Celebrities and fans rallied to her defence last week as Britney Spears opened up for the first time about her controversial conservatorship and begged for it to be lifted as she lashed out at her “abusive” dad, pleading, “I just want my life back.”
Speaking via phone link to the LA Superior Court where dozens of fans and “Free Britney” supporters gathered outside, the singer spoke out in a bid to free herself from the court-sanctioned order, which has given dad Jamie Spears, 68, control over her life and £60m fortune for over a decade.
Britney, 39, who’s been living under the order since her breakdown in 2007, begged the judge, “I want this conservatorship to end – I truly believe [it] is abusive.”
Among her many shock claims, she revealed she’s banned from having a much-wanted baby with boyfriend Sam Asghari, 27, and is not allowed to have her IUD (contraceptive device) removed – comparing her situation to sex trafficking. She claimed she was ordered to work 10 hours a day, seven days a week, against her will, and that her guardians sometimes took away her possessions including her credit card, cash, phone and passport.
She claimed Jamie abruptly took her off the medication she’d been on for years and put her on lithium – a mood stabiliser typically used to treat bipolar disorder, which has side-effects including blurred vision and speech difficulties.
The star’s chilling revelations were met with shock and outrage by fans across the world, with stars including Mariah Carey and Britney’s ex, Justin Timberlake, declaring support.
And insiders say celeb pal and trainee-lawyer Kim Kardashian has offered her legal expertise to help her fight to regain independence. They’ve been friends since their days on the Hollywood party circuit in the early noughties alongside Paris Hilton, who recently revealed she still sees Britney at her home for lunch dates.
A source says, “She reached out to Britney as soon as she read her statement. Kim knows she’s going through hell and that her situation is like a jail sentence. She’s let her know she’d do whatever she could to help her win her battle. Having such a high-profile name attached to the legal team would give Britney’s case even more publicity.
“Britney has given the green light to let Kim help in whatever capacity she can and asked her to email her lawyer, Samuel Ingham. She really appreciates her support.”
CHECK OUT artists who started their careers on TV talent shows
artists who started their careers on TV talent shows slider
1 of 16Beyoncé
She's one of the world's biggest superstars but Beyonce first found fame on TV show Star Search back in 1993. Beyonce enjoyed massive success alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams in girl band Destiny's Child but made a name for herself with her massive solo singles.
2 of 16One Direction
They are one of the biggest bands in the world but we wouldn't have One Direction if it wasn't thanks to The X Factor. Harry, Louis, Niall, Liam and Zayn all auditioned for the show as solo artists but were later put together in a group. Despite finishing third in 2010, the band went on to achieve massive success. They went on to have five albums, four world tours and sold millions of records with hits such as 'Best Song Ever' and 'What Makes You Beautiful'. After Zayn Malik announced his departure, the band started their hiatus in January 2016 and have all gone on to release solo material.
3 of 16Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud were first created when they appeared on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. With Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding, Kimberley Walsh and Nadine Coyle all winning a place in the band, the group went on to achieve their debut number one with the track 'Sound Of The Underground'. Girls Aloud went on to achieve massive success in the UK and scored a record 20 consecutive top 10 singles in the UK Charts. In 2013 the band announced their split after their final UK tour.
4 of 16Little Mix
Little Mix made history in 2011 when they became the first ever band to win The X Factor. Perrie, Jesy, Jade and Leigh-Anne released the track 'Cannonball' as their winners' single before going on to have hits such as 'Wings', 'No More Sad Songs' and 'Power'.After a number of massive sell-out tours, the band are currently working on their fifth studio album and have just finished their 'Summer Hits Tour' in the UK.
5 of 16Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen enjoyed massive success with her hit single 'Call Me Maybe' in 2012 but before that she came third on Canadian Idol. After getting her break with 'Call Me Maybe', Carly went on to have hits such as 'I Really Like You' and 'Run Away With Me'.
6 of 16Britney Spears
Britney appeared on Star Search at the age of just 11!She went on to release her first two albums in 1999 and 2000 which turned out to be international successes. After a hiatus away from music due to personal issues, Britney returned with a bang with hits such as 'Womanizer', 'Piece Of Me' and 'If You Seek Amy'. Britney now has a Las Vegas residency for her 'Piece Of Me' show Planet Hollywood.
7 of 16Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert shot to fame when he finished in second place on American Idol back in 2009. The singer went on to release his debut album 'For You Entertainment' and has since sold over 5 million records to date. In the past few years Adam has been touring as the lead vocalist with rock band Queen.
8 of 16Fifth Harmony
American girl band Fifth Harmony started their success when they finished third on The X Factor USA back in 2012. The band signed to Syco Records and enjoyed a number of hits both in the UK and USA including 'Work From Home' and 'Worth It'. In 2017 Camilla Cabello announced she had left the band to focus on her solo caree, and in March 2018 the group revealed they were going on a hiatus.
