -which include members of her family such as her father, Jamie Spears, and her management team- have control over her finances, communications, and personal decisions. 

So how did the #FreeBritney movement come to life? In April 2021, Spears requested an open hearing to discuss the terms of the arrangement. Although her conservators asked that the information divulged in this hearing be kept sealed, Spears fought to have the public hear her voice. On June 23rd, 2021, the public hearing took place, in which she revealed the truth of her experience as a conservatee. She described her isolation, the emotional abuse she endured, and other horrible events that have happened to her at the hands of her manager, her attorneys, and even her own father. She even went on to say to the court, “my dad, and anyone involved in this conservatorship, and my management, who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no—Ma’am, they should be in jail.” 

Further details reveal that Spears has been forced to endure an unnecessary and inhumane amount of emotional and physical hardships under her conservatorship. This includes being forced to perform under burning hot spotlights while she maintained a high fever, being prohibited from seeing her own children because she is forced into rehearsals and performances, and being called countless horrible names by members of her own family that made her feel worthless and ignored. She has also been prohibited from making personal connections with her past significant others, and has been used for her body and sex appeal for publicity for years.

After the details of the hearing and Britney Spears’ recount of her conservatorship were made public, music industry professionals, public figures and fans have doubled down in support for Britney, advocating for her release from the legal structure that has kept her chained and out of control of her own life. Fellow female pop icons Mariah Carey, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Christina Aguilera have reportedly been preparing to launch a legal fund in support of Britney, while fans on social media are circulating the hashtag #FreeBritney to express their disgust towards the situation. One fan stated, “Britney pays for her dad’s attorney’s to fight AGAINST her. It’s time for her to have a lawyer who will actually help her. LET BRITNEY CHOOSE. #FreeBritney.”

Some of Britney’s conservators have spoken out on the situation in an effort to control the situation. Even her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, released a video showing her “support” towards Britney. However, fans are not believing any words from Britney’s team or family, as they continue to support the singer in her calls for help.

The most recent developments of the case is that many of Spears’ team members -including her appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham; her longtime artist manager, Larry Rudolph; and her business manager Lou Taylor- have resigned from their positions in light of the social and legal storm that they are facing. However, more details continue to arise on the conditions in which Britney Spears was forced to work under her conservatorship, which leads to more unwavering support from the public for the pop star’s freedom.

There is much to unpack regarding Britney Spears’ conservatorship, and all of the different layers and legal issues that come with this issue. However one thing that is clear is that she nor any human is deserving of the kind of unfair treatment that she endures. As the public continues to advocate for Britney and against her conservators, we can only hope that she remains hopeful and optimistic for her desired outcome, and that the legal system that has imprisoned her can make the necessary changes for her freedom.