Britney Spears’ ex-husband speaks out in support of the singer at the #FreeBritney protest
Spears and Alexander were married in Las Vegas in January 2004
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Britney Spears’ ex-husband has declared his support for the singer in her legal bid to end her father’s control of her conservatorship.
Spears, 38, is attempting to remove her father as her sole conservator, a role which has allowed him control over her career, personal life and estate for the past 12 years.
On Wednesday (19 August) the pop star’s first husband and childhood friend, Jason Alexander, joined fans at a #FreeBritney protest. The group gathered outside the Superior Court of California in Los Angeles where a hearing was being held.
Standing outside the courthouse, Alexander told the Daily Mail, “She’s ready for this to be over with. It’s holding her back.”
Alexander, who has reportedly been in recent contact with Spears, added, “She does get to do things, you know, go on a vacation for a week, but it’s all supervised. It’s not like she can just do what she wants.”
The pair, who grew up together in Louisiana, were briefly married in Las Vegas in January 2004 when they were both 22. However, the union was annulled only 55 hours later.
The annulment stated that the pop star “lacked understanding of her actions, to the extent that she was incapable of agreeing to the marriage”.
Spears went on to marry backup dancer Kevin Federline in October that year. The couple divorced in 2007.
Speaking to Us Weekly, Alexander continued to voice his support for the “Baby One More Time” singer saying, “I want to see Britney get what she rightly deserves, and from personal conversations, she doesn’t want to be under the conservatorship obviously and it’s affecting her life still to this day in a negative way. And it’s time for it to be over.”
Conservatorship is when a guardian or protector is appointed by a court to manage the life of someone due to physical or mental limitations. Spears’ conservatorship was put in place in 2008 after she suffered a high-profile breakdown in 2007.
It has been the subject of widespread online protests this year. The #FreeBritney movement was launched by fans who believe Spears is “trapped”, and one petition, with more than 100,000 signatures lobbying for Spears’ freedom, claims: “Her father doesn’t allow her to drive, all of her calls & messages are monitored, she’s not allowed to vote, hang with anyone or spend her money without permission. And if she breaks a ‘rule’ he threatens to have her kids taken away.”
Earlier this month, Jamie called the #FreeBritney campaign “a joke” and said he is tired of rumours that his daughter is being exploited.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments