Britney Spears' father was removed from her conservatorship Wednesday after 13 years of supervision, media attention, and personal pleas by the pop icon. Spears called her legal relationship with her father "abusive and cruel."
Variety reports that John Zabel, a certified accountant, will temporarily oversee Spears' estate. CNN reported that a Los Angeles judge, Brenda Penny, may decide to end the conservatorship at a later time.
Advocates for appropriate mental health care in Hollywood and the wider internet will find meaning in Spears' decision to remove her father from her conservatorship. Spears was not only largely out of control over her career and finances, but she was forced to seek treatment for mental disorders, including medication, therapy, and, according to court testimony, was required to use an IUD to prevent pregnancy. Spears' conservatorship wasn't just about business acumen. It was also one of bodily autonomy.
Spears' claims attest to a coercive mental healthcare system, based on old notions of mental treatment. She was considered a danger to her own mental health and an advantage to the medical profession for their control.
Jamie Spears, Spears' father filed a petition earlier this month to end the conservatorship he had over his daughter. CNN reported that his daughter, Jamie Spears, made comments in June in court in which she claimed she was traumatized by her father’s conservatorship. CNN reported that the petition claims her dad wants the "best" for her.
Spears agreed to the request of her father last week and said that the arrangement should be ended "expeditiously".
Although this isn’t the end to the conservatorship, it is a step towards Spears’s independence and freedom.
Celebrity doesn't come without spotlight. The life of a pop star is full of attention, but Spears has had to deal with a lot of it. In a March Instagram post, she mentioned this, writing, "My whole life has been very speculated...and watched...and judged really!" I have always been judged, insulted, and embarrassed by the media... and I am still !!!!"
Magazines covered her 2007 divorce and mental health issues. Paparazzi followed her incessantly, and People magazine published a cover story about her in 2008. She was in hospital for a psychiatric stay in 2008. Public was, and continues to be, acutely aware about intimate details in Spears's life.
Unfortunately, her unfettered gaze and control didn’t end when she was out of the public eye. She instead quietly dealt with the oppressive conservatorship of her father, as she gave up performing and had two children.
Even advocates and fans of her have broken boundaries. They kept a close eye on her private life and speculated on hidden messages. The star was not thrilled when the New York Times published a documentary called Controlling Britney Spears that could be streamed on Hulu. Netflix released Britney vs. Spears this week, and Spears wasn't pleased. According to an Instagram comment, she was not happy.
Spears, who became famous at 16 and entered the conservatorship at 26, is now free from the control of her father. Perhaps she will finally be able to enjoy the long-awaited privacy. She's at least closer to a fair chance.
UPDATE: September 29, 2021 at 4:09 PM PDT. This post was updated to reflect that a judge might consider terminating conservatorship at a later time.
