"Free Britney"

[CistitisStings]

Apologies if this has been covered already on this board.
Does anyone know much about "conservatorships", legally?
The fact that Britney Spears' actions have apparently been controlled by two men (her father and a lawyer, paid a lot from Britney's estate) for over a decade seems alarming.

I have no real understanding of what's happened in the specific case, but I think it's fair to say that there is something very wrong with a system that allows such levels of control over one persons income and behaviour without independent scrutiny and regular re-assessment (from both the perspective of assessing the health of the individual and also auditing how their money is being spent).

As stands it strikes me that it's a set up that can never facilitate independence, rather it actively provides no incentive to do so and the means to exert financial and behavioural control with impunity and without censure.

I think this all sounds very awful, but it's difficult to know what is true and what isn't. Clearly it could be a situation that allows abuse, including financial abuse. OTOH, there is a reason the legal mechanism exists.

I will say that I don't think requiring conservatorship is necessarily incompatible with being able to do work, including in the entertainment industry.

I read into this a few years ago and I'm not entirely sure what to think.

One thing I read was that the creepy guy who was exploiting Britney at the time of her breakdown - Sam something? - had a lawsuit against her, and part of the reason it was in her own interest to have the conservatorship continued was that it stopped her being sued by him.

But in general, I feel a bit conflicted about it, because I actually do know someone who would really benefit from an arrangement like the one it seems Britney has. Basically, severe mental health problems, able to live a relatively 'normal' life while on medication and given support, i.e. could hold down a job if supported but if left to manage own finances would quickly go off rails. Has been committed on multiple occasions but essentially is court ordered to go on meds, stabilises, is released, can't be court ordered to keep up meds because is deemed to have capacity as a result of the meds but then immediately comes off them, is ok for a short while then starts struggling to manage finances, abusing drugs, etc etc. V vulnerable and open to exploitation.

I have often thought how much they would benefit from a set up not unlike this. And I actually don't think the amount of money the father is taking is outrageous, 100k a year wouldn't be an unusual figure for a manager, probably on the low side given her wealth. If he is actually stealing lots of her money its obviously different. The idea that she was committed 'for getting a burger' without her fathers consent but then the sentence say also 'stopping her medication' ....

I never realised how complex mental health conditions could be, or the extent to which some people will never fully 'recover' in the sense of being able to lead a fully independent life, but there are limited structures to support most people. I think its not outrageous to imagine a talented singer might be able to sing and perform while given a lot of support, but still not be able to be fully independent safely. I don't think its at all as black and white as 'completely unable to function or work' and 'entirely capable of having a career and managing your own affairs.'

I really hope Britney isn't being exploited, I have a soft spot for her. Its hard to tell from the information available, but I think it isn't impossible this is being done with her wellbeing in mind. That being said, you'd hope there were independent healthcare professionals overseeing it, especially given how long it has gone on for.

The problem is, no one really knows (and nor should they, she's entitled to privacy) what is 'wrong' with her. Sources say dementia, others say Bipolar and or EPD, others say schizophrenia and one place I even read said she had a breakdown after testing HIV positive in the 00's. Other articles say she had (illegal) drug induced psychosis. All unsubstantiated sources of course. Her father asked that court papers relating to her medical condition be sealed as it would 'damage her career' if details were allowed
to be released.

Without knowing the details of whatever condition she has, you can't really judge on what her capacity is. Like a PP said, people with serious MH conditions can l or independently when supported and medicated - the problem comes when they stop.

Whatever her capacity, if she needs to be in this looked after arrangement it should be regularly independently reviewed to ensure it's appropriate year on year and that it's not being abused. I don't think 100k a year is unreasonable for her father to take as a salary, it's probably around what most managers earn.

*worriedmama

Yeah, I have a few relatives like that, my dad a bit though he has stabilised as he's edged into old age which isn't unusual, and a few aunts. None are really extreme enough to try and create that kind of arrangement, but they all struggle to manage things financially, keeping medications straight, paperwork, making sure their utilities stay on, that kind of thing. If they do have that kind of support, they do ok and can contribute a lot.

Anyone seen her sons live video on YouTube? He claims his grandad is a "dick". So the kids hate him, so must be true that he hurt one of them. Also he claims there's not much he can do atm because he's only young. Alot of people were asking about his thoughts on the free Britney movement. Bless him he's still young and doesn't fully understand it all.

Those kids must be very young teenagers aren't they? I hope their Dad is giving them the stability they deserve, it's a shame they've got YouTube videos out there at such a young age.

