I’ve long been critical of Britney Spears’ conservatorship. Not so much the conservatorship itself – I think Brit’s father Jamie Spears does a decent enough job managing Britney Inc. – but with the way the conservatorship is handled in the context of Britney’s romantic and financial life, and with the way the media treats the conservatorship. Like, I’m fine saying that Britney needs the structure of the conservatorship. I think it’s good for her and having Jamie Spears manage her life provides the structure she desperately needs. But can we – as a group – understand that because Britney needs the conservatorship, that means she’s not legally capable of deciding who to marry (even if her would-be husband is named “co-conservator”)? She’s not even allowed full custody of her children. The media covers the conservatorship like it’s just about Britney’s business and it’s NOT. At all. Jamie Spears has control over every aspect of Britney’s life, from how often she sees her children to choosing her boyfriends, to what she eats and where she goes.
In any case, TMZ reports that Jamie Spears and Britney have come to terms with the fact that the conservatorship is probably going to last for the rest of Britney’s life. Sigh…
Britney Spears has been under a remarkably successful conservatorship for 7 1/2 years, and sources familiar with the situation tell us it could last a lifetime. We’re told there are no plans to end the conservatorship, even in the long term, and no one involved is complaining. As TMZ and every other media outlet reported, Britney was so bad off at the end of 2007 her family was in fear she would die.
After she was taken to the hospital on a psych hold, her dad, Jamie Spears, went to court and a conservatorship was established in January 2008. There are actually 2 conservatorships … one for the person, and one for finances. Fact is … the conservatorships have worked remarkably well. Britney — who at her worst was on the verge of losing permanent custody of her kids — is now by any standard a great parent. Jamie and Britney’s doctors have stabilized her to the point she can successfully work and maintain a personal life.
As for the financial conservatorship, it has been a huge success. Last year alone the conservatorship raked in $14 million, and that’s only a portion of Britney’s financial machine. As one source said, before the conservatorship her finances were an absolute mess, and the ship has been fully righted.
We’re told Britney — who has a team of lawyers and doctors, along with Jamie, managing the conservatorship — has “substantial day-to-day freedom” to make her own decisions. Short story … if the conservatorship were to end, there would be significant risk she could backslide. The plan is to continue the conservatorship indefinitely … because it works.
As I said, I agree that the conservatorship has been a good thing. But Jamie still has so much legal control over everything in Britney’s life. I believe that without that structure, Britney would backslide and be in bad shape. So… the conservatorship should go on indefinitely, for sure. So can we all agree that we shouldn’t pretend that Britney is making all of these decisions for herself? It’s very much like she’s still a child and she’s just doing whatever her daddy tells her.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Perhaps her team is worried that the second she is no longer under the terms, someone like Sam Lufti will swoop in and take advantage of her?
It is very sad. But I think it’s good we at least have the privilege to say any of this. If her father hadn’t set up the conservatorship in the first place, she could have ended up like someone like Lindsay Lohan.
@Regarded- Yes, very true.
I think her Team is more worried that the second she is no longer under the terms she will stop taking her medication, again. Britney’s ‘Break’ wasn’t something that suddenly happened. I believe she has always been bipolar (the acting out sexually plus other acts points to this) and that she stopped taking her medication when she got pregnant with her first child and then immediately got pregnant again because she didn’t want to take her medication. Many bipolar individuals think they don’t really need to take medication.
I think her mother was so scared Britney would stop the money train that she was willing to let the Britney train wreck, which we were all witness too, happen rather than get medical intervention for her child. And whatever people say about Sam Lufti, it was ‘he’ who called 911 that night, not her mother–who was also present.
One of Jamie Spears’s top duties as Conservator is to make sure his daughter takes her medication every day.
I’ve always suspected that she suffered from PPD. If so, it would be compounded by the fact her pregnancies were back to back.
Which night was that (when Lufti called 911)?
These disorders can ‘kick in’ with the hormones from pregnancy or when someone is about 23.
I don’t think she’s bipolar, I think she is mentally and emotionally unstable as a result of being used by her mother for money and fame.
Britney was always told what to do, say, wear, how to smile and how to behave. God knows how many people took advantage of her without anybody intervening and without her being able to say “no”. That would ruin any child, no matter how sane.
To me, she’s no different than a child exploited for sexual reasons, she clearly has issues that are normal given her circumstances and the circumstances in which she grew up in.
same thoughts as Aren. I think she abused alcohol and drugs like so many of us do young…and people take advantage.
