Yesterday, pop star, Britney Spears, spoke publicly about her conservatorship in a damning 24-minute statement made in court.
The 39-year-old claimed that she had been forced to work against her will, and that the conservatorship — of which her father, Jamie, is the primary conservator —prevented her from getting married or removing her birth control.
Britney has now been under the conservatorship for over a decade, and here we break down everything to know about it, and where things stand now...
2008 — Britney was put under a conservatorship
After the pop star was publicly seen acting in what was deemed an erratic manner — driving with her infant son in her lap, and shaving her head — she was twice put under a 5150 hold in a psychiatric hospital for a mental health evaluation.
At the time, her former friend, Sam Lufti, told People that she went "willingly": " It was like something in her heart was telling her she should go. She knew something was wrong."
Then, her father, Jamie, petitioned the courts for an emergency "temporary" conservatorship, per The Guardian. It was ruled permanent by Judge Goetz and under the terms, he was able to oversee decisions about her estate, health, business — and even had the power to decide who she could and could not see.
Andrew Wallet was assigned co-conservator o the estate to help Jamie manage the singer's financial affairs.
Per reports, the judge said at the hearing: "The conservatorship is necessary and appropriate for the complexity of financial and business entities and [Britney] being susceptible to undue influence"
2008 — Britney speaks out about being "too in control"
In November of 2008, Britney gave fans a glimpse into her new life in the MTV documentary, Britney: For the Record.
Looking forlorn, she said that she thought her routine was monotonous, and that she felt "too in control".
"If I wasn’t under the restraints I’m under right now, with all the lawyers and doctors and people analyzing me every day — if that wasn’t there, I’d feel so liberated," she asserted. "When I tell them the way I feel, it’s like they hear but they’re really not listening … It’s like, it’s bad. I’m sad."
It was her last public comment on the conservatorship for over a decade.
2009 - 2019 — Britney quietly challenges the conservatorship amid it being extended
According to FreeBritney.net, the conservatorship kept getting extended each year, all while Britney released several albums, and completed a Las Vegas residency.
But while the Toxic singer did not speak publicly about the conservatorship, a June 2021 New York Times report shows that Britney had been expressing her grievances privately.
Previously sealed court documents show that her attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, said in a 2014 filing that the pop star had voiced concerns about her father's role — citing her drinking and a "shopping list" of other worries.
Then, in 2016, Britney spoke to an investigator who told the court that she was "sick of being taken advantage of" and felt like she was "the one working and earning her money but everyone around her is on her payroll." At that time, she also requested to end the conservatorship for good.
2019 — Britney goes on an "indefinite tour hiatus"
In January 2019, Britney announced she was going on an "indefinite work hiatus" after her father suffered a life-threatening illness.
"I am dedicating my focus and energy to care for my family," she said in a statement at the time. "We have a very special relationship, and I want to be with my family at this time just like they have always been there for me."
Shortly afterwards, it was revealed that her new album and second Vegas residency would be delayed. Then, in April of 2019, Britney checked into a mental health facility.
According to Page Six, an anonymous source claiming to have worked as a paralegal for a law office alleged that Britney was admitted to the facility because she had been refusing to take her medication and was seen driving — something that went against the conservatorship’s guidelines. This was confirmed in the New York Times' June expose.
2019 — Jamie requests that the conservatorship be extended to more states
In May of 2019, per ET, Jamie filed a notice of intent to extend Brtiney's conservatorship outside of California to three other states, which were, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Florida.
"Mr. Spears, in his capacity as Conservator of the Person and Estate, intends to register the Orders appointing Mr. Spears as a Conservator of the Person and Estate, as well as his Letters of Conservatorship, with states outside of California, in accordance with each of the states' required procedures, including without limitation at this time, the following: Florida, Louisiana and Hawaii," the court documents read.
2019 — Jamie stepped down as Britney’s primary conservator.
In August of 2019, Jamie was accused of being in a physical altercation with the pop star's 14-year-old son, Sean.
He stepped down as her primary conservator, with her longtime "care manager", Jodi Montgomery, temporarily taking over. Jamie cited health reasons as the issue.
Criminal charges were not filed against Britney's father, but Kevin Federline got a restraining order to keep their children away from Jamie following the incident.
This did not remove Jamie from the conservatorship altogether.
2020 — Britney's brother breaks his silence
In July, Britney's brother, Bryan, went on the As not Seen on TV podcast, and discussed her plight candidly.
"She's been in this thing for quite some time now. Obviously, there was a need for it in the beginning," he said. "Now, they've made some changes, and all we can do is hope for the best." He also said that the conservatorship has "been a great thing for our family, to this point, and [we] keep hoping for the best."
Bryan added that his father Jamie has "done the best he could, given the situation he was put in" and spoke about how the family has "had to work together" to "keep it all going."
"One person might be on stage and doing this, but it's a sacrifice from everybody," he continued. "Everyone is putting in, to some degree, a little bit to keep everything going."
