News Britney Spears pleads for judge to end 13 year conservatorship during first court appearance (1 Viewer)

[Darkseid]

Honestly, what's been happening to Britney since 2008 is not just terribly heartbreaking, but also kinda unbelievable. The once queen of pop music who now has no control over her own finances, career, or even her own body thanks to this conservatorship founded in 2008 which is being headed by her own father.

Source: Britney Spears pleads for judge to end conservatorship: 'I just want my life back'

Britney Spears passionately pleaded for an end to her conservatorship as she addressed a courtroom on Wednesday, saying, "I just want my life back."

All parties involved in Spears' conservatorship appeared remotely for the Wednesday hearing, presided over by California Superior Court Judge Brenda J. Penny. During the hearing, Spears said she has been "traumatized" and "depressed" due to the conservatorship, telling the court, "I cry every day."

"I've lied and told the whole world I'm OK and I'm happy. It's a lie," Spears said, saying she believed that if she said this enough times it might come true. "I've been in denial. I've been in shock. I am traumatized. I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry it's insane. And I'm depressed. I cry every day."

What did Britney Spears say during the June 23 hearing?
During the 23-minute statement she read over the phone, Spears told the court she wants to "get married and have a baby" but, due to the conservatorship, she isn't allowed to do either of those things.

The singer, who is currently dating Sam Asghari, explained that she has an intrauterine device, or IUD, that prevents her from getting pregnant. She claimed that those in charge of her conservatorship won't allow her to get it taken out by a doctor because they don't want her to have anymore children.

Spears said she deserves to have the freedom to make decisions about her family.

MORE: Britney Spears breaks silence on 'Framing Britney Spears' documentary
Speaking about the last time she addressed the court two years ago -- in a closed hearing at the time -- Spears said she didn't feel like she was taken seriously.

"I will be honest with you, I haven't been back to court in a long time because I don't think I was heard on any level," she said, later adding that the court keeping her father, Jamie Spears, as her conservator didn't sit well with her.

"It made me feel like I was dead, like I didn't matter, like nothing had been done to me, like you thought I was lying or something. I'm telling you again because I'm not lying. I want to be heard and I'm telling you this again so maybe you can understand the depth and the degree and the damage that they did to me back then," she explained. "I deserve changes."

Spears detailed how she was medicated and forced to attend treatment programs against her will.

The singer said her therapist took her off her normal medications and put her on lithium "out of nowhere," which made her feel "drunk."

"I really couldn't even take up for myself. I couldn't even have a conversation with my mom or dad really about anything. I told them I was scared," Not only did my family not do a g------ thing, my dad was all for it. Anything that happened to me had to be approved by my dad."

Spears claimed her dad once made her attend a "small rehab program" that cost $60,000 a month after she had allegedly failed a psychological test.

"I cried on the phone for an hour and he loved every minute of it," she said.

The program required her to give up all her possessions -- including her credit cards, cash, phone and passport -- and was given "no privacy" as she was observed at all times, including being naked in front of people while she changed clothes.

Spears also alleged that she gave eight vials of blood per week, wasn't able to see her kids or her boyfriend and was forced to work for 10 hours a day, seven days a week.

"My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship -- and my management, who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no. ... Ma'am, they should be in jail," she said, addressing Penny, adding that the people who did this to her "should not be able to walk away so easily."


Spears said she "would honestly like to sue my family" and to "be able to share my story with the world."

"It's embarrassing and demoralizing what I've been through -- and that's the main reason I've never said it openly," she said. "I didn't want to say it openly because I honestly didn't think anyone would believe me."

Spears called for her conservatorship to end "without having to be evaluated" and she feels the conservatorship is "abusive" and is "doing me way more harm than good."

"I deserve to have a life," she said.

In response to Britney's claims, a lawyer for her father read the following statement in court: "He is sorry to hear his daughter in so much pain. Mr. Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much."

Jamie has been Britney's conservator since 2008. Under the legal guardianship, she does not have control over her personal or financial affairs.

Fellow pop star Justin Timberlake, who dated Spears at the height of her success in the late-'90s and early-2000s, released a statement on Twitter supporting Spears after Wednesday's testimony.

"After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time," he wrote. "Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was … what's happening to her is just not right."

"No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body," the singer and actor, who is now married to actress Jessica Biel, added.

Read on to learn more about Britney's conservatorship and what both Britney and her father are fighting for in court.

Why does Britney Spears have a conservator and when was the conservatorship established?
The conservatorship was established when Spears was 26 years old after she was hospitalized for her mental health reasons, following displays of erratic behavior.

Through the legal guardianship, Jamie Spears has controlled his daughter's financial affairs ever since.

Andrew Wallet acted as the co-conservator of Spears' estate with Jamie Spears from 2008 -- when the conservatorship was put in place -- until 2019, when Wallet voluntarily resigned from the role. The Los Angeles Times reported that Wallet said at the time of his resignation in 2019 that Britney would suffer "substantial detriment, irreparable harm and immediate danger" if he didn't leave the role.

Jamie Spears still holds the position of co-conservator of his daughter's estate, along with financial group Bessemer Trust, which was appointed by Penny in November 2020.

The singer's father acted as the conservator of her person, which includes her medical decisions and more, until September 2019.

Jodi Montgomery stepped in as temporary conservator of her person due to Jamie's departure, which was attributed to health reasons at the time.

