Following years of extreme discomfort, Britney Spears broke her silence at a court hearing on Wednesday, June 23, addressing her almost 13-year-old court-ordered conservatorship.
Thirteen years since the superstar performer has been under the control of her father, Spears requested an audience with Judge Brenda Penny to express her dissatisfaction with the deal. The artist took part in the hearing electronically and talked for some 20 minutes, reading from prepared notes.
“A lot has happened since two years ago…the last time I was in court,” she started. “I haven’t been back to court in a long time because I don’t think I was heard on any level when I came to court the last time.” Spears said she was compelled to perform, denied privacy, and that she was forced to use birth control, take medicine, and go to therapy sessions against her will. Despite her protests, Spears was placed on lithium.
“Lithium is a really powerful [medication] that is entirely different from what I’ve been taking. If you take too much or continue on it for more than five months, you risk becoming mentally ill.” According to Spears. “I was inebriated. I wasn’t even able to defend myself. I couldn’t even have a normal discussion with my mother or father. When I informed them I was afraid, they sent six different nurses to my house to keep an eye on me while I was on this medicine I didn’t want to be on in the first place.”
Lithium is widely used to treat bipolar disorder, which is characterized by periods of sadness and mania (a sense of agitation or excitement that is out of control) and is also effective for treating depression. Spears chastised her family, particularly her father Jamie Spears, for how they managed her conservatorship and addressed her worries about her care.
“My family didn’t do a God damn thing,” she stated emphatically. “My father had to approve everything that occurred to me… he was the one who authorized everything. My entire family remained silent.” Following a series of personal difficulties that played out publicly for the singer, Spears’ father, together with attorney Andrew Wallet, have been conservators of her estimated $60 million fortune since 2008. Spears had been entirely responsible for her money since Wallet’s departure in 2019, until Judge Penny appointed Bessemer Trust as co-conservator in November 2020. “Mr. Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.” Vivian Thoreen, an attorney for Jamie Spears, said to a news source.
Britney Spears stated she had communicated her dissatisfaction with her medical treatment and career management to her father, but that he “loved” the power he held over her. “My timetable was never my choice. They told me I had to do it all the time.”
Spears explained why she didn’t bring these problems up on social media, stating: “I thought I might become happy because I’ve been in denial.” “I’ve been stunned. I’ve been traumatized. Fake it ’til you make it, as they say. But now I’m going to tell you the truth, okay? I’m not pleased with myself. I’m having trouble sleeping. I’m enraged to the point of madness, and I’m despondent.”
Since her present attorney, Samuel Ingham III, was assigned by the court in 2008, the musician stated that she wishes to employ an attorney of her choice and begged the court to listen to her worries. “The last time I spoke to you…made me feel like I was dead, like I didn’t matter, like nothing had been done to me, like you thought I was lying.” “I want my voice to be heard. I’m telling you this again so you can get a sense of the magnitude and scope of the devastation… Going future, I want and deserve reforms.”
“All I want is my life back. It’s been 13 years, and it’s time to call it quits “she continued.
Spears added that she and her partner, Sam Asghari, want to raise a family. “I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby,” Spears stated. “I’m currently carrying an I[U]D inside of me to prevent pregnancy. I wanted to get rid of the IUD so I could start trying for a second kid, but this so-called team won’t allow me go to the doctor to get it removed because they don’t want me to have any more children.” She stated, “I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,”
Spears wrapped up her remarks by declaring, “In essence, the conservatorship is causing me much more harm than good. I am entitled to a life. I’ve spent my entire life working “she stated, requesting that the conservatorship be lifted. “I feel like I’m being ganged up on, that I’m being bullied, that I’m being left out and alone. I’m fed up with feeling alone. I am entitled to the same rights as everyone else.”
Following her statements, the court went into break and subsequently turned down the public audio stream of the hearing, citing live tweeting of the events that went against the court’s rules. On July 14, a previously arranged court hearing will take place.
Keep up with the latest trending music news by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Author: Luke Traina
Photo: Drew de F Fawkes