An emotional Britney Spears told fans, “I haven’t prayed for something more in my life” as her fight to end her 13-year conservatorship reached its crescendo last week.
The star was back in court on Friday to hear if her guardianship could come to an end, and while her freedom hung in the balance as Closer went to press, insiders say she had already begun mapping out her dream future – which includes having a much longed-for baby girl.
A source tells Closer, “After 13 years of hell, the scent of freedom has given Britney a new lease of life over the last few months. She’s got a newfound sense of hope, which has allowed her to dream of a future away from the constraints of those who’ve been controlling her for so long – something she thought might never happen.
“She can’t wait to marry her fiancé Sam [Asghari], but her ultimate goal is to have a baby girl. And with her 40th birthday looming next month, she doesn’t want to waste another second – she’s hell-bent on falling pregnant with her ‘little princess’ as soon as possible, whatever happens in court. A baby girl will bring her so much joy.”
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After her highly-publicised breakdown in 2007, Britney was subjected to a court order, which gave her father, Jamie Spears, 69, full control over her financial and personal life. But in June, she asked a court to end the “abusive” conservatorship, claiming it forbade her from having her contraceptive coil removed, despite her longing to start a family with Sam, 27.
“I have an [IUD] inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant,” said the singer, who has sons Sean Preston, 16, and Jayden James, 15, with her ex, Kevin Federline, 43. “But 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.”
Following the star’s bombshell court testimony, an unnamed ex-boyfriend, who she dated for two years, revealed, “What she wants more than anything is a baby girl.” And fitness trainer Sam, who met Britney on the set of her Slumber Party music video in 2016, has also revealed he wants “to be a young dad”.
And now a source reveals, “Britney’s made no secret about her longing to have a ‘mini-me.’ She wants to experience that mother-daughter bond. While she adores having her sons, she’s always said how much she wanted a little sister for them to dote on. She also jokes that she needs someone to give all her amazing clothes to, so they don’t all go to waste.
“Of course, she’d be thrilled if she fell pregnant with a boy too, but she says she and Sam will keep going until they get their girl. Sam is from a big family and has three older sisters and is extremely close to his mum, too.
“Britney loves how close he is to them and how sensitive and loyal it’s made him as a partner. Watching his relationship with his sisters has further sparked her longing to give the boys a little sister and experience that same relationship.”
Last week, Britney posted a heartwarming snap as she enjoyed a day out with her sons. The star lost custody of them following her 2007 breakdown, and currently has 30 per cent custodial rights.
Check out: the most shocking celebrity breakups of the decade
Most shocking breakups of the decade - slider
1 of 30Louise and Jamie Redknapp
They were the British A-list couple that we thought would last but the world was stunned in July 2017 when Louise and Jamie Redknapp confirmed they'd split after 19 years together. Months later Louise opened up about the end of her marriage and following the end of the Redknapp marriage, it was reported that celebrities were refusing to sign up to the BBC show because of the Strictly curse.
2 of 30Cheryl and Ashley Cole
Cheryl and Ashley Cole first met in 2004 and quickly became an A-list couple. Two years later they tied the knot in an extravagant wedding. However, in 2010 following cheating allegations that were splashed across the media, Chez split from her footballer husband.
3 of 30Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin
Lisa Armstrong and Ant McPartlin had been together for 23 years and married for 11 but in January 2018, the TV presenter confirmed he was filing for divorce following his rehab stint.However after a drink driving arrest, a second visit to rehab and liking a lot of shady tweets – the pair officially divorced nine months after splitting.
4 of 30Lenny Henry and Dawn French
At the beginning of the decade, Dawn French and Lenny Henry announced they were splitting after 25 years of marriage.
5 of 30Paul and Alex Hollywood
Great British Bake Off star Paul Hollywood and his wife Alex split after 20 years together. They'd previously split in 2013 after the GBBO star had an affair with his American co-star but they managed to patch things over and make things work. For a while.
6 of 30Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie
We still can't believe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie split in 2016 after ten years together and two years marriage. The couple are parents to six children; Maddox, 18, Shiloh, 13, Pax, 16, Zahara, 14, Vivienne, 11, and Knox, 11. Even George Clooney was stunned at the news; well, to be fair he did find out during an interview.
