Pop icon Britney Spears has been making headlines for the new documentary, Framing Britney Spears, made by the New York Times. It was released on Feb. 5 and has shown the darker parts of Britney’s life that had been hidden for years. The documentary opens with Britney’s rise to stardom, as well as her eventful downfall due to her personal struggles. Britney rose to fame at 15 when she released the major hit, “Hit Me Baby One More Time.” Her career took off following this release. As it turns out, her life was not as glamorous as it appeared.
Following her first major hit, Britney gradually became more provocative in her music videos. She started receiving hate and criticism in response. However, this did not stop her from her claim to fame. She continued to rise in popularity but began to suffer mentally due to a variety of factors. One of these factors was that everyone wanted something from her. This left her feeling very lonely. She would have several paparazzi following her around on a daily basis which left her feeling as though she had no freedom or privacy.
Another detriment to her mental health was her relationship with Justin Timberlake. From 1999 to 2002, they were considered the “it couple.” However, in 2002, they ended their relationship. This breakup was difficult for Britney, who had fallen in love with Justin. Justin’s response to their breakup also played a major part in Britney’s personal struggles: when asked if he had slept with Britney, he responded with,“Ok, I did it.” This quote led to many talk show hosts using this as content for their shows. Britney was horrifically slut-shamed within tabloid magazines solely due to a claim that Justin had made.
Her marriage to Kevin Federline, which ended in 2006, was another challenging time for Spears. She soon lost custody rights to the children that they had together. At this time, she was abusing both alcohol and other substances, which led her to, according to Today, “voluntarily check herself into an undisclosed treatment facility.” Soon after, in 2008, in order to gain more freedom in her visitation rights to her children, she agreed to enter into a conservatorship, with her father being the main executor of it. According to Glamour Magazine, “…her father and an attorney were granted a temporary-then permanent (in October 2008)-conservatorship over her assets, estate, and business affairs.” Following her placement under the conservatorship, Britney began to appear as though she was doing much better, performing at concerts all over the world.
However, in 2019, as fans began to learn more about Britney’s conservatorship and how limiting it was on her own personal freedom, a movement started worldwide, otherwise known as “Free Britney.” According to the New York Times, “now that she is 39, a growing number of fans are agitating on her behalf.” This fan agitation stemmed from the fact that she was not the same person that she was when originally placed under the conservatorship, which is why fans argue that it should be lifted altogether. As Glamour Magazine said, “as of November 4 that year Britney filed an official motion to permanently remove her father as a co-conservator of her estate. Her lawyer reportedly requested that Bessemer Trust Company be the sole conservator moving forward.”
Spears’ legal representative even attested that “the singer has told him ‘on many occasions’ she’s afraid of Jamie [Spears’ father] and doesn’t want to perform professionally while he’s in the current role.” Britney’s request to remove her father completely was denied in a court on Nov. 10. Britney, as well as her fans, are continuing to fight for her freedom against this conservatorship.