Britney Spears calls for an end to her guardianship
The singer has been under the tutelage of her father since 2008, unable to decide on her own professional career and personal life
The American singer Britney Spears has asked a court for the annulment of the legal guardianship that has been in force since 2008 and that prevents her from making her own decisions about her professional career and her personal life. Spears has denounced that this situation is "abusive" and that she does not want James Spears, her father and her legal guardian, to continue deciding for her.
Guardianship is a legal mechanism that aims to protect a minor or incapacitated person because it is ruled by a doctor or a judge. Thus, the adult who is appointed legal guardian has full power to decide for that person and their property. In the Britney Spears case, a judge ruled that she was not in a position to decide on her musical career, spend her own money, or care for her children.
Spears released her first album in 1997, when she was just 16 years old, and she quickly became a world pop star. Throughout her career, she has sold more than 100 million records and has reached number one on the music charts around the world. In 2004 she married dancer Kevin Federline, with whom she had two children.
Hoy se cumplen 13 años desde que Britney Spears, la princesa del pop, esta en una tutela bajo la cual no puede votar, casarse, contratar un abogado, gastar su propio dinero y manejar su auto sin permiso de su padre. Ella puede tomar sus propias decisiones!! #FreeBritney pic.twitter.com/phBKBTGMv1
— agus 🌹 (@godneyicon) February 1, 2021
During all these years, the media and the paparazzi persecuted her and subjected her to public scrutiny: everyone had opinions about her appearance, her relationships, her music ... In 2007 she separated from her husband, who accused her of being a bad mother and having mental problems. In 2008 she entered a psychiatric facility and lost custody of her children.
It was then that her father asked for her legal guardianship and became her guardian. That allowed him to decide on her musical career, in addition to managing the singer's personal fortune, which currently exceeds 50 million euros. Spears has confessed that she for years she was forced to tour and concert relentlessly.
On the other hand, the singer has also denounced that legal guardianship affects her private life. Her family and her representatives did not want her to remarry or have more children because that could interfere with her professional career and stop producing benefits. Thus, according to her, they convinced her to insert an IUD (intrauterine device) to avoid getting pregnant, but they did not let her go to the doctor to remove it.
Voy a hacer un hilo para que los que no conocéis el tema de #FreeBritney sepáis de qué se trata y por qué es tan monstruoso lo que están haciendo con Britney.
— Álvaro Onieva (@AlvaroOnieva) June 23, 2021
Hoy ella ha declarado ante el juzgado, pero es un tema que viene de largo. Lleva 13 años sin su propia custodia. pic.twitter.com/0McVTjKE0G
Britney Spears' statement has sparked controversy over the pressure young artists are under and how the music business works, sometimes more focused on money than art. She also questions the figure of her family and her team, who for years have been benefiting from her work.
The #FreeBritney movement
Between 2013 and 2017, Britney Spears was giving a daily concert for four years in Las Vegas. When she finished she wanted to take a break, but her team of representatives insisted that she do more concerts. In 2019 she was admitted to a mental institution, but there were rumors that she had been coerced.
That was the origin of the #FreeBritney movement. Fans wondered if the singer was really free to make her decisions and began to question James Spears' role as her legal guardian. They were initially accused of making up conspiracies, but more and more people began to worry about Britney Spears, including famous actresses and singers like Cher or Karol G.
In February 2021, the documentary Framing Britney Spears was released, produced by The New York Times, which analyzed the singer's career and reopened the debate on her guardianship. The producers have explained that they tried to contact her to participate in the documentary, but that they do not know if her message really reached him.
