Will Britney Get the Justice She Deserves?
Image by Hawk Herald
Britney Spears’ conservatorship has dominated the headlines due to her recent testimony of conservator abuse and court filings to remove her father as her conservator. The Spears family has also faced disputes in court and on social media. Britney called out her sister, Jamie Lynn, for claiming to be a part of Britney’s support system. Britney’s honest testimony to the court about the abuse she has experienced under her father’s conservatorship and her social media posts calling out her sister further prove to the public that the court needs to return Britney’s freedom as soon as possible.
If you have not been following this case closely, here is a quick history of the conservatorship. In 2008, after a series of public mental breakdowns, Jamie Spears, Britney’s father, was appointed her conservator. In other words, he gained control over her affairs and estates because the court deemed she was unfit to individually manage her assets. Since then, there has been speculation about Britney’s well-being and her life under the conservatorship because of some of her social media posts. As a result, a podcast called Britney’s Gram dissects her Instagram feed.
The podcast helped launch the #FreeBritney movement in April 2019 after the hosts received information from an anonymous paralegal working on Britney’s conservatorship who stated Britney’s father was forcing her to receive mental health treatment against her will. The New York Times documentary, Framing Britney Spears, is partially the reason why Britney’s case gained even more attention from the general public.
Britney detailed the abuse she faced in her public court statement on June 23, 2021. She revealed that she was forced to take drugs, including lithium, after refusing to perform, was not allowed to remove her IUD, and does not have any privacy. Following this statement, on July 1, the judge denied Britney’s request to remove her father as her conservator. However, this denial was based on Britney’s November 2020 request and not the June 23 testimony.
In response to the testimony, Britney was granted the opportunity to choose her own lawyer and she selected Matthew Rosengart. Since his appointment, Rosengart has filed a motion to remove Britney’s father from the conservatorship. He has also asked the judge to expedite the next court hearing.
In addition to updates from Britney’s legal battle, headlines surfaced about her Instagram battle with Jamie Lynn Spears. According to US Magazine, their Instagram dispute began with Jamie Lynn confirming that she was the only family member not on Britney’s payroll. In addition, Jamie Lynn posted a caption claiming to have always supported her sister. Britney responded on her own platform: “I don’t like that my sister showed up at an awards show and performed MY SONGS to remixes!!!!! My so-called support system hurt me deeply.” A few days later, Jamie Lynn posted a caption, “May the peace of the Lord be with you, and your spirit,” but later changed the text to a peace sign emoji and a heart emoji. Britney responded in the comments: “May the Lord wrap your mean ass up in joy today.”
With Britney’s increased outspokenness, she shows her distrust of her immediate family. Although the biting social media captions may not appear in her legal battle against her father, they serve as further proof to the public of Britney’s mistreatment. People are rallying behind the #FreeBritney movement, only adding fuel to the fire.
There are still many questions about what comes next for Britney. On August 12th, the court ruled that Britney’s father must begin to step down from the conservatorship. While this is a step in the right direction, it remains unclear if he will actually step down and, if he does, when he will. In addition, Britney will remain in the conservatorship under a different conservator. Additionally, we have yet to see if the court is planning on investigating Britney’s claims of conservator abuse. Britney’s case and the removal of her father as conservator shows the power of listening to women’s stories of abuse and raises awareness about the abuse many face in the industry. Her bravery sets an important example for others on the power of using your voice to hold others accountable.
Links to support:
https://www.change.org/p/freebritney-668d16a1-3d9a-44c3-9ad7-0653ebadbc9c
Link to Framing Britney Spears documentary:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/framing-britney-spears.html
Other action items:
Use the #FreeBritney hashtag
Be wary of buying Britney merch and other sponsored content
We all have to keep advocating for Britney and not let one piece of good news result in complacency. Keep your eyes on the headlines and continue to advocate for those stuck in abusive, controlling relationships of any kind.
By Marla Hiller
La Croix obsessed, coffee addicted, podcast fanatic.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/britney-spears-conservatorship.html
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/britney-spears-conservatorship-updates/
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/britney-spears-conservatorship-timeline-1193156/
https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/9445049/free-britney-spears-movement-started/