A General Overview of The Free Britney Movement
by Eva Fernandez | Mon, 26 Jul 2021 14:54:55 GMT
Britney Spears (image source - wirewag.com)

If you haven't been living under a rock, you'd know that #FreeBritney has been trending on Twitter and has picked up momentum. Suddenly, it has come to everybody's attention that the famous pop singer has no say in the decisions of her life, and support is pouring in from fans and celebrities alike from all across the globe. The type of binding legal document that curtailed Britney Spears' right to live her life on her terms is called a conservatorship. She is currently fighting against the added help and exposure of the Free Britney movement. But don't be fooled by its sudden hype. Britney has been under conservatorship since 2008, right after her infamous mental breakdown. First, let us find out more about what a conservatorship is precise.

What is a conservatorship?

The United States of America recognizes a conservatorship as a means of necessary guidance or care by an appointed protector or a guardian. A judge appoints them to oversee or control the finances or the life of another person. This person or conservatee is typically an old, aged person, a minor, or in some cases, people with mental issues and challenges who are deemed unfit to take care of themselves.

Now there are two kinds of conservatorship. One is the type where the guardian or conservator only controls the person's financial affairs in question. How the money is managed, what happens to the money, all these are the conservator's responsibilities. The second type of conservatorship is where the guardian has more say in the person's life and choices.

In the case of Britney Spears, it is both.

How the conservatorship all began

Everybody knows about Britney's infamous mental breakdown in 2008. The whole episode was ugly, and it took place in an era where mental health awareness wasn't really at the forefront of society as it is today. Britney Spears shaved her head, attacked some of the paparazzi, and lost custody of her two sons. She was going through a rough divorce with her then-husband, Kevin Federline, with whom she had two sons. Ultimately, people believe that this, and a cocktail of other personal reasons, led to her deteriorated mental state. That year she was held at a psychiatric ward on two separate occasions. After the second, her family decided that it was a good and safe idea to put her under a conservatorship. They genuinely believed they were doing her good when it started, and the conservatorship was supposed to be temporary. But by the end of that year, her conservatorship was made permanent.

Fighting for Britney's freedom

image source - Vimeo

But now, it is clear that this conservatorship benefits only the guardians, mainly her father, and is not interested in Britney's well-being. And the pop singer is coming out and being vocal about her experiences, and many celebrities have come out with full support.

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