7 of 30Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green
We thought they'd be a real-life Romeo and Juliet (minus the death) but Millie Mackintosh and Professor Green called it quits after being married for three years. We weren't the only ones who thought they were a power couple; remember when Craig Lawson joked he'd be the next Pro Green and Millie with Camilla Thurlow? Yeah, that didn't last.
8 of 30Bruce and Kris Jenner
They're the head of the Kardashian/Jenner household but in 2013 the world was shocked when Bruce and Kris Jenner announced they had separated after 23 years of marriage. A year later, Kris filed for divorce and cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason. A month after their divorce was finalised, Bruce publicly came out as a transgender woman – Caitlyn.
9 of 30Katy Perry and Russell Brand
One of the most heart-breaking celebrity break ups was definitely Katy Perry and Russell Brand, after all, she found out their 14-month marriage ended via TEXT. Their entire split was shown on her documentary Part of Me and remarkably Katy still performed on stage just hours after Russell announced he wanted to end their marriage.
10 of 30Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom had only known each other for three weeks before they tied the knot. Yes, really. They lasted four years before the Keeping Up with The Kardashians star filed for divorce. However, in 2015 she withdrew the file after Lamar suffered a drug overdose and she had to take control of his health decisions. There were reports that the pair would reunite but in 2016 their divorce was finalised.
11 of 30Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries
Kim appeared to have followed in the footsteps as her younger sister Khloe when she got engaged to Kris Humphries after just seven months. She documented her 'dream' wedding on Keeping Up with The Kardashians but their relationship didn't last and they split just 72 DAYS after their wedding. Their breakup was also documented on their show.
12 of 30Stormzy and Maya Jama
We're still devastated about Stormzy and Maya Jama splitting, tbh. They were the dream team and had been together for four years – despite being very private they appeared in Vogue magazine together and the grime artist dedicated a song to her. However in August 2019 they called it quits and the TV presenter unfollowed him on Instagram.
13 of 30Seal and Heidi Klum
Seal and Heidi Klum renewed their wedding vows every year on their anniversary however after a seven-year marriage they called it quits. The A-list couple are parents to four children; Leni (who Heidi had from a previous relationship, but Seal adopted) and during their relationship they also welcomed Henry, Johan and Lou into the world.
14 of 30Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray
After dating for 10 years and then being married for four, Gary Lucy and Natasha Gray called time on their marriage. The pair confirmed the news in a statement saying, "This was a very difficult decision, but was reached mutually and amicably. No other parties are involved."
15 of 30Liam Payne and Cheryl
We're pretty sure the world was shocked when Liam Payne and Cheryl announced they were dating. However they then went on to welcome baby Bear Grey Payne into the world and despite breakup rumours they posed together at the Brit Awards in 2018. Unfortunately a few months later – and a total of two years together - they split.
16 of 30Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy
This break up is still a bit weird and we're not really sure why it happened because – spoiler alert – they're not real people. Anyways, in 2015 the puppets announced the end of their relationship in a lengthy statement.
17 of 30Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick
Another KUWTK break up – this one more surprising than the others – was Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick. The pair had been together for nine years and during that time they welcomed Mason, Penelope and Reign. They'd split a few times throughout their relationship – which included Scott doing to rehab and cheating allegations. However in 2015 they split for good.
18 of 30Cheryl and Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini
Cheryl literally surprised the world when she announced on Instagram that she had eloped with Jean-Bernard Fernandez-Versini after three months of dating. The pair seemed totally in love until Cheryl raised concerns among fans after losing a lot of weight and slammed any split rumours by revealing her father in law had died. Unfortunately their romance wasn't to last and after 18 months of marriage they split.
19 of 30Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
Little Mix's Perri Edwards and One Direction's Zayn Malik were X Factor sweethearts. They supported each other's career, posted adorable snaps and even got a puppy together. The singers then got engaged but two years later – following cheating accusations and after Zayn quit One Direction – it came to light that he ended their relationship. While she claimed he dumped her via text, he denied it.
20 of 30Adele and Simon Konecki
She's notoriously private with her life but in 2019 is came to light that Adele and her husband Simon Konecki had split. Awhopping £145m is the figure being talked about in relation to their divorce. In 2012 they welcomed their only child into the world – Angelo.
