#freebritney! In the end, the singer may win her lawsuit – and her freedom. No word yet on when her father will relinquish guardianship.
Jamie spears and his daughter britney
When her 1998 debut single". Baby one more time when britney spears appeared on the scene, she was just 16 years old. The song conquered the charts worldwide and became one of the best-selling singles of all time.
More than two decades later, not much has remained of the glamour of the successful years. The new york times-documentary "framing britney spears" highlighted the pop icon’s personal struggles in june 2021, which reached its temporary climax with a years-long legal battle with her family.
Surprising turn in the proceedings
But now there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for the 39-year-old singer: jamie spears has agreed to step down from his longtime role as guardian. This was announced by his lawyers, as reported by numerous U.S. media outlets. This would end the controversial 13-year guardianship that gives Spears control over his daughter’s finances – and much of her personal life.
at the end of june, a court had initially rejected britney spears’ application to revoke her father’s guardianship. she tried again – with a new lawyer, which ultimately led to success. Jamie spears’ lawyers have now said that while there are no grounds for his removal as guardian, "he does not believe that a public dispute with his daughter over his continued service as guardian would be in her best interests.". There should be an orderly transition to a new guardian. However, an exact timetable is not mentioned.
Under control for 13 years: britney spears (archive photo)
Britney spears had only been heard in court herself for the first time in the matter in mid-June 2021. on the phone, she had read off a statement peppered with strong accusations against her family and her guardians.
20-minute statement
The singer had said she wanted the whole world to know the truth. "I am traumatized, I can not sleep. And I’m depressed – I cry every day." she accused her parents of exploitation. For 13 years they would profit from their money – estimated at 60 million dollars – and control their private lives.
She was forced to give concerts, spears said. she was also pressured to take the drug lithium, although she felt bad afterwards. Lithium is used to treat manic depression. She is also not allowed to make her own decisions in her private life, says the singer.
Under the hashtag #freebritney, fans demand "freedom" in los angeles court for the singer
She’d like to get married and have another child, but she hasn’t been allowed to see a doctor to remove her birth control coil. Spears has been friends with dancer and fitness trainer sam asghari since 2016. She has two sons, aged 14 and 15, from her marriage to kevin federline, which she divorced in 2007.
Why is britney under guardianship?
Britney spears’ father, jamie spears, has been her guardian since 2008. At that time, the singer had herself committed to a psychiatric clinic after a custody dispute with her then-husband Kevin Federline.
"’They are images that are not easily forgotten’, wrote the newspaper "LA times" about the singer: "spears driving a car with a baby on her lap. She shaves her head, speaks with a British accent. As she is wheeled out of her beverly hills mansion on a stretcher."
Jamie spears was then named trustee of his daughter and her business assets along with andrew wallet, a los angeles lawyer.
Business and visiting hours
under california law, guardianship is warranted for a person "who is unable to adequately provide for his or her personal needs, such as physical health, food, clothing or shelter" or for a person who is "substantially unable to manage his or her own financial resources or to resist fraud or undue influence".
Jamie spears not only got the right to take over his daughter’s businesses or sell her possessions, but also gets to decide who can visit her.
Britney spears at a 2016 performance. The singer hasn’t been on stage since 2019
In the years under his tutelage, the singer has released several albums, is a judge on the TV casting show "the X factor", and has been a member of the jury Performed a total of 248 performances of her permanent show "britney: piece of me" between 2013 and 2017 completed in las vegas, which brought in nearly 138 million dollars (116 million euros) in ticket sales.
This made fans wonder: the so successful pop singer should be unable to manage her own affairs?
Back in the psychiatric ward
2019 britney spears said her planned permanent show "domination" from. Andrew wallet resigned as co-manager of her estate. A court had previously awarded him a pay rise, arguing that he had saved the singer from financial ruin, and his compensation was then 426.000 dollars a year. Fans’ skepticism grew: why did he suddenly give up lucrative post?
After wallet’s exit, jamie spears became sole administrator. Then in april 2019, the pop star again admitted herself to a psychiatric facility.
world star: britney spears also toured the world under guardianship, here at a concert in south korea
The comedians – and avowed spears fans – tess barker and barbara gray discussed in their podcast "britney’s gram" about the posts on the singer’s instagram account. They suspected britney spears was sending hidden messages in it, trying to get out of her situation. This is how the #freebritney movement was born.
Fans demand: #freebritney
"Britney’s social media always posts something ‘happy’ to make britney look like she doesn’t care about guardianship", #freebritney supporter renato silva told DW.
The two podcasters said they received an anonymous message from a paralegal who was said to have been working with lawyers on britney’s guardianship. "You are on to something . What’s happening here is disturbing to say the least", is said to have transmitted to you. Besides, her father was behind the cancellation of the "domination"-show put.
Singer asks for privacy
#freebritney trending soon on twitter. The singer herself asked in an instagram video to respect her privacy – but fans were not convinced.
also pop singer miley cyrus shouted at one of her concerts: "free britney!" even britney’s mother, lynn spears, liked posts claiming her daughter was being held against her will. in august 2020, jamie spears called the #freebritney movement a "conspiracy theory" and "joke.
seemingly perfect world: spears in 2002 with her then-boyfriend justin timberlake
In a court hearing in november 2020, britney spears’ lawyer, samuel ingham, said the singer no longer wanted her father to be her guardian and that she feared him. his client will "not perform again as long as her father is in charge of her career".
Abuse of guardianship
Since then, organizations such as the american civil liberties union in favor of freeing the singer from her legal corset. her fans are not only concerned about britney spears, but also about the signal effect that the case is sending out.
"Guardianship is very popular in the united states", says renato silva. The device could be misused to inappropriately control other people "to get their money". Britney spears is a cautionary tale, says her fan. "A big star like her can’t even date or drive a car without a permit."