Furious Britney Spears finally speaks for herself in court case against father
Britney Spears finally spoke in court for the first time - and she took no prisoners in a blistering address.
“Bear with me. I’ve got a lot to say.”
And with that, Britney Spears delivered a jaw-dropping speech in court today regarding her ongoing conservatorship, making multiple allegations of mistreatment and calling the situation “abusive.”
In the blistering testimony, Spears alleges she was kept in a drugged state, has no control over reproductive matters and has been barred from letting the public know the “harmful” truth of her situation.
“He loved the control he had over me, one hundred thousand percent,” Spears said of her father Jamie Spears, who has been in control of her finances since 2008 under her controversial conservatorship arrangement.
“I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and happy. I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatised. I can’t sleep, I’m depressed, I cry every day.”
“But now I’m telling you the truth, I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry it’s insane… I cry everyday.”
RELATED: Disturbing on-stage Britney video resurfaces
Spears said she wanted the conservatorship arrangement to end “without having to be evaluated.”
“I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” she said, as per Variety. “It’s my wish and my dream for this to end.”
Spears opened up about her final tour in 2018, claiming she was “forced” to do it and told her management she didn’t want to - that’s when she alleges she was put on lithium, a “strong” drug that made her feel drunk.
Spears also said she would like to have more children and marry her boyfriend Sam Asghari but her wishes are being blocked by the conservatorship.
“I have an IUD (birth control device) in my body right now that won’t let me have a baby and my conservators won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out,” she said.
Finishing up her 20-minute address, Spears said she was “tired of feeling alone” and wanted “the same rights as anybody else.”
“Basically, this conservatorship is doing me WAY more harm than good. I deserve to have a life, I deserve to have a two, three year break and do what I want to do. I wish I could stay with you on the phone forever because when I get off the phone, I hear all these ‘no’s’. ‘No, no, I feel ganged up on. I feel bullied and I feel left out and alone. I’m tired of feeling alone. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does by having a child, a family, all of those things. That’s all I wanted to say to you - thank you so much for letting me speak to you today,” she said.
TMZ reports that after Britney spoke, the judge commended her for her bravery and said she “would entertain any request to end the conservatorship and start the process of holding hearings.”
The court then took a recess - after which, Britney’s father Spears was able to respond to her speech through his lawyer. Fox News reports the lawyer said Jamie is “sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain.”
Meanwhile, Sam Asghari made a public show of support for his girlfriend hours before she spoke in court, posting a photo to Instagram in a ‘FREE BRITNEY’ t-shirt:
He’s not the only person offering his support - Britney’s fans today swarmed the courthouse to show up for their idol:
RELATED: Bombshell documents expose Britney’s grievances
What is the conservatorship all about?
According to California law, a conservatorship is when “a judge appoints a responsible person (a conservator) to care for another adult who cannot care for herself or her finances”.
The legal guardianship is usually used to protect the very old or those who are mentally or physically disabled, to make sure they’re not being taken advantage of.
RELATED: Torrid history of Britney’s court case
In the past, eagle-eyed fans on Reddit had dredged up paperwork from 2008, filed by Jamie, claiming Britney had dementia, which would give him even more power over the pop star under California code, including “(the ability) to make most medical decisions without the court’s permission”.
This claim was supported by documents aired in BBC documentary The Battle For Britney, with the forms confirming Jamie did indicate his daughter had dementia to justify having control over her finances.
According to The New York Times, the conservatorship means all of Britney’s expenses, including trips to Starbucks and iTunes purchases, are turned over to the court.
When did her conservatorship start?
Britney dominated the tabloids in the early 2000s for her relationship with Justin Timberlake, a 55-hour marriage to her childhood friend Jason Alexander and, of course, her head-shaving breakdown which included attacking a photographer’s car with an umbrella after her marriage to Kevin Federline fell apart.
In 2007, she voluntarily checked out of the Crossroads rehab centre in Antigua and famously shaved her head in a Los Angeles salon.
Afterwards, she went to a tattoo parlour to get an inking of a woman’s lips on her wrist. The tattoo artist claimed that Britney told her, “I don’t want anyone touching my hair. I’m sick of people touching my hair,” when asked about her new look.
In 2008, Britney was placed on an involuntary psychiatric hold after not sleeping for five days. It was her second stint in a hospital that year; the first came after refusing to return her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, then 2 and 1 respectively, to their father, Federline.
As for the conservatorship, it was first put in place in 2007. At the time, it was insisted that the conservatorship was designed to protect her and stop people from taking advantage of her financially.
But recent BBC documentary The Battle For Britney casts doubt over who is really benefiting from the situation, claiming her court-approved lawyer for the past 13 years is being paid $12,900 ($A17,000) per week by Britney’s estate.
Documents shared by The New York Times on Wednesday also indicate that Britney has been uncomfortable with the arrangement for many years.
Previously sealed documents reveal she wrote in 2016 that she was “sick of being taken advantage of” and felt she was “the one working and earning her money but everyone around her is on her payroll”.
Her lawyer has also claimed the Toxic singer is “afraid” of her dad.
What happens next
TMZ reports that after Britney spoke, the judge commended her for her bravery and said she “would entertain any request to end the conservatorship and start the process of holding hearings.”
Britney’s court-appointed lawyer Samuel Ingham also addressed the court after her speech, saying he was “concerned” about several of the issues she had raised: “I am happy to take guidance from the court on how to setup replacing me. I serve at the pleasure of the court and if the court decides I should be replaced I am fine with that,” he’s reported as saying.
In the past, Mr Ingham has asked the court to appoint Jodi Montgomery as her permanent conservator, replacing her father.
Ms Montgomery has acted as Britney’s conservator in the past when her father was ill. The request was to have Ms Montgomery appointed to the permanent conservator of Britney’s person, while it remained unclear if the role would also fulfil the needs of her estate.
But today, Britney demanded an end to the conservatorship altogether.
Another hearing regarding the estate’s accounting documents is set for July 14.
Barack’s sweet post amid divorce rumours
Barack and Michelle Obama post Valentine’s Day selfie as divorce rumours swirl.
Read more
Massive royal scandal erupts
The fresh allegations are the latest in a scandalous saga involving the royal, with cops obtaining video of the claimed attack.
Read more
Meghan ‘upset’ over backlash: ‘Took its toll’
It’s been a rocky couple of years for the Duchess of Sussex, but one PR storm really devastated her, it’s been claimed.
Read more