In 2008, Britney Spears was put under a temporary conservatorship that was only supposed to last a few days following her public mental health crisis. But it was continually extended until it became permanent. Much of Spears’ life was under the main control of her father, Jamie Spears, and a team of additional conservators.But on June 23, 2021, Britney Spears appeared in court to publicly request an end to the 13-year-long conservatorship for the first time. Many aspects of the conservatorship had been enacted against her will, beginning with the involuntary psychiatric hold in 2008. For more than a decade, fans, other celebrities, and investigative journalists had expressed concern for Spears’ welfare. Even the ACLU was pro-termination of the conservatorship.In Spears’ livestreamed statement to the court, addressing Judge Brenda J. Penny, she detailed instances of coercion, manipulation, and abuse in her conservatorship. Among other things, she said she was forced to work under threat of lawsuits or lifestyle restrictions, given medication without her consent, and endured excessive psychological evaluations. She claimed she didn’t have access to adequate self-care and was prevented from removing an IUD inserted without her consent.Britney Spears Makes First Public Request to End Abusive Conservatorship in June 2021Britney Spears would often post updates on social media, assuring fans that she was fine. But in her statement, she revealed that these reassurances were false. She also shared her fears of expressing these statements previously.“I didn’t want to say any of this to anybody, to the public, because I thought people would make fun of me or laugh at me and say, ‘she’s lying, she’s got everything, she’s Britney Spears’,” she said in court. “I’m not lying. I just want my life back, and it’s been thirteen years, and it’s enough.”The levels of control in her conservatorship seemed to go beyond finances and well-being. Spears added that it had “been a long time since I’ve owned my money,” expressing her disbelief and frustration.“It makes no sense whatsoever for the State of California to sit back and watch me make a living for so many people, and pay so many people—trucks and buses on tour, on the road with me—and be told I’m not good enough,” she continued. “But I’m great at what I do, and I allow these people to control what I do, and it’s enough. It makes no sense at all.”The Case Drags On With Months of Back-and-Forth Legal FilingsThe distrust between Britney Spears and her father was persistent. Spears made her claims in court, and her father immediately launched an investigation. Various attorneys, both of Spears and her father, were brought into question. Abuse allegations, motives, and accusations were thrown around. Overall, the case was convoluted and difficult. Much of it relied on trust, belief in the victim, and often contradictory stories.But Britney Spears had an endless supply of support. From people who knew her personally, like her mother, Lynne Spears, and ex-husband Kevin Federline. But also from complete strangers who were watching her fight unfold in the media. The #FreeBritney movement, which mobilized following the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, was growing. “Free Britney” was the phrase on everyone’s lips.From Britney Spears’ testimony on June 23, the case continued through the summer months. Back and forth between her and her father’s team. Motions denied, counteractions filed, opposition at every turn. Spears’ legal team resigned in July, and she chose her own attorneys after that. On September 7, 2021, however, Jamie Spears reversed his position on the situation. In a shocking move, he filed a petition to terminate the conservatorship, stating that “circumstances have changed.” The legal statement added that “all he wants is what is best for his daughter”.By September 23, Judge Penny suspended Jamie Spears as conservator. This effectively ended the control he had over Britney Spears’ life, career, and finances for 13 years. On November 12, the long, traumatic saga came to an end. The conservatorship was officially terminated.The high-profile nature and publicity around the case led to much closer scrutiny of conservatorship law and abuse. While Britney Spears’ situation was extreme due to her celebrity status, her case still set a precedent for future conservatorship cases. The post 5 Years Ago Today, the ‘Free Britney’ Movement Began With Britney Spears’ First Attempt to Leave Conservatorship appeared first on VICE.