Last semester, at the very beginning of the #FreeBritney movement, I wrote an article explaining what Britney was undergoing and fighting against in her conservatorship. Now, almost eight months later, the road to justice is finally beginning to arise.
An Overview of the #FreeBritney Controversy
Jamie Spears, Britney’s father, was appointed to hold the position as Britney’s conservator back in 2008. Since then, he has had nearly complete control over nearly every aspect of Britney’s life, including her finances, family and even her own autonomy. So, without going too far back, how did any of this happen, anyway? The truth is, it never should have happened—at least not to the extent it was carried out. Conservatorships are typically placed on people who no longer have any reasonable ability to make sound decisions for themselves or others, and are therefore in need of a “conservator.” While Britney’s personal struggles with fame and publicity were anything but private back in 2008, she was very quickly able to get her life back to “normal.” She began working under the conservatorship and demonstrated her ability to function and adapt to her normal, working life. Despite this, Britney remained under her father’s authority at nearly 30 years old.
Beginning of the End
This past month, an end to Britney’s conservatorship finally began to seem achievable. With over six months of the #FreeBritney movement in full swing across social media, Jamie Spears filed to end the conservatorship. A large part of this case that caught my eye recently, was that Jamie had actually stepped down as Britney’s personal conservator in 2019 due to health issues. However, this decision was far from any progress. Jamie remained in control of Britney’s business and continued to oversee all financial, personal and medical decisions regarding the pop star. What makes this case so much more painful, is that Jamie had appointed other individuals to manage what he could no longer handle. Even with her father out of the picture, Britney was still dominated by his control. The most recent, and hopeful update, is that Jamie Spears has been suspended from Britney’s conservatorship as of September 29th. This suspension will remain in place until the next court hearing on November 12th, in which the conservatorship may be terminated entirely.
Although months passed by where Britney likely felt silenced by people like her father, she has slowly started to open up and express admiration for her supporters who fought for her right to be heard long before she had the ability to do so. What fascinates me the most about this case, is that social media was arguably the main driving force behind fighting for Britney’s justice. From even this small bit of justice, it is so refreshing to see the power that social media users hold. Until November 12th, keep sharing #FreeBritney, and all other causes you believe deserve change.