Britney Pleads Her Own Case
• Britney Spears broke her silence in a court hearing on Wednesday, offering dramatic and at times heartbreaking testimony about the controversial court-ordered conservatorship that has been in place for nearly 13 years, giving her father partial control over her reported $60 million estate (along with Bessemer Trust).
As CNN reports, Britney had requested to address Judge Brenda Penny personally to speak out about the arrangement. The hearing was held virtually by phone, and Britney spoke for more than 20 minutes, sharing several shocking aspects of her life, such as it has been, for more than a decade. She said she felt she had been forced to perform, was given no privacy and was forced to use an IUD, take Lithium and attend therapy sessions against her will. She also criticized how her family, especially her 68-year-old father, Jamie Spears, has handled her conservatorship and responded to her concerns about her care. “My family didn’t do a goddamn thing,” she said. “Anything I had to do, [my dad] was the one who approved all of it. My whole family did nothing.”
Britney was blunt when discussing the strained relationship with her father, saying, “The control he had to hurt his own daughter, he loved it. I worked seven days a week… it was like sex trafficking. I didn’t have a credit card, cash or my passport.” She also addressed why she has not brought up these issues on social media. “I thought I might become happy,” she said. “I’m in denial. I am traumatized. I’m not happy. I can’t sleep, I’m so angry, it’s insane.”
Britney continued, “For the past f***ing 13 years, I’m been so good and so pretty and I do everything. I can’t allow my ignorant father to do that to me… I don’t even drink alcohol. I should drink alcohol given what they’ve put my heart through.” Spears also said that she wants to start a family with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, but isn’t even allowed to ride in his car alone.
When asked why she hadn’t gone public sooner, Britney said, “I thought people would make fun of me, ‘she’s lying, she’s got everything, she’s Britney Spears.’ It’s been long time since I’ve owned my money. It’s my wish for this to end,” she added. A full transcript of Britney’s court statement is posted at Variety.com. In response to Britney’s remarks, Vivian Thoreen, an attorney for Jamie Spears told CNN, “Mr. Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.” Spears’ next court hearing is scheduled for July 14.