I have been trying to help my recently widowed neighbour the past few months. Trying to learn to navigate the world with serious mental health issues now that her husband is gone, and there is no one to make decisions that she is not capiable of. And it is terrifying. She had no children and her parents and only sibling are gone. There is no family left to care for her, and we can’t seem to get mental health to step up. All that her husband really managed to do for her in 25+ yrs of marriage is keep her from being institutionalized.
For Britney’s sake I hope her father can hang on to this situation until her sons are old enough to take care of her. And that in itself is a sad sad thought.
I disagree that it’s a sad thought. It’s just reality. Thank God the system exists.
I am my brother’s conservator. I love my brother and try hard to act only in his best interests. Let’s assume that Britney’s family does and will do the same.
There is a system of legal checks and balances for conservatorship. It is reviewed by a court (including court investigator and judge) every two years to determine if it’s in my brother’s best interests.
I have two 20something daughters. They have been brought up to want nothing but the best for their uncle. Should I die before my brother, my hope is that one or both of my daughters will become their uncle’s conservator.
Or ended up even worse like Bobbie Kristina.
*hangs head*
RIP, poor Krissy.
Right??? There’s too much at stake, too many people to take advantage and although it may seem sad, her family has found a way to manage her life! If only we could all be completely mentally healthy, wildly rich and perfect as parents. I think it’s a great thing. Prolly should see more of it for child stars whose emotional maturity was stunted or mental illness befell them.
Lindsey Lohan maybe a crackie monster, but she is mentally well. Britney is like Amanda Bynes even if different types of mental instability. They both needed someone else to step in otherwise they would die. No such scenerio for Lindsay.
I think Lilo has a mental disorder or two without question but she’s so dependent on drugs and the spotlight, it’s difficult to discern the root of her actions. You’re right in that she can tell the difference between fantasy and reality better than Amanda and Brit but there’s no way she could survive independently. Someone arranges her life (her Mom, right?) and then she lives it.
Yep. LiLo is delusional but not psychotic. I believe she has a personaloty disorder but she’s in touch with reality, just doesn’t give a fcuk.
I think it’s really hard to say that when I haven’t even met any of these people personally.
I have no idea what LiLo’s mental health issues are, though I think it’s safe to say she struggles with addictions as a baseline. I dunno if I would call that ‘mentally well.’
YA: in my book, being a drug/alcohol addict is completely different from being mentally unwell.
Yes, the drugs and alcohol might induce psychosis, but overall, if one can overcome them, it’s possible to go back to normal and a relatively normal life.
That’s why I categorise those types of people as being mentally well.
For someone like Britney or Amanda Bynes, with or without alcohol, they are clearly mentally unwell. It’s a life long condition that they can’t help, didn’t decide to have consciously or unconsciously by using drugs/alcohol. They will always require all the medical assistance (drugs, therapy, lifestyle) to live a shadow of a normal life. That’s what I deem unwell.
Aa drug/alcohol addict with a lot of assistance, can recover. Someone mentally unwell will never recover. At best they can manage their condition. At worst, if they can’t manage their condition, no matter how much assistance they have, it’s never good.
I think lilo suffers from Narcissistic Personality Disorder – which can’t be treated by meds as its causes are usually related to environment in which they were raised, how they were raised and personality traits. We all know that Lilo was raised as the main breadwinner for her family and as such was treated as a special snowflake with no boundaries or any discipline. Its clearly in her personality to be a bit of a drama queen but combined with whats mentioned in the previous sentence and her success caused her behaviour to become extreme. For her the only real treatment is counselling but for that to work she needs to admit that there is a problem with her behaviour.
” They will always require all the medical assistance (drugs, therapy, lifestyle) to live a shadow of a normal life. ”
That’s depressing, and untrue.
@Betti
Agree with everything you wrote. And she’ll never end up in therapy cause there’s a problem with her lol. The only therapy she’ll ever get is court ordered, and in LiLo’s world the problem is always, always someone/something else. Never her.
A majority of alcohol and drug abusers have co-occurring mental issues, often depression and/or anxiety. Once the drug is taken away, then you can figure out what is going on mentally. Or if it’s just addiction.
If Britney is happy and healthy why does it matter? Yes her dad has complete control of her life but obviously she needs it an he has her best interest at heart it has been over 7 years since her melt down and she’s better than ever
My only problem is that she’s supposedly incapable of making basic decisions for herself but at the same time she can work, record albums, design and promote clothing lines, be a judge on talent shows etc etc.. give this woman some rest, she’s earned you enough.
@qwerty, I agree. She is mentally weak yet she has to work in showbiz?
She has that same empty smile since her childhood, she’s not happy, she’s not okay. Send her to a private place and start helping her heal.
You all are assuming she doesn’t WANT to work. I’m sure she is not being forced to DO anything. Staying busy doing something she loves is very good for any human being, but especially so for someone with mental issues.
I completely agree with Crumpet. The Spears family is NOT driven by greed like the Kardashians. They have enough for their means for the rest of their lives. They aren’t forcing her to work to acquire more and build some meaningless empire.
It is healthy and productive and good for Britney to continue to engage in work….she needs to be appropriately channeled productively.
I get a bit peeved at the suggestion that she is being taken advantage of by her parents. THey are an integrated family with integrated business matters, sure. But her parents clearly love her and want what is BEST for her.
Her breaking point happened shortly after having 2 children, 1 after the other. A double dose of unstable hormones, sounds like PPD exacerbated by the underlying illness of bipolar disorder. I had 2 children that were 12 months and 2 weeks apart in age, and my PPD was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. No one talked about it back then (late 80’s), no Brooke Shields books to reassure that you were not the only one suffering. I never felt so alone. Knowing what I went through, I am convinced this was a big component of Brit’s breakdown.
Agreed. I think she would’ve ended up dead though.
JS did the best thing he could and made the hard decision to force her to get help. Britney was lucky…her parents made some difficult decisions and honestly K-Fed could’ve screwed her as well but he didn’t. He stepped up and took care of the kids and kept his mouth shut. They cut the toxic influences and got her into a hospital.
Now if only other Hollywood parents would follow suit
Who knows what Britneys diagnosis is, bipolar or schizoaffective? In ether case, I am surprised they havent found her balance of meds that stabilizes her and allows her to take over a significant portion of her private life and some of her finances. Conservatorships should really be applied NOT where a person has been diagnosed with a mental health condition but rather where the symptoms have not been managed. If Britney indeed has bipolar and with her access to specialists her symptoms are still this overwhelming then I have to suspect that her “team” probably does not want her to recover. I’ve always suspected that she is over sedated for a reason.
Speaking of her “team”, if I could get these people in a room I would want to understand how exactly they define “recovery”. Recovery for them seems to mean churning out crap music and putting on extravaganza concerts. I would be willing to bet that Britney views recovery as being able to raise her kids and run her home. Their version of recovery directly undermines her version. And keeping her in an indefinite conservatorship is likely intended to keep forcing their version on her. So even if we accepted that she still hasnt balanced out sufficiently to take over some control of her life, I would still say that this team needs to be switched out. They are working directly against her interests.
Exactly.
When she was around 18 she expressed that she wanted a traditional “american family life”, I know we all end up changing our mind when we grow up and mature, but she hasn’t been allowed to mature and make mistakes.
She had kids, she should be given the chance to raise them.
But this can’t just be about what her “team” wants. Conservatorships are serious and the courts don’t hand them out and continue them for this long without being shown serious, legitimate reasons why it should continue to remain in place.
Meth addiction never really goes away. As long as she’s a threat to herself – and she must continue to be so, or the conservatorship would be successfully challenged- then over controlling Poppa should continue. Save some bad romantic decisions, the girl has almost come full circle.
She’s not a meth addict…
Was it ever talked about why she needs this? I know she had major mental health issues for a while. It makes me sad to hear a grown women doesn’t have full control over her life.
I’m wondering about that, too. I’m not following her closely but she seems to be performing regulary, has new songs out etc. So she is doing her job as a musician / entertainer successfully.
I’m working with people under conservatorship on a daily basis (they are usually represented by a lawyer/notary) and almost none of them are able to work. So is it a common thing in the States to put people under conservatorship?
No, not really all that common. She still works because she is in such a weird industry, otherwise she probably wouldn’t be able to. I’ve read that her father/team still have her perform because that’s literally the only thing she knows how to do and without it she’s bored and lost. Since her “working” is being physically present and going through a rehearsed routine, it’s not like a regular job. Everything is controlled for her so she can keep doing it.
It’s easier in her position, because she doesn’t have to make any decisions for herself as regular person would have to while doing their job. She has the entire team of people telling her where she has to be, teach her how to dance, what to say and how to move her mouth when the playback is on during concerts. She’s been performing her whole life – I believe when they say she would deteriorate without it. But it’s possible that she wouldn’t be able to do any other job. The only thing that makes me curious is her judge position in a music show (The Voice??) – it seemed stressful and much more demanding, even though she probably had a bunch of rehearsed responses ready for any given performance.
My understanding (as much as you can derive any of these things by online sources) is that she has a personality disorder that requires daily medication for the rest of her life.
This isn’t a case of interim depression or anything. She will need a conservator for the rest of her life.
@wren & @NBM: thanks for your clarifications!
She has major mental health issues. That’s why she needs it. A court or a judge obviously thinks she’s unfit to do anything on her own.
If you watch the bbc (?) special about the britney meltdown back in ’07-08 youll see there were so many things wrong since the beginning in terms of people taking advantage of her, not making many decisions for herself, etc. I also reccomend the rolling stone cover story from the breakdown era. She should have gone quitely out of the spotlight and enjoy her money and get real help. It just seems like shes heavily medicated constantly – its really sad to see but i guess its better than the alternative. Also Celebitchy is one of the few gossip blogs that views this as sad – not “oh for financial reasons, blah blah”
No, they have never released specifics. It has been widely reported that Britney suffered from organic mental health issues that were severely exacerbated by drug use.
I think it is kind of understood now that Britney’s mental health issues are quite serious and that her family does not trust her to care for herself. I mean, I understand that they have no obligation to talk about her health issues and that stuff is private, but part of me does wish they’d allow her to be frank and say, “I have a serious illness and it’s best if I leave major decisions in my life to somebody else, because it’s better for me.” The mystery just adds to the weirdness of it.
Correct me if I’m wrong but I thought it was well-established that she has bipolar disorder.
She needs conservator/supervision b/c otherwise she stops taking her bipolar meds. The meds stabilize her moods. Without meds, she has episodes of debilitating mania and depression. Google the term to read about how serious this mental illness is and that it is a very different animal than other forms of depression.
And even if she did continue to take her meds by her own choice, there are times when a medication stops working or there are other issues that can cause an episode. With a chronic illness like bi-polar disorder, Britney is not going to maintain the same level of mental health throughout her lifetime. She may be well enough to manage her own affairs 90% of the time, but the conservatorship needs to be in place for those periods when she is not capable of caring for herself or protecting her own best interests.
I don’t know if her condition has ever been publicly confirmed. The Rolling Stone article a few years back did mention that she has a family history of severe mental illness on her dad’s side. Her grandmother committed suicide with a shotgun and one of her uncles is homeless. It’s possible that her dad is afraid that will happen to Britney if left unchecked with all the predators and drugs in her chosen profession, combined with her own issues.
@MinnFinn – I’ve read reports that have claimed she has bipolar disorder, and others that have claimed she is schizophrenic. Either way, this is such a sad story. I hope that her dad means well, but all the performances that she’s locked into in Vegas, are those really what’s best for her? I have a friend who is a diehard fan of hers and went to her Vegas show and said she is an absolute mess who is dead behind the eyes. He said it was like watching a robot perform; she is a shell of her former self. In pictures, she looks incoherent, like she’s uncomfortable and possibly drugged. I don’t want to jump to conclusions and assume that she doesn’t want to be performing, but it is sad to know that she doesn’t even get to decide for herself whether she wants to perform or not.
I think it has been well RUMORED what her medical issues are, but nothing has been confirmed. People guess, but at the end of the day it is all just guess work.
I don’t think she’s bipolar. Based on my family experience i think she’s Schizophrenic – as her behaviour at the time reminded me of my Uncle. My uncle was diagnosed many years ago after he attacked someone, he spend many years in a hospital before he was deemed well enough to attempt to lead a normal life but as he had been in hospital so long it was decided that he would be better off in a managed residential facility, where he had his own little flat (as part of a larger purposely built building) where there were live in care staff and a warden. He was able to make day to day decisions for himself but always struggled with personal hygiene, money, eating properly and had poor social skills. Carers would visit him throughout the day to give him his medication and make sure he’d eaten, they’d also encourage him to do things for himself and mingle with others who lived there. He passed a few years ago and while he was safe and cared for in the residential home he was never able to function in normal society which saddened me. When I see Brit I see him – someone who struggles with things we take for granted but I’m glad she’s protected and getting the care and support she needs.
Drugs and stress as major triggers for the condition and in most cases people recover almost completely but i think in Brits case there is clearly a very high risk of a psychotic relapse which is why the conservatorship is practically permanent. Without the meds and support she would relapse. Bipolar can be managed and controlled meaning that there would be no need to still have the conservatorship in place and to the degree it is. It would have been relaxed or removed completely.
