Stronger Than Yesterday
All Eyes On Me In The Centre Of The Ring
On Wednesday, June 23rd Britney Spears spoke out against her conservatorship for the first time in 13 years. True to form, she put on a memorable show.
In a 24 minute statement to the judge, Britney alleged several instances of abuse, negligence, and exploitation.
She told the court that she gets punished for not taking orders, was put on lithium as a means to control her behaviour, had been forced to get naked in front of strangers while at a mental facility she was put in against her will, had been locked in her home for a month, and was isolated from friends she made in AA.
If that wasn't horrific enough, Britney is also being forced to keep an IUD in her body to prevent her from having more kids. They’ve controlled her reproductive rights the same way you would a dog.
Throughout the statement the anger in her voice is palpable. While admittedly flustered, this is a 39-year-old woman ready to fight. She is daring anyone to hit her one more time.
In her words, “Ma’am, I’m not here to be anyone’s slave.”
Britney and her dad, Jamie Spears
Miss Bad Media Karma
For those who haven't been following this case, let me catch you up to speed.
This is the story of a girl named Britney.
Britney has been in a conservatorship since 2008. After her head shaving and umbrella weaponry moment, her father orchestrated guardianship as a form of “protection”. Today Britney has two conservators who concurrently run her estate and person, meaning she’s legally not able to sign her own contracts, manage her finances, make decisions on her medical care, vote, drive a car, have custody of children, and a laundry list of other basic human freedoms.
Conservatorships are meant for vulnerable adults who are unable to take care of themselves, namely those with severe disabilities or declining dementia patients. As such, they’re built to be permanent
Fans have long taken issue with Britney's arrangement. It's hard to rationalize how a woman who is deemed incapable of taking care of herself can also do multiple world tours, studio albums, TV show guest spots, and a Vegas residency. Even weirder is having her previously absent, alcoholic, and abusive father in charge. Jamie Spears is not exactly the expert you would expect to run her empire. Factor in that he makes a cut of her business deals, and the conflicts of interest start to look more than a little suspicious.
For a while, Britney seemed happy. During the Vegas shows she took a step away from the limelight, and her Instagram posts of flower paintings, spinning around, and at-home fashion shows kept us placated. We were lulled into believing that maybe this setup was for the best.
In 2019, however, theories started to spread. Her normally cheery account went dark, her second Vegas residency was cancelled, and she was admitted into a mental facility. Immediately fans dug up dirty details on the deals behind the scenes. They found trails of money from the Britney Foundation had been funnelled into conversion camps, heard first-person accounts of Britney being pressured into behaving, and started diving into the world of conservatorship abuse.
#FreeBritney was born.
Earlier this year Framing Britney Spears paved the way in creating empathy for Britney. #SorryBritney started trending, and we saw what 2007 was like from her point of view. She was over-worked and over-exposed with no outlet for her mental health. Suddenly more people were interested in her legal proceedings.
While the evidence was mounting against her father and the stakeholders of her estate, one piece kept #FreeBritney skeptics afloat: we hadn’t heard from Britney herself. Fans were often told we were putting words in her mouth. Hilariously, naysayers shoved those words right back. Regularly I heard things like, “if she was really so miserable she would say something,” or “she seems crazy to me”.
On Tuesday The New York Times dropped an exclusive outlining horrific details about the conservatorship. They uncovered court documents showing Britney's attempts to be freed and the blatant dismissal of the judge in her affairs. In one of the more aggravating moments, Britney requested that her father be tested for alcohol since she thought he may be relapsing. The judge responded with, "And who is she to be demanding that of anybody?”
Who is she? Your literal job is to act in the best interest of the conservatee, and you're asking WHO IS SHE?!?!
IT’S BRITNEY, BITCH!
By Wednesday Britney addressed every claim herself. It was a moment for the history books - B Day, if you will. Not only were her statements shocking, but she ensured her message made it to the public. When lawyers asked for the hearing to be closed, Britney chimed in with the most badass rebuttal: “They've done a good job at exploiting my life…they should listen and hear what I have to say.”
We were ready to hear her this time.
100% done with this shit
Overprotected
No matter how jaw-dropping the allegations are, it isn't enough to end a conservatorship overnight. Remember that every person involved in her court proceedings is earning money off her estate. There is not a single incentive for them to rush this process.
Until she's freed, Britney is stuck in a perpetual state of limbo: not a girl, not yet a woman.
In the statement, she gives a list of requests. Her demands aren’t outlandish considering she's one of the most famous people in the world. You'd almost expect her to want private planes and a hidden island, but the reality is depressingly humble.
