Britney Spears' public fight to free herself from the conservatorship she has been under for 13 years is continuing to make headlines.
Last month, she delivered an explosive testimony where she said claimed that she had been forced to work against her will, and that the conservatorship prevented her from getting married or removing her birth control
Last week, following the news that Judge Brenda Penny denied her request to have her dad Jamie removed, Britney doubled down. "I’m here to get rid of my dad and charge him for conservatorship abuse," she told Penny via remote video, per Variety. "I want to press charges for abuse on this conservatorship today… all of it."
But surprisingly, Britney is not the first celebrity to have been under a conservatorship. Other stars, who have been deemed "troubled" or otherwise incapable of making choices for themselves, have also been placed under legal guardianship; here are five of them.
1. Amanda Bynes
Fellow teen icon, Amanda Bynes, was placed under conservatorship after struggling with her mental health in 2014. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and battling a drug addiction when her mother, Lynn Organ, was appointed conservator. Organ has been in control of her finances ever since, per E! Entertainment.
In February of 2020, Bynes took to social media to state that she wanted to end the conservatorship, largely due to the costs she was incurring under the legal guardianship. She also said that she wanted to marry her boyfriend, which she allegedly could not do without her mother's permission.
"I have been going to a treatment center that charges $5,200 a month," she said. "There’s no reason why I shouldn’t go to a therapist who takes my insurance for $5,000 less a month. This is why I’ve asked to see the judge next week regarding this conservatorship issue."
2. Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys founder was appointed a new conservator in the 1990s after his brother, Carl, and cousins, Mike and Stan Love, filed a lawsuit against his longtime live-in psychologist and one-time legal guardian, Eugene Landy.
The singer's family claimed that Landy had manipulated Wilson, who had suffered from schizo-affective disorder, as well as alcohol and drug abuse.
They alleged that Landy never actually treated these issues, and had instead misdiagnosed Wilson with paranoid schizophrenia, pushed him into a grueling fitness regimen, and was incredibly controlling.
In 1990, his family appointed a new conservator, and prohibited Landy from ever making contact with him again.
3. Joni Mitchell
In March of 2015, singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell suffered a severe brain aneurysm, which left her unable to speak, and unresponsive for some time. Even in 2020, she said that she was still "struggling to walk" after the incident.
At the time, her friend, Leslie Morris, was appointed her conservator to "provide for temporary care, maintenance and support" — a role she remained in until at least 2015. "While (Mitchell) has made great progress toward recovery, she lacks [the] capacity to make informed medical decisions," her lawyer said.
Mitchell actually stated that she was so pleased with Morris' role as her temporary conservator that she would have liked her authority to continue.
"She also told me that she receives excellent care from caregivers around the clock," her lawyer said in court papers. "It was clear that she was happy to be home and that she has made remarkable progress. She has physical therapy each day and is expected to make a full recovery."
4. Mickey Rooney
In February of 2011, Mickey Rooney and his estate were placed under the temporary conservatorship of Michael Augustine, after $400,000 was reportedly missing from the actor's accounts.
At the same time, his family was involved in a long feud, and there were also claims of "elder abuse", with his stepson, Chris Aber, being forced to stay 100 feet away from Rooney after court documents alleged that Aber "threatens, intimidates, bullies and harasses Mickey."
The conservatorship remained in place until Rooney's death in 2014.
5. Randy Meisner
In 2016, following the sudden death of his wife, Lana Meisner, via accidental shooting, Eagles co-founder and bassist Randy Meisner was granted a temporary conservatorship. He requested it himself, telling the judge: "I just want to get over this, I’m in a lot of pain right now."
The judge ruled that Meisner be put under the care of his longtime friend, Arthur Ford, and his finances under the watch of the accountant, Tom DeLong.
