Britney Spears requested to speak in court on Wednesday, June 23, concerning her 13-year conservatorship. This is the first time Spears will speak about it publicly since it began in 2008.
What We Know:
- Spears has not been in charge of her personal life or finances under the conservatorship controlled by her father, James “Jamie” Spears. Typically, a legal and financial conservatorship is arranged for individuals unable to make decisions in their own self-interest, which mostly includes elderly populations or those with cognitive impairments. The exact reasons behind Spears’ conservatorship are unclear. In the 13 years it has lasted, she has released 4 albums, appeared on reality television, and had a Vegas residency that grossed $138 million.
- The conservatorship controls Spears’ financial, medical, and personal well-being decisions. It also arranges her visitations with her two teenage sons her ex-husband Kevin Federline has custody of. In 2020, with the help of her lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, Spears stated that she opposed her father as conservator and refused to perform until he was removed.
- LA Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny ruled in favor of Spears in February to have a third party help look after her financial affairs. Bessemer Trust is now a co-conservator for Spears. A court-appointed professional has also taken over as chief conservator over life choices. While Penny refused to remove Jamie entirely, he now plays a much smaller role.
- In April, Spears’ legal team asked Penny if she could speak directly to the court and they agreed on June 23 for the date of her virtual appearance. If Penny doesn’t make a last-minute decision to seal the proceedings, this will be Spears’ first open court statement addressing the conservatorship. Previous court filings had been sealed.
- Fans have speculated for years that Spears was an unwilling participant in her conservatorship. Under the #FreeBritney movement, they have advocated for her to regain her autonomy. While Spears has never voiced a desire publicly for the conservatorship to be removed, The New York Times received access to court records that show she privately disputed it for years.
- In 2016, an investigator wrote that Spears informed her the conservatorship had turned oppressive. In 2019, Spears told the court she was forced to stay in a mental health facility and perform against her will. Ingham wrote in a September filing that, “At this point in her life when she is trying to regain some measure of personal autonomy, Britney welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans.” Her father and his attorneys believe her and her $50 million fortune are still at risk of fraud and manipulation.
- When Spears did address the court Wednesday she pleaded for the conservatorship to end. Spears spoke of the traumatizing experience, saying she was barred from getting married or having children. She testified, “I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive, but ma’am there are a thousand conservatorships that are abusive as well. I want to end the conservatorship.”
Spears continues to credit the conservatorship for saving her career. When asked in an Instagram Live if she would return to performing after her now 2 and a half year hiatus, Spears said, “I have no idea. I’m having fun right now. I’m in a transition in my life and I’m enjoying myself. So that’s it.”
