June 24, 2021 – Pop icon Britney Spears on Wednesday spoke out against the conservatory, where she has lived for 13 years, telling a probate judge in Los Angeles that she wants her life back.
In a 24-minute statement, Spears told the judge who oversaw the conservatory that she wanted her “to have to be judged without.” She called the agreement “abusive” and said it was “traumatized” and “denied” despite the optimistic news she posted on Instagram last year, according to Reuters.
“I just want my life back,” she said. “I’m not here to be anyone’s slave.”
After the testimony, the court sank and the audio broadcast stopped, Reuters reported. Full transcripts have been published by several news outlets, including this slightly edited version of Variety.
The statement from Spears came as a shock after years of silence about the Conservatory. Public speculation about the deal has resurfaced over the past year due to the #FreeBritney movement on social media, news reports of leaked court documents, and a 2021 documentary showing she may feel trapped.
During Wednesday’s hearing, Spears spoke by phone to Los Angeles Supreme Court Justice Brenda Penny about the court-approved agreement, which began in 2008 after she suffered a mental breakdown. Penny said Spears must petition the court to request termination of the conservatory.
Under the terms of the Conservatory, Spears would have to prove she can take responsibility for her personal and financial affairs, Reuters reported. During the hearing, Penny assisted Spears in speaking.
“I know it took a lot of courage to say everything you have to say today,” she said. “I want you to know that the court appreciates your coming and your feelings.”
Spears, 39, said she wanted to remarry and have a baby, but she couldn’t see a doctor to have a contraceptive removed. Talking about her mental health, she said the doctors gave her the drug lithium, which made her less functional. Spears also said that in the past she was forced to perform and now has to attend numerous therapy sessions against her will each week.
“I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, it’s crazy,” she said. “And I’m depressed. I cry every day.”
Spears last spoke to the court in May 2019, but the hearing has been closed to the public and her testimony has been sealed. On Wednesday, Spears said she wanted people to hear her thoughts.
“I feel cooped up and bullied and I feel left out and alone,” she said. “I deserve to have the same rights as everyone else by having a child, a family, all of these things and more.”
WebMD health news
swell
SWELL:
Reuters: “Angry and traumatized, Britney Spears describes the conservatories as abusive.”
Diversity: “Read Britney Spears’ full statement against the conservatories: ‘I am traumatized’.”
© 2021 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.