@betti – your story and reasoning makes the most sense. Sad all around
Oh, my sweet Brit Brit. This makes me so sad every time I think about it. I’m totally positive that she needs this conservatorship, but that doesn’t make it any less creepy to think about. I hate it for her– she may have issues but she’s not stupid. I at least hope she’s happy.
The part that really creeps me out was that Trawick was going to be made co-conservator if he and Brit had gotten married.
Yep, me too Bridget. It’s one thing to accept that she needs a conservator, although personally I think it should be her dad plus a lawyer, like they do with executors. It’s quite another to have your actual partner having that kind of control over you. It’s taking away all hope of an equal partnership right from the bat and setting up all kinds of opportunities for abuse.
Ugh. That does give one the creepy-chills. I’m a fairly tolerant person, but one of the things I truly cannot stand is manipulation. It absolutely sickens me. And the Trawick thing seems so manipulative. Just a big old bag of NOPE.
I think that’s one of the reasons Britney’s conservatorship creeps me out to the level that it does. It seems like an open invitation to men who want to worm their way into the husband spot so that they can enjoy the benefits of being totally in charge of her life. Oh, I shudder. I just hate it.
I agree that it’s creepy, but I think maybe Jamie Spears is looking to the future and is at a loss: He and Lynn will die (and Lynn’s not super trustworthy either), and then it will befall…Britney’s kids? Jaimie Lynn? Jamie Spears has a full time job looking after Britney. I think bringing in a husband/conservator is a bad idea, but maybe he thinks that’s the best shot of Britney being taken care of after he’s gone?
Well said, Bookish. Look at what happened to that poor, probably senile woman who wrote “How to kill a mockingbird”. Her older sister and protector dies, and wham, a greedy lawyer takes over the entire show. Not an identical situation, but still. I’m glad Britney has someone who cares and plans ahead!
I have a close family member who fell in love with and married a sweet woman who is schizophrenic. Although she is not under a conservator ship, before marriage her very wealthy father controlled her life closely (financially) to make sure she wouldn’t commit grievous errors. She was advised as a young adult to find some creative outlet and in her case it is painting. She never completed a formal education, and she does not need the money at all, but her painting is a major factor, along with meds, that keep her on an even keel – for her. If she would quit painting, she would relapse terribly. I think Brit is in a very similar position with performing – it gives purpose, structure, stability. It is what she knows, and it inspires her to be confident because she dies it successfully.
Now – maybe Brit’s ex was shady and his assuming partial control of her would have been bad,I don’t know. In my relative’s case, they are happy together, he loves her fiercely and protects her interests even to the point that anything bought with her money is in her name alone, so there is never a shadow of a doubt that he is financially motivated in his care for her (overseas laws are very different in regards to propert; I am sure a prenup could cover the same basics fir Brit. My relative insisted on a prenup which her family declined, they trust him that much.)
All this is a long way to say that Brit may continue working because for her, staying home and knitting quietly may send her into a spiral. Unless you are her treating physician you cannot make assumptions about why she performs or whether that is good, it may well be in her best interest. And if she does remarry don’t assume the guy is a fortune hunter; some couples are quite happy and mutually devoted despite what you would guess from appearances, and some partners relish protecting the person they love in the face of challenges most of us would run from.
I think it makes sense for whoever she marries to be made a conservator, for many reasons. She needs someone to look out for her best interests personally and professionally, and her father is not going to be around forever.
I have to give her credit. She has come a long way since her head-shaving/pink wig days. She was in such a mess back then, it’s nice to see her looking better, healthy and trying to make a life for herself. If it means someone must oversee her life, then so be it. I’d hate to see her go back to those dark days.
I have such mixed feelings on this. I do think her parents love her very much and are trying to do right by her. But, I do wonder how she truly feels about this set-up. She does seem happier and more lively these days. I hope she’s able to lead a long and happy life.
Poor Brit. .
As she should. She lacks the capability to manage such things on her own. If she were a cashier at Walmart it might not be needed, but she’s a millionaire many times over and ripe for the picking for a nefarious type.
Sad.
oh my god this whole story just breaks my heart.
I remember being school-aged when she first arrived on the scene (post-Disney, I didn’t watch her then).
But I remember how huge she was, how cool, beautiful, talented, she had everything and seemd to have it all going so well and normal…and then I remember thinking “how long is she going to be exploding?” She wasn’t just a singer, or wasn’t just on tour, she WAS THE SINGER AND SHE WAS ALWAYS ON TOUR AND HER TOUR WAS THE TOUR. She was everywhere always.
