Britney Spears Calls for End of ‘Abusive’ Conservatorship, Rips into Dad During LA Hearing [Video]

“He loved the control he had over me, one hundred thousand percent,” Britney, 39, said about her dad during the virtual status hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court.

“I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and happy. I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized,” Britney, 39, continued.

“But now I’m telling you the truth, I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry it’s insane… I cry everyday.”

Speaking quickly and passionately, Britney told Judge Brenda Penny that she wanted the conservatorship to end “without having to be evaluated.”

“I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” she said. “It’s my wish and my dream for this to end.”

The hotly-anticipated proceedings came months after Britney’s attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, filed to have her father removed as the guardian of her estate.

Britney’s appearance was scheduled after her attorney asked Penny in April if the pop star could address the court directly, which the justice granted. The court-appointed attorney did not disclose what Britney wanted to say.

The former child star last spoke before a judge in her conservatorship in a closed-door hearing in May 2019.

Britney said she hadn’t gone back to court since, because she hadn’t felt heard during that hearing.

“I want to be heard and I’m telling you this again so maybe you can understand the depth and the degree and the damage they did to me back then,” Spears told the judge on Wednesday, appearing remotely via phone.

I see this was removed already from other pages so I grabbed it real quick. Listen to the words from her own mouth. This cannot continue for one more day!!! #FreeBritney pic.twitter.com/2Nl4ajRPn4

— karen (@KarenBoston) June 23, 2021

She compared the conservatorship to being enslaved, saying, “In California, the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking, making anyone work against their will, taking all their possessions away credit card, cash, phone, passport.”

Britney detailed how she had been forced to take the mood stabilizing drug Lithium, saying that “I felt drunk. I really couldn’t even take up for myself. I couldn’t even have a conversation with my mom or dad… I was scared.”

Britney also said that she wanted to marry her boyfriend Sam Asghari and have a baby — but the conservatorship wouldn’t allow it.

“I have an IUD in my body right now that won’t let me have a baby and my conservators won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out,” she said. “I feel ganged up on. I feel bullied and I feel left out and alone.”

Since 2008, Britney’s finances have been controlled by a conservatorship — also known as a legal guardianship — in which a person is appointed to assume legal responsibility over someone who can’t manage their own affairs, such as the elderly or infirm.

The arrangement — first meant to be temporary — was implemented at Jamie’s request following his daughter’s public meltdown in late 2007, which came amid intense media scrutiny and her divorce from Kevin Federline.

https://twitter.com/joseyosoy_/status/1407831060428242956?s=20

Most of the inner workings of the conservatorship have been kept secret, but some details have been revealed in court documents, including how it has the power to restrict Britney’s visitors, make her medical decisions and conduct her business deals.

The conservatorship also arranges and oversees Britney’s visits with her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. Federline has full custody of the boys.

From 2008 to 2019, Jamie had the power to control his daughter’s life choices, as well as her money, along with attorney Andrew Wallet.

Then, in September 2019, Jamie was temporarily replaced as co-conservator of Britney’s person due to health issues. Jodi Montgomery was appointed by the court to act as conservator over Britney’s personal matters.

Nearly a year later, Ingham filed a petition stating that Britney “strongly opposed” having her father return as sole conservator of the person once he had recuperated from his health issues. The singer did not request to have the conservatorship ended completely, but rather to “have a qualified corporate fiduciary appointed to serve in this role.”

In November 2020, Penny approved for Jamie to split his responsibilities in overseeing his daughter’s finances with the Bessemer Trust, an estate-management firm.

Then, in March, Britney formally requested that Montgomery permanently replace Jamie as conservator over her personal affairs. Regardless of how Wednesday’s ruling pans out, Jamie would remain co-conservator of her estate alongside Bessemer Trust.

The conservatorship has come under scrutiny amid the #FreeBritney movement started by the singer’s fans and the FX/New York Times documentary, “Framing Britney Spears,” which chronicled her rise to stardom and the battle over her estate.

Britney’s dad and his attorneys have argued that the conservatorship is necessary to protect the star from being manipulated.

Jamie’s lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, said in court that her client “is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr. Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.”

The judge said that Britney would need to file an official petition to get out of the conservatorship.

Under the law, she would need to prove that she is competent enough to be freed from the arrangement and to make her own choices.

About 100 fans gathered at a rally near the Stanley Mosk Courthouse on Wednesday, holding signs that read “Free Britney now!” and “Get out of Britney’s life!”

The dramatic proceedings followed a New York Times article on Tuesday detailing how Britney had quietly sought for years to get out of the conservatorship and how her father controlled every aspect of her life, down to who she dated and the color of her kitchen cabinets.

Documents obtained by the newspaper from a 2014 closed-door hearing stated that Ingham said the star wanted to remove her dad as conservator, citing his drinking and a “shopping list” of other grievances.