The #FreeBritney movement was a global effort to free American recording artist Britney Spears, from the probate conservatorship controlled by her father, Jamie Spears, co-conservator Jodi Montgomety, and their attorneys. After years of legal battles, the conservatorship was officially terminated on November 12, 2021.
Origin of the Conservatorship
- Main article: Britney Spears Conservatorship Case
On February 1, 2008, while Spears was at the UCLA Medical Center struggling with post traumatic stress disorder and postpartum depression, her father established a probate conservatorship over her personal and financial affairs. The Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner, Reva Goetz, denied Spears her constitutional rights and declared her mentally unfit to retain her attorney, Adam Streisand.
In April 2009, the phrase "Free Britney" was coined by a fan, leading to a cease-and-desist notice from Jamie Spears. He allegedly threatened down to shut down the fan's website for voicing concerns over Spears' lack of personal freedoms, including restriced access of her children, a phone, or the ability to drive.
Allegations of Exploitation
According to Lynne Spears' book, Through the Storm, former business manager Lou Taylor collaborated with Lynne and Jamie Spears to place her daughter under conservatorship. Taylor has denied allegations of financial misconduct involving Spears' estate and sued several websites associated with the #FreeBritney movement in 2019.
Legal Revelations and Spears' Public Testimony
In 2020, court documents revealed that no capacity declaration had ever been filed in Spears' case, despite earlier claims that she had a dementia illness. On September 4, 2020, Spears publicly acknowledged the support of her fans.
On June 23, 2021, Spears delivered a 24-minute testimony in which accused her father and manager, Larry Rudolph, of abuse. She compared her situation to sex trafficking, describing how she was forced into the 2018 Piece of Me tour and made to sign a contract for the Domination residency. She alleged that she was punished in 2019 by being placed on lithium for teaching her own choreography and endured mistreatment at the Bridges to Recovery facility.
Spears also revealed that she had been denied the right to marry her ex-husband, Sam Asghari, and remove her IUD to have children. She requested the immediate termination of her conservatorship without another psychological evaluation.
Documentaries and Podcasts
Britney's Gram and Toxic: The Britney Spears Story
The Britney’s Gram podcast, launched in 2017 by Barbara Gray and Tess Barker, initially analyzed Spears' social media presence. In an emergency episode, a paralegal alleged that Spears was institutionalized against her will and forced to take unprescribed medication. Their subsequent podcast, Toxic: The Britney Spears Story, investigated conservatorship abuse and probate legal system corruption.
Framing Britney Spears
- Main article: Framing Britney Spears
Produced by The New York Times, this documentary shed light on Spears’ conservatorship and featured key figures, including her former assistant Felicia Culotta and #FreeBritney advocates. Following its release, the movement gained global recognition, and the hashtag #WereSorryBritney trended on Twitter.
Controlling Britney Spears
This sequel to Framing Britney Spears revealed that Spears' communications and personal interactions had been secretly monitored by Black Box Security for over a decade.
Britney vs Spears
- Main article: Britney vs Spears
Netflix’s investigative documentary, directed by Erin Lee Carr, featured exclusive interviews with individuals close to Spears, including photographer Andrew Gallery and her former assistant Felicia Culotta.
The Battle for Britney: Fans, Cash & a Conservatorship
This BBC documentary explored Spears' alleged dementia diagnosis and included interviews with childhood acquaintances, #FreeBritney activists, and pop culture blogger Perez Hilton.
Celebration of her legal victory
On November 12, 2021, Spears celebrated her legal victory by sharing an Instagram post wearing a "#FreeBritney" t-shirt alongside Asghari and their dog, Porsha. She later called out her mother, Lynne Spears, and former business manager Lou Taylor for orchestrating the conservatorship.