
On Wednesday, June 23, Britney Spears gave a frank account of her life under a conservatorship to a Los Angeles courtroom. "I've told the world I'm happy and OK," she said. "I'm traumatized. I'm not happy, I can't sleep. I’m so angry I’m insane." She continued: "I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized. I want to end the conservatorship without having to be evaluated. I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive." She claimed that she wasn't allowed to have her IUD taken out, that she had been put on strong drugs including lithium, and that she had been robbed of a full life. Her revelations immediately sparked a wildfire of support, with many expressing their anger and deep sadness that Britney had been suffering in plain sight for so long.
"All I want is to own my money…and for this to end…and for my boyfriend to be able to fucking drive me in his car. And honestly…. I want to be able to sue my family," she said. A new report from The New York Times showed that the star had been privately pushing for her conservatorship to end for years, but to no avail.
Fans Are Horrified
every new detail in Britney Spears’ testimony is more horrifying than the last. this is clearly a woman who wants to/ can take care of herself but has been forcibly denied that right because of power, greed & misogyny. 🗣 FREE BRITNEYYYYJune 23, 2021
i dont know how anyone can listen to what Britney Spears is saying in this hearing and not see her as someone who is fully capable of being in control of their own life.What they have done to her is beyond reprehensible. #FreeBritneyJune 23, 2021
I can't believe she's been through all this. My heart breaks for her. WTF. The strength she has right now to be so open & vulnerable. She's ANGRY! & rightfully so. The court tried to close the case in the beginning & she interrupted & said she wanted it open. #FREEBRITNEYJune 23, 2021
Britney’s testimony: dear god. Heartbreaking.June 23, 2021
This Britney hearing is mind blowing, every part of her conservatorship that was brushed aside as conspiracy is actually factual and so much worse than we ever thought. This woman is being abused by everyone in her life, kept silent and essentially held prisoner in her own homeJune 23, 2021
The Britney Spears situation is so disturbing.June 23, 2021
They're Also Proud of Britney
I've never been more proud to be a Britney Spears fan. What a fucking badass brave courageous woman.June 23, 2021
It's hard to wrap your head around the strength, grace, and bravery Britney has displayed (and never should have had to) throughout this entire ordeal. #FreeBritneyJune 23, 2021
#FreeBritney was NEVER a conspiracy theory. The facts are so much more worse than we thought and it completely breaks my heart reading and hearing the things that Britney had to say. She is such a strong woman.June 23, 2021
It Casts a Spotlight on Conservatorships
This Britney shit breaks my heart for many reasons but if a rich famous white woman has to go through all this shit to get off a conservatorship just imagine everyone else without even a fourth of the resourcesJune 23, 2021
The entire Britney situation feels dystopian. Other people have ownership OF HER PERSON, AND she has to pay them a salary... for what, the privilege of being owned? I'm trying so hard to wrap my head around how ANY judge could have allowed this, ever, from the start. #FreeBritneyJune 23, 2021
let me remind you britney spears is not allowed to drive a car, vote, get married, see her kids, spend her own money since 2008 and yet she went on 3 world tours, released 4 albums, did over 450 shows. make it make sense #freebritneyJune 23, 2021
I'm not knowledgeable about California conservatorship law, but if I'm a CA state legislator I'm drafting legislation to CHANGE IT this goddamn weekend. https://t.co/NB0bOwkIjfJune 23, 2021
The Misogyny Towards Her Still Endures
The media depiction and personal treatment of Britney Spears in the mid-2000s was, in a word, tragic. The fact that such treatment seemingly twisted itself into a totally DIFFERENT type of tragedy, for over a decade, as a result? Haunting, and heartbreaking, and unacceptableJune 23, 2021
britney spears was 16 years old during her first rolling stones cover and said she had no idea the photographer was going to sexualise her photos so trusted him when he asked her to undo her sweater buttons - the adults failed her repeatedly and the world judged her for itJune 23, 2021
From Justin Timberlake's public betrayal of their relationship to the relentless bullying of Chris Crocker for saying to leave her alone – every layer you peel back to Britney Spears' story, there's cruelty. We're only just starting to scratch the surface #FreeBritneyJune 23, 2021
Celebrities Are Speaking Out In Support
Bless Britney and I hope with my whole heart she is awarded freedom from this abusive system. She deserves it more than anything. I admire her courage speaking up for herself today.June 23, 2021
We love you Britney!!! Stay strong ❤️❤️❤️June 23, 2021
Also...
we all owe the LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE guy an apology; he was right and we were jerksJune 23, 2021
Jenny is the Director of Content Strategy at Marie Claire. Originally from London, she moved to New York in 2012 to attend the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and never left. Prior to Marie Claire, she spent five years at Bustle building out its news and politics coverage. She loves, in order: her dog, goldfish crackers, and arguing about why umbrellas are fundamentally useless. Her first novel, EVERYONE WHO CAN FORGIVE ME IS DEAD, will be published by Minotaur Books in 2024.
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