The #FreeBritney movement is alive and well, with fans and other supporters banding together to get the singer released from her more than decade-long conservatorship. Put in place in 2008 allegedly to protect Spears amidst mental health difficulties, the documents allowed her father Jamie Spears to have full control over her finances and professional decision-making. Now, 13 years later, it’s still in place despite Britney’s objections. Now, new evidence has come to light that the conservatorship was put into place on the grounds that Britney has dementia.
My new doc '#TheBattleforBritney : Fans, Cash + a #Conservatorship is on @BBCiPlayer now and @BBCTwo on Wednesday 05/05!
Made by @LaurafcKaye@weare_forest
Exploring the #FreeBritney movement and #conservatorship law. Coming to the US and Canada via @bbcselect on 11/05 pic.twitter.com/hDNzo5hbRs
— Mobeen Azhar (@Mobeen_Azhar) May 1, 2021
- The dementia claim used to be a conspiracy theory. It’s hard to imagine how a judge could justify putting a conservatorship in place and keeping it there for so long. Fans have long believed that her father and others behind the filing had made false claims about Britney, particularly that she has dementia. While this initially was dismissed as a conspiracy theory, a new documentary finds that there seems to be documentation to support this.
- A new documentary is looking into the legality of the conservatorship. The Battle for Britney: Fans, Cash and a Conservatorship, which will air in the UK this week, journalist Mobeen Azhar admits that he dismissed the dementia theory originally, but the claim may not be as “out there” as originally thought. He said: “There are a couple of fan sites who said they have got hold of paperwork surrounding the conservatorship. I’ve got no way of knowing if these are legit but this looks like it’s linked to the conservatorship.”
- The alleged documents are pretty incriminating. As Azhar explained, you “have to tick a box justifying the reason” for placing someone under a conservatorship. The one on Spears’ forms reportedly says: “The order is related to dementia placement or treatment as specified.”
- Does Britney Spears have dementia? Not likely. People under 65 account for less than 5% of cases in the US, so while it’s not entirely impossible, it’s also not likely. “Britney might have dementia. I’m not a doctor but if that’s the case, the world isn’t aware of that,” Azhar said. “The other option is more sinister. That’s the idea that she doesn’t have dementia but the conservatorship team wanted to push [it] through. If that’s the case, then that’s terrifying.”
Britney will finally get a chance to speak in court for the first time about the conservatorship in June.
