If the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Keith Richards, and a slew of other musicians and recording artists are free to spend their millions as they see fit, why is Britney Spears, the 39-year-old pop icon, forced to live under the controlling fist of her father? Jamie Spears makes a cool $16,000 a month for obligating his daughter to perform under the alleged threat of all sorts of nefarious outcomes. Yet, few advocates – judicial, activist, or political – seem to care what happens to the former Disney star.
Recent calls to “free Britney” across all platforms of social media have some politicians ready to bring Ms. Spears to the nation’s capital to settle this mess once and for all – or at least provide a platform for grievance. Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and other members of Congress have invited Britney “to express your interest in speaking to Congress and America for the sake of the justice you and many Americans deserve.”
All of this comes on the backside of Spears petitioning and plaintively addressing the court last week. Remarks made by the popstar encouraged court-appointed co-conservators Bessemer Trust to request an immediate withdrawal from the role in concert with Jamie Spears, indicating they believed the conservatorship was voluntary.
The judge in the case, Brenda Penny, will decide on July 14 whether to remove Bessemer Trust. Penny did, however, on June 23, reject Britney’s petition for her father’s removal. How is this possible in America?
Britney Sings Like a Canary in Court
In a leaked transcript, Britney’s words paint a bleak picture of a woman in a sense held hostage and forced to work non-stop, and under her father’s direction, without any ability to say no. No to inhumane and back-to-back tours. No to performance venues. No to getting married to her longtime boyfriend. And no to removing a court-ordered Intrauterine Device (IUD) to have another child. She recalled being forced to complete a move in a choreographed performance that she felt was not right in the sequence. She was issued a threat by her “manager” to perform or be sued. Spears confronted Judge Penny: “Ma’am, I’m not here to be anyone’s slave. I can say no to a dance move.” She continued:
“And I’m tired of feeling alone. I deserve to have a life. I’ve worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two- to three-year break and just, you know, do what I want to do. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does by having a child, a family, any of those things.”
Britney May Break the Cone of Silence
Netflix produced a documentary of late called I Care a Lot, which covers probate scams. According to this flick, it is quite a racket and involves not only the rich and famous but just ordinary families going through juris imprudence hell. The Boston Broadside investigative reporter Lonnie Brennan has coined the term: “isolate, medicate, liquidate.” Upon hearing Ms. Spears testimonial in court, it appears that phrase also relates to some conservatorships.
With a passionate and robust movement sweeping social media to #FreeBritney, it appears that people are finally taking notice. If Ms. Spears is allowed to travel to D.C. to address Congress and articulate the abuse inflicted upon her for over 13 years, then perhaps others suffering will have an opportunity in this free country to be heard. The only people who stand to lose by liberating this woman are those who have made millions off her back.
Britney spoke for several minutes in the courtroom. And in one chilling comment, she described the conditions of one rehab house where she was sent as punishment for not doing a Las Vegas tour. “In California,” she observed, “the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking, making anyone work — work against their will. Taking all their possessions away — credit card, cash, phone, passport.”
Perhaps Ms. Spears will have her own Independence Day soon enough if Gaetz and Taylor Greene deliver the pop star to the national stage of the House of Representatives. But, until then, if it comes to pass, these words from the singer will ring in American ears: “And now we can sit here all day and say, ‘Oh, conservatorships are here to help people.’ But ma’am, there’s a thousand conservatorships that are abusive as well.”
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