21 of 30Chris Pratt and Anna Faris
Chris Pratt and Anna Faris announced they were splitting back in 2018 and a few months later their divorce was finalised. At the time they released a statement, saying: "We tried hard for a long time, and we're really disappointed. "Our son has two parents who love him very much and for his sake we want to keep this situation as private as possible moving forward."They went on to say they "still have love for each other".
22 of 30Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan
Step Up stars Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan called it quits after being married for eight years. At the time they insisted they'd "lovingly chosen to separate as a couple". During their relationship they welcomed their daughter Everly into the world.
23 of 30Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk
We were devastated in June 2019 when one of the hottest A-list couples – Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk – split after four years together. Apparently the parents to their daughter Lea De Seine hadn't "been good for a few months".
24 of 30Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes dated for seven years and were married for six but in 2012 it came to light that she had filed for divorce. He later spoke out and admitted he "did not expect" the turn of events.
25 of 30Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
Friends star Jennifer Aniston and her husband Justin Theroux called it quits after being married for two years. At the time they said the "decision was mutual and loving" and it appeared to be the truth because a year later to paid tribute to his ex-wife to celebrate her 50th birthday.
26 of 30Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
Victoria's Secret model and Hollywood actor Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom broke up after six years together. After being married for three years they announced they'd been "amicably separated for the past few months" before confirming their relationship had ended.
27 of 30Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth
Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth lived a real-life story after falling in love on the set of The Last Song. However after four years together they split. They were then on/off but decided to call it quits AGAIN after eight years together. Their relationship didn't end there though because they reunited and got married but eight months after their wedding they split again.
28 of 30Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson
Another couple who took the world by surprise were Twilightstars Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. They met on the set of the vampire phenomenon back in 2009 and fell in love. While we all thought it would last, it didn't. Their relationship hit a rough patch in 2012 when Kristen's affair with her married director Rupert Sanders was exposed by paparazzi. Robert forgave her and they tried to make it work but they split a few months later.
29 of 30Fergie and Josh Duhamel
After eight years together Fergie and Josh Duhamel announced their split. Fast forward two years and Fergie filed for divorce.
30 of 30Matt Leblanc and Aurora Mulligan
In news that shocked Friends fans the world over, In February 2022 it was reported that Matt LeBlanc - best known for playing Joey Tribbiani on the show – had split from his girlfriend of six years, Top Gear producer Aurora Mulligan.
Since launching her battle for freedom, the Louisiana-born star has celebrated a string of victories. Shortly after her court plea – in which she begged a judge, “I just want my life back” – her long-time court-appointed lawyer, Samuel Ingham, stepped down. She was then given permission to hire her own hot-shot Hollywood attorney, Mathew Rosengart. The singer’s fans have shown their support throughout her ordeal, rallying outside the LA courts for her appearances.
And in August, Jamie – who Britney wants to press charges against for “conservatorship abuse”– resigned from his position and filed to terminate the order, agreeing “she can handle her own life”. He added that he had always “acted in [his daughter’s] best interest”.
Despite still legally being tied to the constraints of her conservatorship, the twice-divorced star has already started breaking free in a desperate bid to get her life back. In September, she celebrated her engagement to Sam and, last week, she revealed that Donatella Versace is designing her wedding dress.
She also called-out her family, including her mum, Lynne, 66, and sister, Jamie Lynn, 30, for “hurting me deeper than you’ll ever know” as she slammed their involvement in the court-imposed order.
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LA-based conservatorship lawyer, Mina Sirkin, previously told Closer the court could not impose any punishment if she did fall pregnant and that, in theory, the star could have the coil removed if she found a doctor to perform the procedure without the conservator’s consent.
And pals say she will start trying for a baby, whatever the outcome. The source adds, “While Britney is praying to be set free, she’s insisted she will start trying for her dream daughter even if the decision doesn’t go her way. She’s been spending quality time with her boys lately and has been preparing them for the fact they might have a baby sister soon. She was excited to tell them the news.
“She has been waiting for this for so long. While she hopes she can go ahead with the court’s blessing, she’s not prepared to wait a moment longer to complete her dream family.”