Today, it was announced that Britney Spears would remain under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie.
This comes after Spears attempted to free herself from her father in court. A judge turned down a bid to stop her father from returning as her conservator, ignoring Britney's requests to make her interim conservator, Jodi Montgomery, permanent.
Spears also requested that a corporate fiduciary, the Bessemer Trust, be put in charge of her fortune instead of her father. "My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father. She will not perform as long as her father is in charge of her career," said Britney's lawyer Samuel D. Ingham III. At the hearing, attorneys for Spears and her mother Lynne urged her father to step down.
But Jamie Spears' attorney was able to successfully defend his role, claiming that there is not "a shred of evidence" that could support his suspension. Spears did achieve one small win in court: The Bessemer Trust has been appointed as co-conservator, and the judge also didn't rule out the possibility that Jamie might someday be removed from his role.
Not the first conservatorship drama
In September 2019, after more than 10 years under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie, Britney Spears was appointed a new conservator.
This came after widespread controversy following a difficult August for the Spears family. Over the summer, Jamie fell ill—and was put under a restraining order after he apparently attacked his 13-year-old grandson, Sean Federline. Jamie underwent a criminal investigation and was banned from seeing his grandsons for the next two years. Following these events, Britney was appointed a new interim conservator, named Jodi Montgomery.
An experienced fiduciary worker, Montgomery had already been working with Britney in the context of a different role—her care manager. Previously, Montgomery was responsible for communicating with Spears' healthcare professionals. She has since been in charge of hiring security and caretakers for Spears, as well as managing restraining orders and health records.
What is a conservatorship?
A typical conservatorship is defined as a legal scenario where a "guardian or a protector is appointed by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another due to physical or mental limitations, or old age." In Britney's case, she was appointed a conservator after her public breakdown in 2007.
The specific details of the conservatorship have not been made public, but we do know that conservators control the financial and personal decisions of the conservatee. However, conservators are not allowed to force drugs or mental health residencies on anyone.
Why does Britney Spears need a conservatorship?
In addition to being one of the biggest stars of the 21st century, Britney has struggled with mental health issues for years. According to TMZ, Britney requires a conservatorship because of health issues that "prevent her from making sound decisions." Spears has a "disorder affecting her personality that can affect her state of mind," the article reports. "We're told she is doing 'extremely well' but needs the safety net of a conservatorship."
There is no clear consensus on what mental health issues Britney has, but we do know that she is on a cocktail of medications designed particularly for her. A change in these medications may have resulted in her April 2019 hospitalization, which sparked a new firestorm of speculation about Britney's autonomy and well-being.
What is the #FreeBritney movement?
The #FreeBritney movement began in 2017, when a podcast called Britney's Gram began investigating suspicious incidents around Britney's social media presence, speculating that Britney was somehow being held against her will. Apparently, they received a call from an anonymous source who said, "You guys are onto something."
The movement really took off after Spears canceled her Las Vegas residency in January 2019, and soon after, her father was appointed sole conservator. Then she checked herself into a mental health facility due to the stress from her father's illness. The podcasters continued to speculate, and the hashtag #FreeBritney took off.
Britney eventually slammed rumors that she was being held there against her will. She posted a video on Instagram with the caption, "My situation is unique but I promise I'm doing what is best at this moment." She also asked that fans respect her privacy as she "[deals] with all the hard things life is throwing [her] way."
Since then, the hashtag and movement itself have faced criticism from people who have defended Britney's personal life and privacy, as well as those who have lambasted #FreeBritney as a mental healthcare-shaming movement.
It's important to remember that there's nothing wrong with needing long-term healthcare or with allowing others to take charge and advise us. For someone like Britney, who was thrown into the public eye at a young age and who has faced endless harassment and traumatic experiences with her family, it's totally understandable that she might require assistance. Though our highly individualistic culture may tell us otherwise, there's nothing wrong with getting help, and having professional assistance is not a sign of weakness.
Fans call BS
Though it's very possible that Britney needs a conservatorship, Britney's consistent efforts to free herself from her father's clutches reveal that something is definitely afoot. Even if Britney needs a conservatorship, she shouldn't be forced to remain under her father's control; she should be granted the dignity of a professional caretaker or service at the very least.
Protest on, #FreeBritney martyrs. It seems Chris Crocker was onto something all along.