Britney Spears Calls for an End to Her Conservatorship: "I Just Want My Life Back"
Britney Spears has finally spoken.
On Wednesday afternoon, the pop star appeared virtually in Los Angeles Court to address her 13-year-long conservatorship helmed by her father, Jamie Spears. The hearing marked the first time that Britney Spears has publicly addressed the legal arrangement, which has been in place since 2008, after she suffered a public breakdown. Since then, Jamie Spears has held control over his daughter’s personal, professional, and financial matters.
Spears addressed a multitude of grievances during her address to Judge Brenda Penny, acknowledging public scrutiny surrounding her mental health, performance capability, and her estranged relationship with her father. According to live reporting via Entertainment Tonight and Fox News, Spears admitted that she has put on a happy facade for her fans and the public to appear as if she’s okay with the circumstances under the conservatorship when in reality, she had been anything but. Spears said she had “lied” about her wellbeing “for years.”
“I am not happy, I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, it’s insane. And I’m depressed,” said Spears, per Fox and CNN. “My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship, including my management … they should be in jail.”
Calling for an end to the conservatorship, Spears said, “I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” per The New York Times.
“It’s not OK to force me to do anything I don’t want to,” the singer also said. The pop star continued, expressing how her ultimate desire is to be able to make basic life decisions on her own, such as going on a car ride with her longtime boyfriend, Sam Asghari, and have another child, which she alleges she’s not currently permitted to do.
