#FreeBritney: Why is Britney Spears trying to get her dad out of her life?
Let’s talk about Britney Spears for a moment and how her life really isn’t her own. Following her very public breakdown and mental health crisis back in 2008, Britney, 26 at the time, had control of her welfare handed over to her father, Jamie. Depending on where you live, this arrangement is called a conservatorship or a guardianship, this left Jamie Spears with a lot of power over Britney’s life.
Just how much power? A lot. Britney Spears’ dad has control over her finances, health care, and aspects of her daily routine. Now, this conservatorship was initially supposed to be temporary. Over a decade later, it’s still in place. There have been a lot of court proceedings going on for years about getting it removed, though that’s largely been kept under wraps.
So just what is going on here? What’s happening with Britney Spears? Here’s what you need to know.
Is Britney okay?
The infamous cry back in the day when Britney Spears was having her mental breakdown was “Leave Britney alone!!!” Now, however, people are wondering if she’s even okay. In the 12 years under her father’s conservatorship, Spears has been practically working non-stop: world tours, four albums, a four-year Vegas residency that lasted for 248 shows. That’s on top of parenthood as well.
Basically, it’s a lot for someone. Given the role of conservatorship over her, people are wondering if she wanted to do all these things. Or was Britney forced into it? The thing about celebrities in the modern age is that she looks alright on social media. Her Instagram are selfies, dance videos, and inspirational quotes. She appears to be in a better place than back in 2008.
To others in the #FreeBritney movement, Instagram is a cry for help. There are definitely a lot of wild theories: Britney has been killed and replaced by a clone, Britney is leaving messages to ‘Call 911’ in her eyelashes, and, well, you get the idea. Still, people are concerned that Britney’s life isn’t her own and that she should have the chance to manage her own affairs. That’s what it comes down to.
Britney fights back
There are a lot of rumors surrounding the conservatorship of Britney Spears and what her dad has done. But, unfortunately, that’s all they are at this time rumors. In a recent Vanity Fair article, Spears 12-year old “temporary” conservatorship is baffling a lot of people. An estate planning and probate attorney, Lisa MacCarley said, “Even up in Sacramento when I talk to legislators, they say, what’s going on? Nobody understands it.”
Now, it looks like Britney is trying to get some of her freedom back. Unfortunately, getting out of a conservatorship is, well, tricky to say the least. Back in Aug., Britney’s attorney filed documents to try to get Jamie Spears out of the conservatorship. On Tuesday, Spears made a push in court again for his removal. She asked that Bessemer Trust Co. take over completely.
Judge Brenda Penny, however, denied that request. She did, however, say that Bessemer Trust Co. would share the duties with Jamie Spears going forward. In documents, Spears said that her father was planning to try “to retain full functional control of her assets, books, and records in the face of Britney’s objections.” Jamie Spears’ lawyers contend that he’s done a good job as a conservator and should not be removed.
So is Britney stuck?
Judge Penny is open to hearing more about the case in the future, but for now, her ruling is going to stand as is. Britney’s lawyer, Samuel Ingham III, said in court that his client is afraid of her father, and that he believes it’s in her best interest to “start with a clean slate”. Even still, the co-conservatorship that Penny ruled for was something that he believed he could make work.
Right now, Britney is stuck in a half measure. According to Ingham, however, she “continues to move in the direction of greater autonomy”. For as long as her father is in the conservatorship of her, she won’t be performing.
