Britney Spears gets her day in court, but what will she say?
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[June 23, 2021]
By Jill Serjeant
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Britney Spears
speaks on Wednesday to the Los Angeles judge who oversees control of her
personal and business affairs in an increasingly controversial 13-year
arrangement that has seen the pop star swing from meltdown to comeback
only to retreat again.
What she will say, and whether her fans and the media will hear it, is
anyone's guess.
The former teen phenomenon, now 39, is not expected to appear in person
on Wednesday but to talk to the judge by audio link. The last time
Spears did so was in May 2019 but the court was closed to the public and
her testimony was sealed.
Spears has been subject to a conservatorship, or guardianship, since
2008 when she suffered a breakdown. A year later she returned with a new
album and world tour and worked solidly until late 2018. Details of her
mental health have never been disclosed.
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The singer's status as a pop culture icon, and the mystery surrounding
her mental health, has focused attention on Wednesday's hearing.
"She was America's sweetheart ... She's a slice of Americana, and her
history and watching her troubles and resurrection is also part of the
American story," said Scott Rahn, a Los Angeles attorney who specializes
in trust and conservatorship issues.
Last year, Spears began the legal process to remove her father, Jamie
Spears, from handling personal affairs ranging from her medical care to
who visits her secluded villa outside Los Angeles. Her request has still
to be considered in detail. Jamie Spears also is a joint conservator of
the singer's finances.
The "Piece of Me" singer has never formally requested that the
conservatorship be brought to an end. But the New York Times this week
said it obtained confidential court documents that showed Spears has
been chafing against the restrictions since 2014. She also said she had
been forced into a mental health facility two years ago, the newspaper
reported.
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![](../images/062321PIX/news_h15.jpg)
Singer Britney Spears arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards in
New York, U.S., August 28, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
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An attorney for Jamie Spears did not respond to a
request for comment on the New York Times report.
"I can only imagine that she's going to address any number of those
issues - why it's working, why it's not working, what changes she
might like to see," said Rahn.
"She may just be asking to be heard on lifting some restrictions,"
Rahn said.
Spears, who now communicates to the world through frequent Instagram
posts consisting mainly of dance videos, has given no hint of her
intentions. But she said last week that she had no idea whether she
would ever perform again.
"I'm having fun right now, I'm in a transition in my life and I'm
enjoying myself," she added on Instagram. In November she said she
was "the happiest I've ever been."
The #FreeBritney fan movement plans a rally on Wednesday near the
courthouse to highlight its concerns that the singer is sending
cryptic messages through her Instagram platform and is begging to be
liberated.
Family law attorney Christopher Melcher says he hopes Spears
addresses her fans directly "about whether she is being controlled,
whether this is voluntarily impressed upon her, that these are her
wishes, (and) to reassure them that she is OK."
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(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Additional reporting by Rollo Ross;
editing by Grant McCool)
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