Britney Spears Says Her Father "Should Be In Jail" To Appear In Court
“I'm not happy, I can't sleep. I'm so mad, it's crazy. And I'm depressed, "says the pop star to the court
Britney Spears has asked her father to "be in jail" during a rare court appearance to address her years-long guardianship case.
"My dad and anyone involved in this guardianship, including my administration ... should be in jail," she said in a statement to Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny on Wednesday.
"I told the world that I am happy and well," the 39-year-old singer continued during her statement. "I lied. I'm not happy, I can't sleep. I'm so mad, it's crazy. And I'm depressed."
This was Spears' first public statement regarding her guardianship since several explosive documentaries about her case were released to the public earlier this year, prompting increased scrutiny of the singer's situation.
James “Jamie” Spears has been assigned as her daughter's guardian since 2008, which means he has control over her finances and affairs. This arrangement came after Spears experienced a public meltdown that year.
In an emotional statement to the court, Spears detailed her experience under her guardianship and the alleged control her father and her management had over her personal and professional life. This included them allegedly forcing her to perform live.
“Madam, I am not here to be anyone's slave. I can say no to a dance move, ”Spears said when speaking with the judge.
"The last time I spoke to you (the judge) ... she made me feel like she was dead," she continued. "I'm telling you again because I'm not lying ... so maybe you can understand the depth, the degree and the damage ... I deserve changes."
Spears was referring to the last time she appeared in court regarding her guardianship, which took place on May 10, 2019. At the time, the courtroom was sealed and nothing she said was done. public.
In her statement, Britney called for an end to the "abusive" guardianship and asked the judge to grant her control of her own personal and property affairs.
"My family didn't do a damn thing," she said. “All I had to do, [my dad] was be the one to approve of everything. My whole family did nothing. "
She continued: “I have done more than enough. I don't owe these people anything. It's shameful and demoralizing what I've been through. I just want my life back. It's been 13 years. "
At the end of the singer's statement, Judge Penny said: "I am sensitive to everything she has said ... It takes a lot of courage."
Last year, Spears' attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, petitioned for her father to be removed as her guardian. In a report in The New York Times this week, it was revealed that the singer expressed as early as 2016 that the guardianship was an "oppressive and controlling tool used against her."
Her attorneys have previously said that she lacked the ability to publicly testify about the apparently voluntary conservatorship agreement.
Her father responded to the allegations and told the court in a statement that he was "sorry" to hear how she was suffering.
"He regrets seeing her daughter suffering and in so much pain," he reads in the statement. "Spears loves her daughter very much."
