A conservatorship is \u201cthe appointment of a conservator by the court to manage a person\u2019s affairs who is unable to handle them due to their mental capacity, age, or physical disability.\u201d[6]<\/a> Conservatorships can be short-term, temporary, or permanent in duration.[7]<\/a> They may also be financial, physical, or both.[8]<\/a> A financial conservatorship gives the conservator \u201cfull authority over the conservatee\u2019s finances,\u201d while a physical conservatorship gives the conservator authority over \u201cthe conservatee\u2019s health and life.\u201d[9]<\/a> Finally, a conservatorship may be general or limited.[10]<\/a> A general conservatorship provides the conservator with complete authority over all significant decisions concerning the conservatee. In contrast, a limited conservatorship gives the conservator control over only specific aspects of the conservatee\u2019s life.[11]<\/a><\/p>\n Britney Spears was placed under a temporary conservatorship in 2008 after going through a divorce, losing custody of her two children, and attending two mental health facilities.[12]<\/a> The media depicted her visits as evidence that she had a mental health condition.[13]<\/a> Within that same year, Britney\u2019s conservatorship was made permanent.[14]<\/a> From 2008 until 2018, Britney continued to release albums, go on world tours, participate in long-term performance commitments in Las Vegas, and make other media appearances.[15]<\/a> From 2008 to 2013, Britney\u2019s father, Jamie Spears, acted as the conservator of Britney\u2019s person.[16]<\/a> From 2008 to 2019, he also acted as conservator of her finances.[17]<\/a> This meant that Mr. Spears received a salary as Britney\u2019s conservator and additional commissions from her career earnings.[18]<\/a> The conservatorship also eliminated Britney\u2019s autonomy in deciding her career path and financial choices. Most notably, the conservatorship also barred Britney from freedoms like getting remarried, having more children, or hiring her own legal counsel.[19]<\/a><\/p>\n As early as 2009, fan websites began speaking out against Britney\u2019s conservatorship.[20]<\/a> They believed that Britney\u2019s continued work throughout her conservatorship proved that she was not legally incapacitated to the point of being unable to make any decisions about her life.[21]<\/a> Fans also noticed that Britney was speaking out against the conservatorship and wanted to help.[22]<\/a> Although the #FreeBritney movement does not have one pinpointed starter, it is entirely fan led.[23]<\/a> Through podcasts, demonstrations outside court hearings, publishing court documents, and a social media frenzy, these fans brought attention to the violation of basic rights through Britney\u2019s conservatorship.[24]<\/a> This fan attention eventually led to a New York Times documentary on the subject, countless expos\u00e9s and news articles, and even more public support in 2021.[25]<\/a> Consequently, this growing pressure from social media helped terminate Britney\u2019s conservatorship on November 12, 2021.[26]<\/a><\/p>\n The #FreeBritney movement has also sparked public concerns over the ethics of conservatorships. Zoe Brennan-Krohn, an American Civil Liberties Union\u2019s disability rights lawyer, spoke out against conservatorships in stating, \u201cWe don\u2019t know how long they\u2019ve been there in them. We don\u2019t know whether they want to be there. We don\u2019t know why they\u2019re there. We don\u2019t know whether they have their own lawyers.\u201d[27]<\/a> In response to such concerns brought forward by the #FreeBritney movement, Congress members have spoken out, including Ted Cruz, Seth Moulton, and Elizabeth Warren.[28]<\/a> Additionally, a bipartisan bill entitled the Freedom and Right to Emancipate from Exploitation Act (\u201cFREE Act\u201d) was introduced.[29]<\/a> The FREE Act would \u201callow a person under a legal… conservatorship the right to petition the court to have their court-appointed [conservator] replaced with a public [conservator].\u201d[30]<\/a><\/p>\n The #FreeBritney movement has made not only Britney\u2019s voice, but the public\u2019s voices heard. It remains a pivotal social media movement that has come to stand for more than a pop star. The #Free Britney movement stands for the human rights of all those in a conservatorship, and it is evident that their call for change impacted the law. \u201cThe cumulative voices of a community are powerful for shaping policy… #FreeBritney shows how people can join together and use their voices to enact change.