A few months ago we wrote about a documentary that focused on the conservatorship around pop star Britney Spears and attempts to remove her father, Jamie Spears, from his role in her conservatorship. Just this week Spears was back in court arguing her case to be freed from the conservatorship, which she says has unfairly controlled many areas of her life, including preventing her from having children.

Personal problems lead to conservatorship

For a time in the late 1990s, Britney Spears was one of the most famous people in the world. She grew up in the public eye and under the scrutiny of paparazzi working for tabloids. Her life was lived on camera as she was married, had two children, and ultimately suffered from a mental health crisis.

It was Spears’ mental health troubles that led to her father being put in a position to manage her personal wellbeing as well as her financial wellbeing. In the United States this is referred to as a conservatorship, though it’s similar to what we call powers of attorney in Canada.

Britney Spears fights conservatorship

Britney Spears began to take steps to remove her father as conservator in 2020, with a judge declining her request in November. However, at that trial, the court did put a financial institution in a position to co-manage her finances so they weren’t controlled solely by her father. This was intended to last until at least September 2021. However, she looked for the court to allow things to change earlier than intended.

The role of conservatorship in Spears’ life

The New York Times provided a description of Spears’ testimony in court earlier this week. Her appearance came before the planned review of her conservatorship in September after her lawyer requested that she be able to address the judge directly on an expedited basis.

She told the court that she wanted to have a child with her boyfriend, which would require removing a birth control device she has been using. However, she said “this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have children, any more children.” She added, “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 or have a baby.”

Speaking more generally about the conservatorship, Spears said “I’ve been in denial; I’ve been in shock; I am traumatized,” adding “I just want my life back.”

The court did not rule on the matter yesterday, but we will be sure to update our readers when there is anything additional to report.

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