Britney Spears says she learnt about #FreeBritney movement while ‘locked up’ in rehab
Supporters of movement called for pop star to be released from her court-mandated conservatorship
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 recalled first learning about the #FreeBritney movement from a nurse while she was “locked up” at a Beverly Hills rehab centre.
Following a series of mental health breakdowns, the pop star was placed under a court-mandated conservatorship controlled by her father, Jaimie Spears, who was given legal power over her personal affairs and finances.
During that period, which lasted from 2008 to 2021, superfans of the “Toxic” singer banded together to bring awareness to the conservatorship after they became concerned for her safety and well-being.
In 2018, Spears tried to fight against the conservatorship; however, she was forced to undergo further mental health evaluations and another rehab stay, she wrote in her forthcoming memoir, The Woman in Me.
“My father said that if I didn’t go, then I’d have to go to court, and I’d be embarrassed,” she said in an excerpt published by People.
“They kept me locked up against my will for months,” the “Oops!...I Did It Again” singer claimed. “I couldn’t go outside. I couldn’t drive a car. I had to give blood weekly. I couldn’t take a bath in private. I couldn’t shut the door to my room.”
She also added that she was only allowed one hour of television before her 9pm bedtime.
Spears later recounted a nurse from the facility showing her videos of #FreeBritney supporters rallying together to fight for her freedom from the conservatorship.
“That was the most amazing thing I’d ever seen in my life,” she wrote. “I don’t think people knew how much the #FreeBritney movement meant to me, especially in the beginning.”
In another snippet of the memoir, Spears broke her silence on the 13-year conservatorship, saying that “they robbed me of my freedom”.
“I became a robot. But not just a robot – a sort of child-robot. I had been so infantilised that I was losing pieces of what made me feel like myself,” the “...Baby One More Time” singer said.
“The conservatorship stripped me of my womanhood, made me into a child. I became more of an entity than a person onstage. I had always felt music in my bones and my blood; they stole that from me.”
During her 2021 testimony, the “Circus” singer told the court: “I just want my life back.”
On 12 November 2021, a California judge gave back Spears all of her legal rights. The ruling was celebrated by scores of the singer’s fans who had gathered outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles.
The Woman in Me will be released on 24 October.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments