Since growing up in the limelight, Britney Spears’ long history with mental health has many times been the source of public scrutiny. Now, a second wave of the #FreeBritney movement has surfaced that theorizes the singer is being held hostage by her conservator. But a new report denies that the singer’s arrangement is unhealthy, rather stating it’s quite the opposite.
A recent report from TMZ quells the #FreeBritney movement, saying the singer is continuing to work through an ongoing battle with mental illness. The report states that the last two years have been particularly difficult for the singer as her former medication stopped working and doctors were having trouble finding the right dosage and combination. TMZ claims that sources have confirmed Spears sometimes pushes for “more freedom,” but she ultimately “hasn’t been especially stable managing her mental illness.”
Spears’ father had been conservator, or legal guardian, for the last 12 years before ceding the role to her manager in 2019. While it’s true that 12 years is an unusually long time, TMZ’s report points out that the singer’s mental health conditions most likely necessitate a lifelong conservatorship. Moreover, there were many professionals who weighed in on the legal decision. In order for a conservatorship to be granted, a handful of doctors, lawyers, therapists, and a judge all have to deem it necessary.
According to the report, a source close to the singer said the conservatorship was put in place to protect Spears’ safety: “These people who are screaming for the conservatorship to end, well if that happened and she hurt herself or died 2 weeks after would these people utter a peep? No way.”
A hearing to review Spears’ conservatorship was originally set for September last year but after the singer didn’t show, a new date was scheduled this April. Due to the pandemic, the official court date was delayed and is now set for July 22.
Revisit Uproxx’s timeline of the #FreeBritney movement here.