After a culmination of efforts involving Britney Spears herself, her lawyer and thousands of loyal fans, the conservatorship that once stripped the pop star of basic rights has finally been put to an end. Not only was this conservatorship oppressive, but it also kept Spears from having the right to manage her $60 million estate that she worked so hard to accumulate. With her newfound freedom, many are wondering what is next for Britney Spears and what is to happen with her father, Jamie Spears, and the other individuals who wrongfully put her under this conservatorship in the first place.
Under the conservatorship, Britney Spears did not have access to the same rights that any normal adult has. Her father managed to persuade court officials and various medical professionals into believing egregious lies, such as Britney having early onset dementia among other mental health problems, in order to place her under a temporary conservatorship. However, although it was supposed to be a temporary decision made for her mental wellbeing, the conservatorship would remain imposed upon her for a majority of her adult life.
After the court case on Nov. 12, 2021, the court determined that Britney Spears did not need to be placed under any type of conservatorship anymore and that she was mentally capable to take care of herself. After this decision was made, hundreds of fans decked out in bright, pink and white outfits who decided to stand outside awaiting the decision erupted into celebration. Now, Britney Spears will be able to have the freedom to choose her own legal team, make her own medical decisions, sign her own contracts and most importantly, gain entitlement to her estate. Essentially, for the first time in 13 years, Spears will be able to live her life as a normal woman.
Although this victory was one for the books, the fight is not over. Britney Spears still faces lawsuits from her father and her former business manager, Lou Taylor. These individuals are the main perpetrators responsible for enslaving Spears. Over the course of 13 years, they forced the pop star to work grueling hours, often performing back-to-back shows without any breaks as revealed in the Netflix documentary released earlier this year, which recounts the conservatorship from the perspectives of those close to the singer. Her father also refused to grant her any body autonomy 一 in the courtroom, Spears recalls being denied the ability to have an IUD removed. And while all of this was happening, these monsters were collecting millions of Britney’s hard-earned income each year. After a while, it became undoubtedly obvious that the heavy surveillance and control over Britney’s life was never about her wellbeing 一 it was about greed.
Lou Taylor’s company, Tri-Star, has received many subpoenas to obtain Spears’s financial records, yet they have not complied and have been ignoring the many requests submitted by Britney’s lawyer, Rosengart. Furthermore, Jamie Spears’ lawyer has maintained that there is nothing to be pursued further in terms of Jamie’s history in surveillancing his daughter. However, it is speculated by Rosengart that this is all to avoid taking any more accountability.
While it’s amazing that Britney Spears is now free, it’s important that fans continue to support this movement because it is far from over. Britney will now be under a magnifying glass by those who are out to get her now more than ever. If at any point she acts irresponsibly, many vultures could take this as proof that she isn’t mentally sound to take care of herself. Her support system must remain vigilant in the months to come until the legal battles are over and Britney can finally walk away as a free woman.