\u201d[31]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n [1]<\/a> Complete Guide to Conservatorship<\/em>, Trust & Will, https:\/\/trustandwill.com\/learn\/what-is-conservatorship [https:\/\/perma.cc\/9XTZ-W4LS] (last updated 2021).<\/p>\n [2]<\/a> Free Britney! What Is a Conservatorship?<\/em>, The Legal Examiner (Aug. 25, 2021) https:\/\/www.legalexaminer.com\/legal\/free-britney-what-is-a-conservatorship\/ [https:\/\/perma.cc\/HRA4-MHXM].<\/p>\n [3]<\/a> E.g., Conservatorship Timeline How Did We Get Here?<\/em>, FREEBRITNEY.ARMY, https:\/\/www.freebritney.army\/timeline [https:\/\/perma.cc\/RP6V-C29X], (last visited Jan. 19, 2022) [hereinafter FreeBritney].<\/p>\n [4]<\/a> E.g., Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [5]<\/a> See <\/em>Aishvarya Kavi, Push to \u2018Free <\/em>Britney\u2019 Gains Steam on Capitol Hill<\/em>, NY Times (July 15, 2021), https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/07\/15\/us\/politics\/britney-spears.html [https:\/\/perma.cc\/N6S8-BBNU] (last updated Nov. 12, 2021).<\/strong><\/p>\n [6]<\/a> Conservatorship<\/em>, law.cornell.edu, https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/wex\/conservatorship#:~:text=A%20conservatorship%20is%20the%20appointment,referred%20to%20as%20%E2%80%9Cconservatee.%E2%80%9D [https:\/\/perma.cc\/HRQ9-YVM7] (last visited Jan. 19, 2022).<\/p>\n [7]<\/a> Eric Reed, What Is a Conservatorship, and H<\/em>ow Does It Work?<\/em>, smartasset (July 1, 2021), https:\/\/smartasset.com\/financial-advisor\/what-is-conservatorship [https:\/\/perma.cc\/9HYW-GNUL].<\/p>\n [8]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [9]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [10]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [11]<\/a> Id. <\/em><\/p>\n [12]<\/a> FreeBritney, supra<\/em> note 1.<\/p>\n [13]<\/a> See Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [14]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [15]<\/a> See Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [16]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [17]<\/a> Joe Coscarelli & Julia Jacobs, Judge Ends Conservatorship Overseeing Britney Spears\u2019s Life and Finances<\/em>, NY Times (Nov. 12, 2021), https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2021\/11\/12\/arts\/music\/britney-spears-conservatorship-ends.html [https:\/\/perma.cc\/V89G-APUB] (last updated Nov. 15, 2021).<\/p>\n [18]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [19]<\/a> See Britney Spears: Singer\u2019s conservatorship case explained<\/em>, BBC News (Nov. 12, 2021), https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-us-canada-53494405 [https:\/\/perma.cc\/754T-J6L7]; Coscarelli & Jacobs, supra <\/em>note 14.<\/p>\n [20]<\/a> FreeBritney, supra <\/em>note 1.<\/p>\n [21]<\/a> See The history behind the \u2018Free Britney\u2019 movement<\/em>, Spectrum 1 News (Sept. 23, 2021, 4:00 PM), https:\/\/spectrumnews1.com\/ca\/la-west\/la-times-today\/2021\/09\/23\/the-history-behind-the–free-britney–movement [https:\/\/perma.cc\/R5NB-CJJN].<\/p>\n [22]<\/a> Coscarelli & Jacobs, supra <\/em>note 14; See <\/em>Blake Morgan, What The #FreeBritney Movement Teaches About The Power of Community<\/em>, Forbes (Sept. 7, 2021, 6:07 PM), https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/blakemorgan\/2021\/09\/07\/what-the-freebritney-movement-teaches-about-the-power-of-community\/?sh=40cbd1e43fae [https:\/\/perma.cc\/S8SM-3CNY].<\/p>\n [23]<\/a> See <\/em>Dani Anguiano, The #FreeBritney movement finds its moment: \u2018All the hard work was worth it\u2019<\/em>, The Guardian (Nov. 14, 2021, 4:00 PM), https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/music\/2021\/nov\/14\/freebritney-movement-britney-spears-conservatorship [https:\/\/perma.cc\/8R2X-DKD6].<\/p>\n [24]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [25]<\/a> See <\/em>FreeBritney, supra <\/em>note 1.<\/p>\n [26]<\/a> See <\/em>Coscarelli & Jacobs, supra<\/em> note 14.<\/p>\n [27]<\/a> Kavi, supra<\/em> note 3.<\/p>\n [28]<\/a> Id.<\/em><\/p>\n [29]<\/a> Bianca Betancourt, Why Longtime Britney Spears Fans Are Demanding to #FreeBritney<\/em>, Harper\u2019s Bazaar (Nov. 12, 2021, 5:39 PM) https:\/\/www.harpersbazaar.com\/celebrity\/latest\/a34113034\/why-longtime-britney-spears-fans-are-demanding-to-freebritney\/ [https:\/\/perma.cc\/TL57-QNCF].<\/p>\n
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