Britney Spears's testimony in Los Angeles conservatorship hearing has seen a huge outpouring of support and anger. It is a sign that her words and desire for self-determination are finally being heard. But there has been another. BuzzFeed News claimed that the #FreeBritney fans were right in a headline. Entertainment Weekly's dispatch stated that the #FreeBritney movement has been vindicated. The Cut reported that Spears was about to talk publicly about her conservatorship and that people are joining the bandwagon like "Oh my God." BuzzFeed News was told by one #FreeBritney advocate that you were correct. This wagon appears to cover a lot of the media.AdvertisementThese self-described activists were not surprised to gather in the wake Spears' most important statement regarding her current situation. It is a bit depressing to see journalists and others continuing to flatter their own sense of importance to Spears' story. Framing Britney Spears documentary was a good document, but it also helped many to reevaluate their treatment of the singer. However, Spears fans were seen as a scrappy, ragtag force that exposed the conservatorship. BuzzFeed News reported that fans believed Spears's decision to address court was partly due to their efforts in raising awareness about the arrangement. Spears has not indicated anything to the contrary. In 24 hours of exhausting, breathless testimony, Spears didn't mention her fans, #FreeBritney, or the fevered speculations they engaged in. Spears cited a grueling tour schedule, mandatory treatment and control over her relationships, as the factors that have pushed her to the top in recent years. The New York Times reported in a large piece that builds on work from 2016 and was partly written by Framing Britney Spears creators. It claimed that Spears had actually been fighting back against the conservatorship for many decades long before #FreeBritney became a force in force in 2019.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementSubscribe to the Slate Culture newsletter and receive the best movies, TV, music, books, and other news straight to your inbox. Signing you up was not possible due to an error Please try again. To use this form, please enable jаvascript. Email address: I would like to receive updates on Slate special offers. You agree to our Privacy Policy & Terms by signing up. Thank you for signing up! You can cancel your subscription at any time.#FreeBritney supporters have not revealed anything. Spears brought the alleged abuse of lightactual reporting to their attention. They didn't. Instead, Britneys Gram and fan-tivists analyzed Spears' Instagram account emoji as if it were a secret code that only they could crack. They then peddled still unconfirmed reports from anonymous voicemails, which made claims that did not match what Spears said in court. #FreeBritney members searched beach photos of Spears for hidden text in the sand. They claimed that a Britney-like was posting photos to her account, but she was not there. Fans believed that Spears was using a yellow top to show her true feelings. Many comments quickly tagged another account to alert them to the outcome of their investigation: @FBI. (The FBI didn't appear to be involved.AdvertisementThe fact that the horrors of Spears conservatorship are deeper than anyone knows does not discredit the irresponsible speculations of these fans. They may be motivated by a genuine but misguided feeling of connection to Spears and have turned their insinuations into a complete grift. Now that Spears has revealed the abuses of her conservatorship, there is a little #FreeBritney whitewashing. This movement was about structural abuse in conservatorships. But these fans are completely ignorant of the battle actual disability rights activists have waged for years and with a wider scope. These fans were the straight-talking voices that wanted to tell the truth about Spears, despite all the lies they propagated, and still do. Infuriating revisionism is the idea that these hucksters are not recognized heroes in Spears' long struggle. They have repeatedly shown themselves to be another group of people willing to insert themselves into the singer's life, regardless of what she may say or do. The current controversy began over two years ago. A video was posted to Spears' Instagram asking for privacy. Fans responded THEY MADE YOUR LIE. Spears then apologized on Instagram for not speaking sooner. The fans believed that it was her and took it as vindication. The cycle continues.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt is easy to see why the #FreeBritney movement also believes that it helped bring attention and sympathy towards Spears' case. It is likely that the movement made a difference in Spears' future, even if it was only by prompting a public review of her treatment. The hashtag has been effective and durable, despite being criticized by fringe fans. No one knows what the future holds. Nobody knows how Spears' testimony will impact her case. In the wake of this, Spears has spent the last week cursing paparazzi for harassing her while on vacation in Hawaii. Instead of glorifying and aggrandizing fans whose facts are tenuous and whose relationship to their object of affection is ambiguous at best, let's do what Britney requested in the past: Let Britney be Britney.
