‘Princess of Pop’ Britney Spears suffered 13 years under the control of her abusive father, but now she’s free and her legacy remains stronger than ever. 

Pop icon Britney Spears was signed to her first label at only 15, releasing hit after hit, beginning with her triple-platinum track “… Baby One More Time” at 16 years old. Spears grew to have an immense impact on the pop scene in the 2000s, inspiring modern artists such as Lady Gaga and Chappel Roan. Dubbed the “Princess of Pop”, Spears became an LGBTQ+ icon, having been awarded a GLAAD Vanguard Award, dedicated to “media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people.” ^[1] 

However, due to her unwavering successes, Spears has stood victim to paparazzi for essentially her whole life. This exploitation publicized multiple breakdowns in the late 2000s. The images and articles written about her remain unforgettable- shots of her shaving her own head in a salon, attacking a paparazzi’s car and driving with her infant son in her lap. Where any of us might have the freedom to experience our worst moments alone and privately, Spears unfortunately had no such privilege. After her second admission to a mental hospital in 2008, Spears was placed into a conservatorship under her father. 

Spears’ case was strange, as conservatorships are usually reserved for the elderly who suffer from dementia, or coma patients. They place a vulnerable individual under the care of a guardian to manage their financial and personal affairs, yet Spears’ career continued to thrive as she performed to sold out shows night after night. Fans grew suspicious, worried that Spears was being controlled by her father. The hashtag ‘#FreeBritney’ began circulating online and in 2021- after 13 years- Spears finally spoke out. “I truly believe the conservatorship is abusive,” she told the court at a hearing.  

A New York Times article ^[2] outlined many harrowing instances of this abuse, writing that her father was “obsessed” with her, she could not make friends without his approval, mistakes resulted in “very harsh” consequences and that she was even forced to perform with a 104-degree fever. Thanks to her and her legal teams’ efforts, combined with the protests of her fans, her conservatorship has ended. 

After years of abuse from the press and her family, we can only hope Spears is satisfied, living the private and free life she always deserved. As tragic as her abuse may have been, we can be rest assured that the public will think twice before when faced with suspicious conservatorships, and that this will pave the way for safer, less abusive arrangements. Perhaps we will see another ‘#FreeBritney’ movement, only under a different name, and hopefully we will be more equipped to fight for it. 

Citations:

[1] (2018) Britney Spears to be Honored at 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD. Available at: https://glaad.org/releases/global-icon-britney-spears-be-honored-29th-annual-glaad-media-awards-los-angeles-lgbtq/. 

[2] Day L, Stark S, Cosacarelli J (2021) Britney Spears Quietly Pushed for Years to End Her Conservatorship, New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/arts/music/britney-spears-conservatorship.html