Spears doesn't want her father to act as her conservator, which she has expressed through her legal team. In August 2020, the singer's lawyer petitioned for Jamie Spears to be removed. The singer's lawyer requested that Montgomery take on the role of conservator of her person permanently and a corporate fiduciary be appointed as conservator of her estate.

A court filing obtained by "Good Morning America" in August 2020 read, "Britney is strongly opposed to having James return as conservator ... [and] strongly opposed to James continuing as sole conservator of her estate."


In November 2020, Penny, the judge, appointed Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator of her estate but did not remove Jamie Spears from his position. At that same hearing, Britney Spears' attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, reportedly shed more light on the singer's feelings toward her father.

"My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father," Ingham reportedly the judge, according to The Associated Press. "She will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career."

What is the latest update in the conservatorship case?
In the most recent hearing in the conservatorship case, which took place April 27, Britney Spears' attorney, Ingham, asked Penny if the singer could speak to the court directly.

Penny approved the request and set a June 23 court date.

According to The Associated Press, the singer has not spoken in court since May 2019 -- when the courtroom was sealed.


Following the March hearing in the conservatorship case, Ingham filed a petition requesting Jamie Spears' resignation as conservator of her person and asked that Spears' father be replaced with Montgomery. Spears is expected to discuss this if she does speak at Wednesday's hearing.

Lawyers for both Jamie and Britney Spears reportedly spoke during a February hearing about working on an investment plan for the singer's finances during the pandemic.

What has Jamie Spears said about the conservatorship?
Earlier this year, Jamie Spears' lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, spoke out on his behalf during an interview with "Good Morning America."

"I understand that every story wants to have a villain, but people have it so wrong here," Thoreen said on "GMA."

MORE: Britney and Jamie Spears' lawyers discuss co-conservatorship in court
Jamie Spears has faced heightened public scrutiny since the release of The New York Times and FX-produced documentary "Framing Britney Spears" in February.

The documentary, which the Spears family did not participate in, showcases the singer's legal battle to have her father removed from control of her financial and personal affairs. Many who worked with Spears in the early stages of her career share their thoughts on the conservatorship during the documentary.

Thoreen said on "GMA" that she feels perceptions attached to Jamie Spears as his daughter's conservator are inaccurate.

"This is a story about a fiercely loyal, loving, and dedicated father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation," she said. "People were harming her and they were exploiting her."

She also claimed that Spears' father has "worked tirelessly to protect her" during his time as her conservator.

Honestly I know Britney had an erratic period and the huge media limelight on her during her weakest moment didn't help matters but that was so long ago and since then her own family has been taking advantage of her in the guise of protecting her, and the courts haven't helped. Seeing where she is now, I fear things could get worse unless things get settled in her favor for good.

#FreeBritney

 

[Panda]

This is so saddening, she basically lives as a slave, this is so wrong on so many levels. She is meant to have human rights. People literally treat animals better than this.

 

[Darkseid]

This is so saddening, she basically lives as a slave, this is so wrong on so many levels. She is meant to have human rights. People literally treat animals better than this.

Yeah reading the details, I can't believe these things are even allowed, and have been happening for so long. Absolutely no control on any aspect of her life, a literal slave to her own family.

 

[Handcrafted]

It is messed up. She is being treated like a puppet against her will. This should be considered cruel and unusual.

 

[Handcrafted]

This is so saddening, she basically lives as a slave, this is so wrong on so many levels. She is meant to have human rights. People literally treat animals better than this.

Hello Panda, I agree completely with your point of view. You bring out different perspectives on the matter that I had not seen yet. Thank you for sharing your opinion.

 

[blueberries]

She's adult woman and they shouldn't keep this guardian stuff going without her consent. Even if she has mental health issues so what so has half of Hollywood and they don't lose their control over their own life.

 

[Darkseid]

She's adult woman and they shouldn't keep this guardian stuff going without her consent. Even if she has mental health issues so what so has half of Hollywood and they don't lose their control over their own life.

Yeah like it's been going for 13 years now, she's 39 and can't even have control over her body, let alone her finances. It's amazing how much power and authority the conservatorship has been given, basically infringing on her human rights.
I'm surprised such a thing is even allowed to this extent. Like if she was mentally broken to the point she can't do even basic activities by herself, I MIGHT have understood, but it's clearly not the case.

 

[Ashla_K]

This is just horrible, Britney's family has clearly taken advantage of her. She may have a mental illness but not to the point of being disabled. She can very well take care of herself and make decisions, like marrying someone... I'm honestly in shock, this is ridiculous...

 

[RandAlThor]

It has gone on far too long.

 

[Darkseid]

This is just horrible, Britney's family has clearly taken advantage of her. She may have a mental illness but not to the point of being disabled. She can very well take care of herself and make decisions, like marrying someone... I'm honestly in shock, this is ridiculous...

True, so many people and celebs too struggle with mental health, some have been very open about it too. But I can't remember anybody else being in this situation, and to think it's been happening for 13 years and idk how much longer, the feeling of helplessness that Britney must be feeling even after everything she's achieved.

 

[RandAlThor]

True, so many people and celebs too struggle with mental health, some have been very open about it too. But I can't remember anybody else being in this situation, and to think it's been happening for 13 years and idk how much longer, the feeling of helplessness that Britney must be feeling even after everything she's achieved.

its worse, everyone around her has taken advantage her entire life. each boyfriend / family staff ect.

Her public melt down just gave em even more opportunity.