At this point, I believe it.

There are also press stories this week about a letter an ex employee has released that she allegedly wrote (its in the DM so I'm not linking).

That picture is weird but it's been doctored surely. This is the problem, some of these fans are billy bonkers and a bit tin hatty! If you read then on twitter or even in the comments on Instagram it's insane.

I fell down a bit of a rabbit hole with this. It’s hard to tell what’s really going on because her health condition are quite rightly not in the public domain.

She has huge wealth and, if as vulnerable as they say, ripe for any chancer that catches her eye. I can see why her father wants to protect her, assuming of course, he has 5e best of intentions.

12 years is a really long time though.

There's a lot about her tiktoks too. I'll link to a couple in a second..

vm.tiktok.com/JL4UN5q/

vm.tiktok.com/JL4RoG6/

This is terrible if true!

I just had a look at insta at that picture. It is as shown on here on her insta page. It's all very odd

Her Instagram is strange. Lots of similar odd poses in the skimpiest clothes possible and what looks like 3 day old makeup. She looks so haggard nowadays with huge bags under her eyes. And what's with the obsession in making sure everyone knows when the picture was taken?

I really feel for her. Things haven't been right for years and I honestly don't think she's in a good place or other people have her best interests at heart. Who would have thought 20 years ago she'd be here,like this?

I would imagine she is heavily medicated and that’s why she looks so zoned out in so much of her videos/photos.

I had no idea she wasn’t allowed to have anymore kids as part of the conservatorship. That’s horrendous!!!

She definitely looks medicated to me. If it's true it's horrifying. If she's too ill to be in control she is too ill to work, surely.

I wonder what her sister makes of it all. I would have thought she'd stand up for her if needed, I know I would for either of my sisters.

I wonder what her sister makes of it all. I would have thought she'd stand up for her if needed, I know I would for either of my sisters.

There was a rumour that her younger sister Jaime spears was "impregnated" by the Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider aged 16. It has always been an open secret in Hollywood that children are routinely abused. I always thought her breakdown was due to some sort of PTSD break due to abuse.

www.crazydaysandnights.net/2018/01/four-for-friday-its-about-time-himmmm.html?m=1

Tick tock, tick tock. That clock is ticking loudly as a chain of events and a metaphorical deal with the devil can bring down this entire media corporation and their now-struggling studio within the coming year. This one has been a long time coming, and is thankfully about to come to an end for the perpetrators of some of the modern entertainment industry's worst long-time institutional abuses of underage actresses. For many of the long-time CDAN regulars this one won't be a shock, although the details might. Many people in Hollywood and out have been waiting to see when this Producer at this cable network is going to be called out, publicly accused, or charged for his many years of abuse behind the scenes. Many have wondered why - with so many others being brought down - he's managed to escape almost unscathed? It's because of his Protector. His Protector is the mega-wealthy big boss of the studio and corporate parent, and he wields a lot of power over many types of media, in both Hollywood and New York. Many years ago the Producer got himself in serious trouble over his perverted abuses of several of his actresses. Not just those he abused himself, but those he encouraged his writers, directors, and co-producers to sexually abuse. This was not a one-time thing, but an ongoing constant pattern which led those actresses to drugs, self-destruction, self-abuse, mutilation, destroyed dreams, wasted careers, damaged families, and even insanity. Made more disgusting by the complicity and apathy of the parents, "momagers", and guardians who just wanted fame and money. All so that some jolly perverts could get their rocks off living out their sick unfulfilled tweenage dreams.

More at the link, also the following documentary An Open Secret:
vimeo.com/138965813

@LemonBreeland none of those links are working for me......

I can't see any way that this level of control for this long could be OK.

And I also cannot see it happening in this way to a man.

I just copied the whole text from the Facebook post. I didn't do anything with the links, sorry.

petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/conservatorship-and-civil-liberties-britney-spears
www.businessinsider.com/inside-britney-spears-conservatorship-freebritney-movement-2020-2?r=US&IR=T
www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-17/britney-spears-conservatorship-free-britney
www.forbes.com/sites/trialandheirs/2019/05/15/making-sense-of-the-britney-spears-conservatorship-and-freebritney/#1ca0c3f84b74
theblast.com/c/britney-spears-son-jayden-james-instagram-live-video-free-britney
www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/09/18/britney-spears-dad-jamie-wont-charged-child-abuse-prosecutor-says/2362531001/