Britney Spears pronounces in court against 'abusive' guardianship
Britney told the court that she wanted the guardianship to end and described the arrangement as "embarrassing and humiliating"
Singer Britney Spears has launched a strong attack on the "abusive" guardianship that has controlled her life for 13 years.
She said that she was traumatized and cried every day, and told a judge in Los Angeles, "I just want my life back."
Spears, 39, also said that she had been denied the right to have more children and that she was prescribed the psychiatric drug lithium against her wishes.
The order was granted after the star was admitted to the hospital amid concerns about her mental health, and has stretched for more than a decade since then.
Britney in the audience
Wednesday's special hearing was the first time Spears had spoken in public about her case. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny thanked Spears for her “brave” words during the process.
Much speculation about the pop star's situation followed, with fans eagerly searching for her social media posts for clues. A fan-led movement known as #FreeBritney has campaigned for her legal freedom for years.
But a lengthy legal process is likely to take place before a decision is made on termination of the guardianship, the Associated Press reports.
‘I deserve to have a life’
Spears delivered a passionate speech that lasted more than 20 minutes. After launching her speech, the judge asked her to slow down and then said that she wished she could stay on the phone "forever" to avoid returning to her life, where she was surrounded by people telling her that not.
Spears told the court that she wanted the guardianship to end and she described the arrangement as "embarrassing and humiliating."
Spears delivered a passionate speech that lasted more than 20 minutes. After launching her speech, the judge asked her to slow down and then said that she wished she could stay on the phone "forever" to avoid returning to her life, where she was surrounded by people telling her that not.
Spears told the court that she wanted the guardianship to end and she described the arrangement as "embarrassing and humiliating."
“I have been in denial. I've been in a state of shock. I'm traumatized, ”she said. "I'm not happy. I can not sleep. I'm so mad it's crazy. And I am depressed. I cry every day ”.
Spears, a mother of two, said she wanted to marry her boyfriend and have another baby, but the guardianship would not allow it. She accused her guardian of preventing them from removing an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD) so that she could become pregnant.
"I feel united and I feel intimidated and I feel left out and alone," she told the court. "I deserve to have the same rights as anyone, to have a child, a family, any of those things."
Spears said that she felt "compelled" to do a tour by managing her. She said that she spoke out against going directly to a residency in Las Vegas, and her therapist was falsely told that she was not cooperating or taking her medications.
She alleged that she later prescribed the drug lithium, a common medication for bipolar disorder, against her wishes and that she had made her feel drunk and unable to converse.
Spears said that she believed the guardianship was doing her “much more harm than good” and she said that she “honestly did not know” that she could request that the agreement be terminated.
The full scope of why the court order was extended has never been made public. But Spears has maintained a public career, including a Las Vegas residency and a stint as an X-Factor judge, leading many to question the validity of the deal.
An attorney for her father, Jamie Spears, said the singer's allegations in court had worried him.
"He is sorry to see her daughter suffer and so much pain," said the lawyer in a statement read in court. "Mr. Spears loves her daughter and misses her very much."
What is a guardianship?
A court grants guardianship to people who cannot make their own decisions, such as those with dementia or other mental illnesses.
Spears' guardianship is divided into two parts: one is for her estate and her financial affairs, the other is for her as a person.
According to the agreement, the pop star has not controlled her finances since 2008. It was then that she began to behave erratically amid her divorce from Kevin Federline and a custody battle for her children.
The star made headlines in a series of public incidents, including shaving her head, and she was admitted to hospital twice.
