Britney Spears has made her first public statement after checking into a mental health facility in early April. At the time of her admission, Spears, 37, was reported by Variety to be suffering from emotional distress, related to her father Jamie’s health troubles. In January, she cancelled her ongoing Vegas residency to prioritise spending time with her family.
However, fans of the star have claimed that she is being held against her will under the terms of her conservatorship. It has been in place since early 2008, after she shaved her head in public, attacked a paparazzi’s car with an umbrella and was hospitalised twice.
Under the conservatorship, Spears cannot make personal or financial decisions without the approval of her father. A co-conservator, lawyer Andrew M Wallet, reportedly resigned from his position on 4 March. The conservators cannot, however, force a conservatee to take medication, nor institutionalise them against their will.
In a video posted to her Instagram, Spears said: “All is well. My family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I just needed time to deal. But don’t worry, I’ll be back very soon.”
She offered more details in an extended caption, in which she stated that the allegations “have just gotten out of control”. She claimed that her family and team had received death threats, and that she was “trying to take a moment for myself”.
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She assured fans that she was in control and requested privacy. “My situation is unique, but I promise I’m doing what’s best at this moment … You may not know this about me, but I am strong, and stand up for what I want!”
The singer’s statement follows a public protest on 22 April under the banner #FreeBritney, organised by the fan podcast Britney’s Gram, which first made the allegations.
Spears’s boyfriend, Sam Asghari, told paparazzi on 23 April: “Nobody needs to worry. She’s doing amazing, she’ll be back soon.”
Many have questioned the necessity of the ongoing conservatorship over Spears, given her apparently improved wellbeing. A 2016 New York Times report stated that she is subject to an arrangement typically designed to protect the elderly and infirm. There are two types of conservators – those responsible for a person’s mental wellbeing, and those responsible for their finances. Spears has both – or did until Wallet resigned in April.
Elaine Renoire, president of US advocacy group National Association to Stop Guardian Abuse, told the New York Times: “As long as she is bringing in so much money and as long as the lawyers and conservators are getting paid, there is little incentive to end it.”
The pop star’s estate is highly profitable: Sony Pictures has announced that it has acquired the film rights to the Spears-inspired musical Once Upon a Time. The stage show will debut in Chicago on 23 November before transferring to Broadway in 2020. Spears is billed as a producer on the film, along with her manager Larry Rudolph and production company Davis Entertainment.