Yahoo News Britney Spears has been trying to end 'oppressive and controlling' conservatorship for years
New details about the restrictions of Britney Spears's conservatorship have come to light ahead of Wednesday's highly anticipated hearing. According to confidential court records newly obtained by The New York Times, the pop star has objected to her father's control since at least 2014.
Britney felt the system put in place to protect her had "too much control," according to a report written by a court investigator in 2016.
"She articulated she feels the conservatorship has become an oppressive and controlling tool against her," the probate investigator wrote. (In California conservatorships, a court investigator conducts occasional reviews.) According to the investigator's account of the conversation, Spears emphasized, "too, too much!" control.
A conservatorship is a legal arrangement put in place by the court which is supposed to help incapable individuals who cannot care for themselves. Britney's father, Jamie Spears, was assigned to manage her affairs in 2008 after her public breakdown and hospitalization.
Britney's conservatorship reportedly restricts everything from who she can date to the color of her kitchen cabinets. Britney claimed her father was "obsessed" with her, per the investigator's report, and that he wanted to control every aspect of her life. She could not make friends without his approval or make cosmetic changes to her home.
According to records, she was only given a $2,000 weekly allowance despite earning millions from her successful Las Vegas residence. Jamie purportedly receives around $16,000 per month and an additional $2,000 for office rent, according to documents viewed by the New York Times. The court also approved Jamie to receive a percentage of various business deals he sets up for his daughter.
"She is 'sick of being taken advantage of' and she said she is the one working and earning her money but everyone around her is on her payroll," the court investigator wrote in 2016. Britney told the official she wanted the conservatorship terminated as soon as possible — and it wasn't her first time expressing that desire.
In 2014, Britney's court-appointed lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, said his client wanted the conservatorship to end. He cited Jamie's relapse with alcohol and behavior behind closed doors among her "shopping list" of grievances. Jamie faced accusations of physical and verbal abuse and was investigated by police in 2019 after an altercation with one of Britney's sons. (Jamie was ultimately cleared.)
Britney has refrained from making public statements about the conservatorship, but she addressed the court during a closed-door hearing in 2019. Part of the transcript was leaked to the press.
The "Circus" singer reportedly said there's nothing wrong with her, pointing to her string of career accomplishments. Britney levied disturbing claims against her father, alleging she was forced into a mental health facility against her will on exaggerated grounds. She believed it was punishment for standing up for herself during a rehearsal. Britney said she was forced to work with a 104-degree fever, calling it one of the scariest moments of her life.
Britney is scheduled to speak during Wednesday's hearing about the "status of the conservatorship," although what she plans to talk about is unclear.
Jamie, through his lawyer, has repeatedly maintained that he has his daughter's best interests at heart.
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