Britney wants to drive in the car with her fucking boyfriend, stain her kitchen cabinets, be allowed to get married, have a family, get her nails done, do therapy sessions in her house, have control of her money, share her side of the story in an interview (Oprah, PLEASE get on this), and ultimately end the conservatorship without an intense psychological evaluation.
Imagine any other celebrity asking permission for this list. Nicolas Cage literally owns a dinosaur skull, and we're not letting Britney redo her cabinets?
K.
The reality is that Britney’s life has never been her own. Neither has her body. As a 17-year-old interviewers were commenting on her breasts and virginity. By her early 20s, she was burnt out from working too much. Today she's afraid of people because of how the paparazzi treated her. She’s been lied to, manipulated, and publicly humiliated.
En masse I can’t think of someone we’ve treated worse. We ripped her apart and pawned her off to the highest bidder, who happened to be her dad. Now she forks out millions of dollars to pay people who mistreat her and force her to perform with a 104-degree fever.
I’ve said it many times before, but this never would have happened to a male celebrity. Britney’s case relies on misogyny and the belief that she is an “out of control” woman. It depends on the idea that her father would somehow know better, something that never crossed anyone's mind when Mel Gibson, Chris Brown, Shia Labeouf, and Aaron Carter went off the rails. They got a hands-off approach.
In a more glaring example, Brock Turner raped Chanel Miller behind a dumpster and served 3 months in prison at the hands of the California legal system. Britney shaved her own head and is on year 13 of an indefinite sentence.
On top of it all, Jamie Spears is an abuser. He’s likened his daughter to a racehorse that needs to be handled, has a restraining order against his own grandchildren, and Britney has said he loves watching her cry. What makes anyone think Jamie makes better decisions than the most successful pop star in the world?
The narrative has always been “daddy knows best.” That’s toxic. Sometimes daddy is just an asshole.
As women, we live in a world where our existence is compared to the men around us. Dead women are remembered as “someone’s wife, daughter, mother and friend.” Men are remembered by their names.
Most women are also not free to make choices about their bodies. We might not have contraceptions forced into our cervixes, but birth control and abortions are often dangled out of reach. The way we dress is scrutinized. Women who get assaulted are asking for it. Those who are abused are weak. If you speak out, you’re looking for attention.
On Wednesday Britney said she was afraid no one would believe her story. Britney Spears. Britney fucking Spears thought she wouldn't have enough of a platform to get support.
If that doesn't put into perspective how hard it is to come out as a victim, I don't know what else will.
The sad part is that she's right. She admitted that she hadn't believed Paris Hilton's allegations of abuse in boarding school. I'm sure many others don't. After this, there will still be people who think Britney can't take care of herself because she's a helpless woman. I've already heard the "how will she reintegrate after so much control?" question.
The answer is that it's none of your business. If she blows all her money, relapses, and gains 200 hundred pounds, let her. Everyone else has the freedom to make mistakes. Kanye is running around doing god knows what. Let her drive in the car with her fucking boyfriend and stain her cabinets. If that's so scary for you, I think you're the one who should be supervised.
That’s my prerogative.
Justice for this guy too
Crossroads
All week news outlets have been screaming about the tragedy of Britney Spears, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t cry about it at least a few times. On some level, it’s validating to know that I’m not a conspiracy-touting #FreeBritney whackjob, but mostly it’s gut-wrenching to hear how bad her experience actually is.
I want to remind everyone that this is beyond tragedy. This wasn’t something she tumbled into. This was orchestrated exploitation and abuse at the hands of her father and the California legal system.
This is conservatorship abuse, full stop
In the United States, there are around 1.5 million people held under conservatorships. While many are protecting vulnerable people, others are cover-ups for fraud. Britney’s case is highlighting major holes that have been allowing non-famous people to be exploited for decades. For all that we don't understand about her case, there are dozens more just like it victimizing regular people.
As such, new legislation has recently been proposed to help safeguard from harmful guardianships. Assembly Bill 1194, for example, would allow people who personally know the conservatee to petition the court of suspected abuse. It would also require training of conservators who aren’t licensed professionals (ie: Jamie Spears) and force them to register with the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau as an additional governing body. Since courts usually appoint family members as guardians, these added layers of protection should help catch suspicious behaviour.
Additionally, Senate Bill 724 would ensure that conserved individuals can choose their own attorney, even if the person’s capacity to make sound decisions is in question.
Through this tragedy, we can make real change, not just for Britney, but for the entire infrastructure of conservatorships. No one should have to go through what she’s gone through. In her words:
“The people who did that to me should not be able to walk away so easily…I shouldn’t be in a conservatorship if I can work and provide money and work for myself and pay other people. It makes no sense. The laws need to change.
…I just want my life back”
From the bottom of our broken hearts, we’re sorry Britney.
*bonus points if you caught how many Britney references I made….
