Britney Spears fans have been left reeling by the shock claims she made while discussing her conservatorship in court.
The singer virtually addressed a Los Angeles courtroom on Wednesday (23 June) in a landmark moment for her ongoing battle to regain control of her financial and personal affairs.
It marked the first time Spears had appeared in open court since her father, Jamie, began the conservatorship in 2008. The case was explored in recent documentary Framing Britney Spears.
“I am not happy, I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, it’s insane. And I’m depressed,” Spears said.
The singer said that she “deserves changes” and spoke passionately about wanting to end her conservatorship without being medically evaluated, given the extent to which she has already been seen multiple times over the years.
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“I don’t want to be evaluated, to be sat in a room with people four hours a day like they did to me before,” she said. “If I can work and provide money and work for myself and pay other people, it makes no sense.”
But, what happens next?
Judge Brenda Penny told Spears she will have to submit a petition officially requesting the termination of the conservatorship.
The terms of conservatorships in California state that a court-appointed investigator must speak with Spears, who will have to “demonstrate that it’s no longer necessary”. This investigator will also speak to her parents as well as the company that manages her business affairs before providing findings to the judge, who will make the final decision.
No dates have been set for this process but another hearing regarding the estate’s accounting documents is scheduled for 14 July.
According to Los Angeles-based family lawyer Christopher Melcher: “Once a person is under a conservatorship it’s difficult to get out of it because the court does not want to remove those protections only to have the conservatee taken advantage of.”
