Who’s controlling Britney Spears’s massive net worth now?
If you’re not familiar with the chaos of Britney Spears’s life you may, understandably, think the answer to the question “Who is in control of Spears’s net worth?” would be “Well, Britney Spears, duh.” However, the answer isn’t quite so cut & dry.
In fact, Britney Spears fans have been concerned for years now that she has about as much autonomy as a child. Ever since Spears shaved her head in 2007 the public has been concerned with the pop queen’s mental health. It wasn’t long before Spears was involuntarily placed in a psychiatric facility.
Ever since then Britney Spears hasn’t had the kind of agency or freedom one would expect a grown adult to have – let alone the kind you’d expect an extremely successful & rich adult to have. Here’s the situation as it stands.
Conservatorship
After Spears was placed into a psychiatric facility against her will, Spears’s father, Jamie Spears, went to the courts suggesting that he should be given conservatorship over his daughter Britney. A conservatorship is often called a legal guardian – you know, what parents legally are to their children who are minors. Except Britney was already in her 20s at this point.
Usually a conservatorship is granted to people who are looking after elderly family members who are no longer able to take care of themselves – not to parents of capable young adults, regardless of whether the young adult is lashing out because their mental health needs aren’t being met.
Eventually the lawyer, Andrew M. Wallet, who helped Jamie gain the conservatorship could become co-conservator alongside Jamie. Definitely not weird & suspicious at all.
Conservators are able to control the finances of their conservatee as well as their day-to-day life, meaning Britney might have to ask for permission to do things like drive to the grocery store or post to social media. Some fans believe she isn’t even allowed to choose who she dates.
Current affairs
If you’re thinking that, perhaps, a temporary conservatorship might have been useful for Britney Spears while she dealt with her own mental health, that’s understandable. However, less than a month after the conservatorship she was seen working on projects & guest starring on TV shows, so it doesn’t seem like she was given any time for herself.
As for the current state of things, Britney is still under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie. Though Wallet removed himself from being co-conservator in 2019 citing Britney Spears would be faced with “substantial detriment, irreparable harm, and immediate danger” if he didn’t – a rather dramatic & concerning statement.
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— myley ♡ (@myley__) July 7, 2020
How the #FreeBritney movement happened
Phrases like “if you’re in danger blink twice” have become a joke on the internet, and aren’t usually taken seriously. However, fans of the Queen of Pop have noticed her Instagram feels . . . weird. It frequently posts videos of Britney posing in various positions without saying a word, even if there isn’t music dubbed over, these videos often feature one short clip looped over & over again to make it seem longer. The account tends to repost its own images a lot as well.
At one point someone in the comment section asked the star to wear yellow in her next post if she needed help – and she did. It could have been chalked up to coincidence (how many famous people actually read the comments?) But seemed to be a real cry for help when this was repeated again later.
In fact, another former Disney star, Vanessa Hudgens, asked Spears to let the world know if a different post with a yellow shirt was a secret message. Hudgens’s comment said, “If this is a secret message show us a rose and let us know it’s your favorite flower.”
While Spears’s next Instagram post didn’t contain a rose, it was a yellow square with the word “yellow” at the top and phrases like “optimism, sunshine, laughter” listed underneath. The caption merely read “Why yellow is my favorite color !!!”
Jamie Lynn Spears
When asked about the situation, Britney’s sister, Jamie Lynn, refuses to speak about it saying it wouldn’t be right. Before the conservatorship, Jamie Lynn was named the trustee of her sister’s estate. Meaning in the event of an untimely death Jamie Lynn was supposed to ensure the pop star’s money would be put in a trust for Britney’s two sons.
Recently Jamie Lynn made a court filing asking that the money be moved to new accounts with herself as the sole custodian. So, at the moment, it looks like Jamie Lynn is hoping to be the one in control of Britney’s net worth, though sources say Jamie Lynn did this at her sister’s request.
The two sisters are known for being extremely close and trusting one another so, despite reports this action is unrelated to the conservatorship, it might be a move to prevent those vying for control over Britney to have access to her wealth.
Current battle
Right now Jamie, Britney’s father, is the sole conservator. Recently Britney’s lawyer submitted a request that the conservatorship, which was due to expire on August 22, be “substantially” changed. Including a request to remove Jamie as conservator.
The conservatorship was renewed by courts this month, extending it into 2021.
The ACLU recently tweeted this on the subject of Britney Spears’s legal battles, “People with disabilities have a right to lead self-directed lives and retain their civil rights. If Britney Spears wants to regain her civil liberties and get out of her conservatorship, we are here to help her.”
People near her speak about the situation
Britney’s brother, Bryan, was on a podcast in July where he admitted that Britney has wanted to be free of the conservatorship for years saying, “having someone constantly tell you to do something has got to be frustrating. So yeah, she’s wanted to get out of it for quite some time.” It’s a small window into what Britney’s life is like, but it does paint a picture of a serious lack of freedom.
Britney’s longtime friend (and 55-hour husband) Jason Alexander surprised many by appearing at a protest filled with fans for the #FreeBritney movement. He said “I’ve been quiet for 10 years and I feel [like] what a good time to come forward now”.
These statements both withhold details, but seem to imply the conservatorship is unnecessary and stifling.
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All we can say is #FreeBritney.
