by After a tenuous and physically and mentally gruelling 13 years of dependence and bondage, pop sensation Britney Spears got freedom from her conservatorship, on Friday, November 13. At the courtroom of Los Angeles, an entire posse of Britney fans erupted with joy when the 31 year old pop singer and artist got rid of her conservatorship, owing to her attorney Matthew Rosengart and Judge Brenda Penny, who presided over the case.
Britney has been unable to make her own decisions, personal or financial since 2008, when her conservatorship was put in place following a series of public struggles and her divorce from Kevin Federline. She married her backup dancer Kevin Federline in October 2004 after a whirlwind romance and even have two sons together, Sean Preston and Jayden James. However the couple broke up around 2008, and the po sensation experienced her first public meltdown. The paparazzi caught her shaving off her hair at a salon and Spears reacted to it by attacking a photographer ‘s car with an umbrella. She then quietly enrolled herself into a mental health care centre post a bitter struggle with addiction and over the custody of her children. She tried her hand at a comeback at the 2007 VMAs but unfortunately got criticised while performing “Gimme More”. Following a 72 hours hospitalisation episode also known as a 5150 hold, the “Slumber Party” singer lost possession and independence of her physical and financial welfare and had her father, Jamie, named as her conservator. She lost all rights and possession over her financial and physical assets, her independence and even her deals or signing of contracts would be guided and looked after by her father.
The singer would be forced to go on tours that would gross over millions but not get a penny out of it, she was also debarred from having custody of her two sons and despite a failing mental health, would not be able to hire her personal counsel or have control over her physical independence. Following the release of her seventh and eighth studio albums, Femme Fatale and Britney Jean, respectively, the pop icon announced she had landed a Las Vegas residency. Around the same time Federline came back into the picture demanding more of the singer for child support. All of her estate and business was then governed by Jamie and she didn’t have any say over how things ran. In 2019, Jamie fell ill, and Britney again checked herself into a rehab since she was suffering from depressive episodes and mental illness. Though she took a work hiatus to focus more on her family, as alleged by her father’s appointed spokesmen, the reality was way more complicated and harsh.
In 2020, the former X Factor judge requested to have her father permanently removed as her conservator and having Montgomery become her sole care manager. However she lost her case since the lawyer was even appointed to her by her father and she had no way out. Finally around June 2021, at a court hearing Britney Spears, the teen music sensation who revolutionised the pop music industry and churned out chart toppers and hits, came out with her 20 minutes long address to the court that was full of bombshell revelations. She revealed how she has felt enslaved over thirteen years by her own father and his greed for her wealth and lifestyle, prosperity and financial assets, had been forced to take lithium against her will and established absolute control over her physical autonomy. They forcibly put an IUD in her body to prevent her from having any more kids and added how her conservators wouldn’t let her go out, date whom she wants, marry whom she pleases and enjoy her wealth as she perceives is fine. She was not allowed to have a cell phone to connect with anyone without their permission too. Finally after a long drawn battle, she enlisted Mathew Rosengart as her attorney and on a Friday morning of November, the judge ruled her free of the conservator. Movements for #FreeBritney campaigns gained ground to favour the Grammy winner and help her return to her previous state. She got engaged to long-time boyfriend Sam Asghari around September previously.
In her social media post, the singer celebrated saying, “Good God I love my fans so much it’s crazy!!! I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day!!!!” and “Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen???? #FreedBritney.”
