Britney Spears asks court to end 13-year conservatorship, citing abuse

Britney Spears on Wednesday asked a Califonia judge to end her 13-year conservatorship without a health evaluation, alleging abuse by her parents, management and a former therapist. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

June 24 (UPI) — Britney Spears on Wednesday asked a California judge to end her court-ordered conservatorship without requiring her to clear a health evaluation.

Spears, 39, addressed Judge Brenda Penny for about 20 minutes by phone as she requested the termination of the conservatorship managed by her father, Jamie Spears, for nearly 13 years alleging she has faced abuse at the hands of her family and therapists including being forced to go on tour and perform in a Las Vegas residency, placed on lithium against her will and prevented from removing an intrauterine device so she can have another child.

“The main reason why I’m here is because I want to end the conservatorship without having to be evaluated,” Spears said, noting that she had researched similar cases where judges ended conservatorships without evaluations.

Spears, however, said she expected her family to contest her request, stating that her father “loved the control to hurt his won daughter” and noting he and others continue to profit off of her musical career.

Jamie Spears has been the conservator of his daughter’s $60 million estate since 2008 after she was placed on psychiatric hold.

On Wednesday, Spears said she has been “in shock” and “traumatized” while living under the conservatorship and that she felt her concerns were left unaddressed following her last court appearance on the matter.

“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,” she said.

Spears added that “a lot has happened” since that last court appearance detailing a stretch in 2018 where she was forced to go on tour under threat of legal action, noting the conservatorship would not allow her to hire her own lawyer to defend herself.

During this period, Spears said her management accused her of refusing to take part in rehearsals and failing to take her medication, noting her medication was administered in the morning when management was not present and that she developed her own choreography for the shows.

Spears said her management offered her the opportunity to drop out of a Las Vegas show but shortly after she did her therapist said he had received complaints from her management and placed her on lithium.

“He put me on that and I felt drunk. I couldn’t even have a conversation with my mom or dad really about anything,” she said, adding that multiple nurses were placed in her home while she was on the medication and she was not allowed to leave her home for a month.

Under the conservatorship, Spears said she has not been allowed to be alone in a car with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, and that they are unable to start a family together as she has been prevented from removing her IUD.

“I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told I can’t get married,” she said. “I have an IUD inside me but this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to remove it because they don’t want me to have any more children.”

As she closed her statement, Spears said that the conservatorship has done her “way more harm than good.”

“I just want my life back. And it’s been 13 years and it’s enough. It’s been a long time since I’ve owned my money. And it’s my wish and my dream for all of this to end without being tested,” she said. “Again, it makes no sense whatsoever for the state of California to sit back and literally watch me with their own two eyes, make a living for so many people and pay so many people trucks and buses on the road with me and be told, I’m not good enough. But I’m great at what I do. And I allow these people to control what I do, ma’am. And it’s enough, and it makes no sense at all.”

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here