Based on court testimony, it’s evident that Britney Spears was ill-served during her nearly 14 years under conservatorship. In hindsight, she might have been crying out for help in her hit song “I’m a Slave 4 U” even before then.
Of course, her fans could be forgiven for receiving it as her sexy coming-of-age anthem. But her famous testimony this summer about how her own dad, James Spears, was always more slave master than loving father gave new, subversive meaning to that song. It appears he headed a conservatorship that amounted to little more than a committee designed to exploit and abuse Britney.
More to the point, though, the viral nature of the “Free Britney” campaign was such that this came as no surprise:
In June, Ms. Spears, 39, told the court that the arrangement, which stripped her of control in nearly every aspect of her life, had traumatized and exploited her, and asked for it to end without her having to undergo additional mental evaluations.
On Friday, Judge Penny agreed. ‘The conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,’ she said.
Judge Penny found that there was ‘no need for a capacity declaration’ of Ms. Spears, noting that it had been a voluntary conservatorship.
(The New York Times, November 12, 2021)
But unlike her die-hard fans, I think there are many other stories of far greater importance than Britney’s freedom. That’s why this is the first time I’m bothering to comment on her fate in over 14 years.
No doubt, her father was an abusive conservator. But it might be helpful to remember that Britney continually showed why she should be under conservatorship. Back in 2006, I noted how Britney’s “bald spot” antics revealed she was likely a worse influence on K-Fed than anyone assumed, despite popular belief that divorcing him would bring her to her senses.
Sure enough, less than two years later, in 2008, her father “petitioned the court for authority over his adult daughter’s life and finances, citing her very public mental health struggles and possible substance abuse.”
But here’s the, er, crazy thing. Anyone who knows about the public antics that led to Britney’s conservatorship in the first place could be forgiven a sense of déjà vu. After all, her antics on social media these days suggest she might be going through eerily similar public mental struggles.
When she’s not publishing Helter-Skelter dancing videos, she’s bullying her mother and little sister or publishing “OnlyFans” images of herself. Frankly, it can only be a matter of time before even die-hard fans think: Oops! Another conservatorship might be in order for “Free Britney.”
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