A bombshell of a conservatorship hearing last week has prompted many to support Britney Spears. Christina Aguilera says “this is unacceptable”, adding that “to be silenced, ignored, bullied, or denied support by those “close” to you is the most devastating, depleting, and demeaning thing imaginable”.
Spears has been under a conservatorship arrangement since 2008. This is a legal arrangement meant to protect the personal affairs of an adult who has been deemed incapacitated.
In a recent court appearance, Spears asked for the conservatorship to end, calling it an ” abusive” arrangement. Breaking her silence, Spears described her abuse as being forced to use birth control despite wanting a baby, being put on the drug Lithium against her will, and being forced to perform – among other allegations.
Celebrities are rallying around Spears in a big way after her testimony. Justin Timberlake wrote on Twitter, “after what we saw today we should all be supporting Britney at this time”.
Spear’s younger sister Jamie also spoke out. Jamie Lynn Spears said she was “proud of her sister for speaking out”.
Many are now looking at the details of legal conservatorships. More than 1.3 million adults in the United States are under these agreements with guardians controlling roughly $50 billion in assets – according to the Department of Justice. Some find these arrangements restrictive and controlling prompting a closer look at the legal aspects of conservatorships of adults. Spears’s main conservator is her father.
Kevin Federline, the former husband and the father of Spears’s children, also spoke out in support saying “the kids love their mother and he wants there to be a healthy and happy relationship”.