2020 —A judge denies Britney's request to remove her father
In August of 2020, the Stronger singer's attorney filed a petition saying that the hitmaker "strongly opposed" having her father return as sole conservator once had recovered from his health issues.
She did not request to have the conservatorship ended completely but to "have a qualified corporate fiduciary appointed to serve in this role."
In November, a judge denied Britney's request to remove her father from the conservatorship despite Ingham saying that she was "afraid" of him.
2020 — The conservatorship gets extended... again
A hearing that took place on December 16th, 2020, resulted in Britney's conservatorship being extended through to September 2nd, 2021, per ET.
"I love my daughter and I miss her very much. When a family member needs special care and protection, families need to step up, as I have done for the last 12-plus years, to safeguard, protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally," her father said, as reported by the publication. "I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family."
2021 — Framing Britney Spears airs
The documentary, Framing Britney Spears, quickly went viral on social media — and tackled Britney's astronomical rise to fame, and how she was treated by the industry and the press as a teenager.
Celebrities took to social media to voice their support for the pop star, and #FreeBritneySpears trended on Twitter.
Singer Kacey Musgraves wrote on Twitter, "Y'all..it's plaguing me that nobody knows if @britneyspears is truly okay. Really hoping that if she isn't she can formally vocalize it in some way and that she knows all of us on the outside really give a s**t about her well-being."
2021 — Britney's boyfriend slams Jamie
Britney's boyfriend of three years, Sam Asghari, took to Instagram Stories in February to condemn her family, per E! Entertainment.
"Now it's important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way," he wrote. "In my opinion, Jamie is a total d*ck. I won't be going into details because I've always respected our privacy but at the same time, I didn't come to this country to not be able to express my opinion and freedom."
"I’m not upset at anybody, but you know what? What I said is what I said. I think he’s a d*ck," he added to TMZ later that day. "That’s just my opinion, but I’m not going to go into details. That’s it, man. I hope [we can be on good terms one day]. Once he starts treating his daughter right, then we can be on good terms."
2021 — Britney's lawyers ask a judge to end her conservatorship
The singer's lawyers went back to court to ask a judge to remove Jamie as her conservator, per The New York Times.
2021 — Jamie apparently wants the conservatorship to end
Jamie's lawyer, Vivan Lee Thoreen, told CNN in March that he would also like the conservatorship to end.
"[Jamie] would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship," Thoreen said. "Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney. If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it."
2021 — Lynne Spears demands that Jamie's legal feeds be repaid to Britney
In April, court documents obtained by US Weekly, as reported by ET, showed that Britney's mother, Lynne, officially objected to over $890,000 in legal fees that Jamie's law firm had accumulated since October 2020.
Lynne, who divorced Jamie in 2002, alleged that the fees from Jamie's law firm, Hollan & Knight, are "procedurally and substantively improper."
She added that the services were not "performed in good faith for the benefit", and that the company is demanding "utterly excessive" compensation.
Jamie's legal team proceeded to file court documents that said that Lynne's objections were without merit, and that she was "not acting in the best interests of her daughter."
They also claim that she "exploited her daughter's pain and trauma for personal profit by publishing a book" about the singer — that is Lynne's 2008 memoir, Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World.
2021 — Britney requests to speak in court for the first time
On April 27th, 2021, it was announced that Britney had requested to speak in court for the first time.
"The conservatee has requested that I seek from the court a status hearing at which she can address the court directly," Britney's co-appointed lawyer said, as reported by the New York Times.
2021 — Leaked court documents show Britney was forced to perform while unwell
The New York Times report shows that in 2019, Britney alleged that she was forced to perform while she had a 104-degree fever.
Footage of that concert later went viral on Twitter, which shows the Overprotected singer stating: "I’m about to pass out, and I’m sick. I have, actually, a 102 fever right now."
2021 — Britney makes a 24-minute statement in court before judge Brenda Penny
Britney told a Los Angeles judge on Wednesday, June 23, that she is now so traumatized that she cries daily, adding: "I just want my life back."
In a 20-minute address to the court via video link, the Toxic singer said: "I want to end this conservatorship without being evaluated.
"I deserve to have a life, I've worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two to three-year break."
Elsewhere in her testimony, Britney alleged that she was forced to check into a live-in rehab treatment. "The control he had over someone as powerful as me, as he loved the control to hurt his own daughter 100,000%. He loved it," she testified, according to a transcript of her statement published by Variety.
"I packed my bags and went to that place. I worked seven days a week, no days off, which in California, the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking."
She added: "Making anyone work against their will, taking all their possessions away - credit card, cash, phone passport - and placing them in a home where they work with the people who live with them. They all lived in the house with me, the nurses, the 24-7 security."
Britney claimed that if she didn't "work from eight to six at night...seven days a week, no days off" that she wasn't allowed to "see my kids or my boyfriend."
Elsewhere, the singer said that the "conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good," she said. "I'm not happy, I can't sleep. I'm so angry and I cry every day."