Free Britney

Alexandra Fennelly, Editor-in-Chief

Britney Spears is one of the most famous musicians of our time. Throughout the years, she has released many songs that are arguably some of the most popular songs created. Her fame however has allowed millions to watch her every move and critique her life. 

For years Spears’ mental health has been something fans have been skeptical about. She has had incidents on the internet that led to people believing she needed help to ensure her mental health was intact for her career to continue. There was one infamous incident when she hit a photographer’s car with an umbrella, and in 2008, she was admitted twice into a hospital under psychiatric assessment, according to BBC News. Due to this, for the past 14 years, she has been under a conservatorship. A conservatorship is when the court appoints a guardian or protector to manage the financial decisions or any daily life decisions for someone deemed to be in an unstable mental or physical state. 

Britney fans have always thought something was going on in her life that was causing her harm, but didn’t quite know what it was. These rumors were found out to be true, but they were not exactly what fans were expecting. Britney’s father was the one in charge of this conservatorship and was the one making life decisions for her, despite the fact that she was mental and physically able to.  A big reason for people to abuse their power in conservatorships, especially in the case of Britney, is the money they make due to this. Under her conservatorship Britney was forced to go on tours, was unable to get married, have kids, take medication and go into rehab, and had no financial control over her life, according to New York Times court records. In June, Britney Spears went to court and said, “I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told right now in the conservatorship I am not able to get married and have a baby.” 

Recently though, after 14 years, Britney Spears was finally freed from her conservatorship by the court. This was a joyous day for Britney and her fans all over the world. Fans celebrated outside of the court house with signs, singing, dancing, and celebrating the freedom of Britney Spears. On Instagram Live the following Friday, Brintey expressed her gratitude towards her fans. “I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen.”

After the decision, her attorney, Matthew Roseengart told a cheering crowd, “Britney, as of today, is a free woman, and she’s an independent woman. And the rest, with her support system, will be up to Britney.”