According to newly obtained court records, as early as 2014, Ms. Spears had objections to her father serving in that role, citing his drinking, among other issues.
In February, Ms. Spears’s conservatorship received renewed attention after the release of “Framing Britney Spears,” a documentary by The New York Times, that tells the story of a gifted performer surrounded by people seeking to capitalize off her, who struggled with constant media attention and speculation about her health.
Sometimes known as a guardianship, a conservatorship is a complex legal arrangement typically reserved for the old, ill or infirm.
The appointed conservators have control over everything from Ms. Spears’s mental health care to where and when she can travel; the setup means that Ms. Spears’s conservators are required to submit detailed accounts of her purchases to the court — even minor charges like $5 purchases at Sonic Drive-In or Target.
Conservatorships are designed to be a necessary last resort to protect the vulnerable.
But every day you learn more, and you gain more wisdom from that.” ”Why is she still in this? Why is her dad making all of her decisions?” ”I have always viewed the situation as something that I don‘t think would have ever happened to a man in America.” ”Trust me, there are days that I struggle with myself.” ”I trust the system.
In requesting that Ms. Spears’s temporary personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, a professional in the field, be made permanent, Mr. Ingham left open the possibility that Ms. Spears might one day seek to terminate the conservatorship fully.
Then, in April 2021, Mr. Ingham requested that Ms. Spears be allowed to speak at a hearing, and the judge on the case agreed.
And last year, Mr. Ingham told the judge that Ms. Spears was “afraid of her father,” who remains a steward of her nearly $60 million fortune.
The #FreeBritney movement has gotten attention from celebrities before, such as when Miley Cyrus shouted out the phrase during a concert in 2019.
Calling the documentary a “gut punch,” the actress Valerie Bertinelli tweeted a list of men who she believed to have harmed Ms. Spears throughout her career.