Britney Spears free from conservatorship, judge rules

The 39-year-old pop star has been legally stripped of her ability to make her own financial and personal decisions for the past 13 years

Picture: @ Chris Pizzello

Britney Spears is free. A Los Angeles judge on Friday ended the conservatorship that has controlled the pop singer’s life and money for nearly 14 years.

The decision capped a stunning five-month odyssey that saw Spears publicly demand the end of the conservatorship, hire her own attorney, have her father removed from power and finally win the freedom to make her own medical, financial and personal decisions for the first time since 2008.

Spears thanks her fans and says she is “gonna cry the rest of the day”

Britney Spears shared a video of her fans celebrating in the streets following a court ruling in Los Angeles Friday to end her 13-year conservatorship.

“Good God I love my fans so much it’s crazy !!! I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen ????” Spears wrote on Instagram.

The decision capped a stunning odyssey that saw Spears publicly demand the end of the conservatorship, hire her own attorney, have her father removed from power and finally win the freedom to make her own medical, financial and personal decisions for the first time since 2008.

“As of today, the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated,” Judge Brenda Penny said.

Jubilation erupted outside the courthouse, with fans cheering and shouting after the decision was announced. The crowd chanted “Britney! Britney! Britney!” and fans sang and danced to Spears’ song “Stronger.”

Good God I love my fans so much it’s crazy ?❤️ !!! I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen ??☀️?? ???? #FreedBritney

?: @AbbyShalawylo pic.twitter.com/yk1vO3H02L
— Britney Spears (@britneyspears) November 12, 2021

The move was widely expected, with little support left for prolonging the legal arrangement. But Judge Brenda Penny offered no clear signals about what she would decide. As recently as last spring, it appeared that the conservatorship could continue for years. Then it unraveled with surprising speed.

Key to the unraveling was a speech Spears made at a hearing in June when she passionately described the restrictions and scrutiny of her life as “abusive.” She demanded that the conservatorship end without any prying evaluation of her mental state.

Legal experts at the time said that was unlikely to happen, and would represent a departure from common court practice.

But a judge allowed her to hire an attorney of her choice, Mathew Rosengart, at a July hearing in which she again complained about the grief the conservatorship caused and demanded that it end.

Now a post-conservatorship fight has begun after Rosengart said that law enforcement should investigate revelations in a New York Times documentary about a listening device placed in her bedroom.

Britney’s father, James Spears, said that Rosengart’s allegations ranged from unsubstantiated to impossible, and that he only ever acted in his daughter’s best interest. James Spears has parted ways with the attorneys who helped him operate it, and he has hired Alex Weingarten, a lawyer specializing in the kind of litigation that may be coming. To be continued.

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