9 of 16Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera appeared on Star Search as a youngster back in 1990. It wasn't until 1999 when the singer really made waves in the music industry with hits including 'Genie In The Bottle' and 'What A Girl Wants'. Throughout the noughties Christina had some massive hits such as 'Dirrty', 'Beautiful' and 'Hurt' and later went on to star in a number of movies such as Burlesque. The singer now has five Grammy Awards, has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and appears on The Voice as a mentor.
10 of 16Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks became American Idol's youngest ever winner when she won over competition at the age of just 17 in 2006. The singer has since enjoyed massive success with her hits including 'Tattoo', 'Battlefield' and her 'No Air' debut with Chris Brown.
11 of 16Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson shot to fame in 2002 when she became the first winner of American Idol. Kelly has now released seven albums to date including the likes of 'Breakaway', 'Stronger' and her 2015 album 'Piece By Piece'.
12 of 16Jennifer Hudson
Despite her amazing success, Jennifer unbelievably only finished 7th on American Idol back in 2004. She's since went on to appear in hit movie Dreamgirls, released three studio albums and became a mentor on TV show The Voice UK.
13 of 16Justin Timberlake
Mr Timberlake appeared on TV show Star Search in 1992 singing a country song in his audition.He's come a long way since then! In the late 1990s Justin became one of the lead vocalists in boyband NSYNC.He then went solo and achieved massive success with hits such as 'Cry Me A River', 'Rock Your Body' and 'Sexy Back'. In 2016 Justin voiced a character for hit film Trolls and is set to return for the sequel in 2021. The singer also released his amazing new music in early 2018.
14 of 16Nicole Scherzinger
She enjoyed massive success in The Pussycat Dolls but before that Nicole Scherzinger appeared on Popstars in 2001. It was her time in girl band The Pussycat Dolls which really started her success. The band became one of the world's biggest selling girl bands with hits such as 'Don't Cha' and 'Jai Ho'. Nicole later left the band and has enjoyed a solo career. The singer is also a judge on The X Factor, although rumours are suggesting she won't be returning for the 2018 series.
15 of 16Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis won a £1 million recording contract with Simon Cowell when she won the third series of The X Factor in 2006. Leona went on to have five successful albums and has completed three tours to date. In 2016 Leona made her Broadway debut as Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.
16 of 16Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle first shot to fame when she appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2009. After shocking audiences and the judging panel with her incredible rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream', Susan went on to finish in second place behind Diversity. This was just the start for the Scottish singer as she went on to achieve massive success, selling millions of records worldwide.
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Following the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears earlier this year, which brought the singer’s plight to the forefront of the press, Kim hit out, saying “No one deserves to be treated with such cruelty or judgment for entertainment.” Since embarking on her journey to become a lawyer, the reality star has become an advocate for prison reform – helping to free hundreds of criminals whose cases had been overlooked amid her effort to change America’s criminal justice system.
Last week, Britney said she hadn’t realised she was able to fight to end her conservatorship. But she refused a medical examination, which would enable her to have more authority in doing so, explaining, “I don’t think I owe anyone to be evaluated. I’ve done more than enough. I don’t feel like I should even be in a room with anyone to offend me by trying to question my capacity of intelligence.”
However, in a major blow to Brit and her supporters, a legal expert tells Closer she will not be set free from her conservatorship any time soon, despite the public outcry.
LA-based conservatorship lawyer, Mina Surkin – who knows Britney’s legal team and her case – explains, “I don’t think it’s going to be terminated.
“She’s going to apply to court. She doesn’t want to submit herself to another medical examination – she probably doesn’t believe it would be a truthful doctor’s report. Without further medical examination the judge isn’t going to terminate it just like that.
“The court has to find there’s some reason to terminate it. She can file her petition, but ultimately she’s going to have to undergo an examination so the court can be sure that they’re doing the right thing.
“If somebody wants out, they’re given the right to have a trial. And the court can still give her a trial without a doctor’s note – but in her case she doesn’t have enough evidence herself to [discuss her health herself]. They need an expert opinion.”
In her explosive testimony, the Toxic singer said she wants those involved “to be in jail” adding that they “shouldn’t be able to walk away so freely”, also accusing her mother, Lynne, 66, of being part of the “years of abuse.” Previously leaked documents seemingly show Britney has “early onset dementia”, with experts also saying conservatorships like Britney’s are only issued to people who severely lack mental health capacity, such as dementia patients.
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Following Britney’s shock claims, Jamie – who’s reportedly living in a motor-home in his native Louisiana – released a statement via his lawyer which read, “He [Jamie] is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr Spears loves his daughter very much.”
But the source says Britney – who turns 40 later this year – will continue to fight so that she can have a baby with Sam and is ready to give it her all with Kim’s help.
The source adds, “Kim’s told her they should be looking at financial compensation and making sure those around her can never gain financially from her again. She believes she really can help Britney win the fight to get out of the conservatorship. Being free of her family and being able to make her own decisions will be her revenge.”
Read more in this week's Closer mag, out now