Then it went downhill. And now she’s almost like a shell of what she was, and I think that sounds mean (sorry), but also it just breaks my heart to know that she had this talent and dreams and accomplished all of these things, and then kinda burned out for many reasons (one being that nobody was giving a shit about her as a person it seemed, she was just a money-making thing to most of the people around her)…but in the public eye, and the burning out made its own money, which is so sickening…
its just like a long-term human sacrifice in the name of the “GOD” that is entertainment…
I feel icky and sad about it most times…
+1
It is sad. But I have a friend who’s bi-polar, though not as severe as Brit’s is. And there are many, many days when she can’t function.
So while I do get icked out by it, if Brit’s dad didn’t have the conservatorship, Brit would most likely be dead.
I was sliiiightly too old for her music (it was very uncool to like Britney songs) when she hit it big, but I remember how enormously famous and popular she was. Her face was everywhere, her music played all the time, she was the Queen of Pop. Then the crazy romances, marriages, and downward spiral. It was like watching a bomb go off in slow motion.
I hate seeing pictures of her now, she always looks so uncomfortable like she’d rather be anywhere else in the world. I feel bad for her.
“It’s just like a long-term human sacrifice in the name of the “GOD” that is entertainment…”
That’s deep, MissMerry, and I like it!
I don’t think she’s happy. I think she still has little choice to do what she wants unless she cooperates with those that make money off of her. God knows she probably would have loved to retire in her home state years ago in a big mansion that accommodates her every need, where she could have her kids by her side all the time, eat whatever she wants and never have to deal with unpredictable public opinion again if she so chose. Her personal staff would make sure everything ran smoothly and a personal caretaker/therapist would maintain her med use and act as a professional confidant.
As it stands now, they’ll have her working until she’s old and gray. Her discomfort on the red carpet alone is palpable. If she wasn’t “Britney” she’d never work again with the sort of ill posture and pose the camera captures. When she’s on stage, I’ve heard she goes through the motions… My feeling is that the shackles of commitment are ironclad on this one. That her father looks at her as both a parent and as a precious commodity. He does what he can to give her protection and comfort but will always be there to administer whatever works in *everyone’s* favor, not hers.
The part that worries me, what happens when her dad dies? Is she committed? Does the responsibility fall to her children? (Depending on age)
Thats exactly what the ? I came here ask. What happens when her father dies? Her world collapses again? It’s kinda Gloria Vanderbilt & Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, isn’t it?
I hope things work out for her.
Maybe her older brother could take over the conservatorship. I’m sure they have arrangements in place. Well hopefully they do.
Sadly her kids will probably have to step in at relatively young ages. They are getting old enough to know something is unusual about their mom’s life. Imagine growing up knowing that your mother is under the control of other adults and it will probably be your job one day?
I am glad she has it. I wish her all the best.
Whatever her diagnosis may be, it does seem that her father taking conservatorship has been the best thing for her. She works (which I believe she really loves) she has her kids with her (I also believe they are her life) and she looks fit an healthy. Too bad some other celebs didn’t do this. I’m thinking of Amanda Bynes, esp. It’s really sad when someone has nobody around them.Or when they are so far gone they refuse help. Ugh. So, so sad.
Britney was eaten alive by her own fame and fortune. It’s sad to go back and watch old footage of her.
Some kind of haunted in those eyes.
I find her case fascinating. How does one qualify for permanent conservatorship? I understand that she has severe mental illness that, if left untreated, would destroy her and possibly her children.
What I am curious about it why she gets a conservator, while so many mentally ill people do not? I have a dog in this fight because my exhusband and father of my daughter followed a similar path to Britney: excessive drug use which led to paranoid/psychotic behavior from which he has never fully emerged BECAUSE HE IS UNTREATED AND IS ALLOWED TO REFUSE TREATMENT.
My understanding is that if the patient doesn’t want to comply they don’t have to, but in this case she has no choice. And with the closing of mental hospitals and the huge number of severely mentally ill people who are homeless and untreated…is this an answer? It’s always problematic to take away an individual’s control, but truly some people are incapable of managing themselves, and if left to their own they may act on their paranoid delusions and hurt people. I wonder if we will start to see more of these conservatorships…
If I remember correctly, they were able to step in with Britney (and Amanda Bynes) when she became an imminent danger to herself and others. Until then, individuals are allowed to refuse treatment all they want.
The catalyst (I believe) was when she locked herself and one of her sons in a bathroom and freaked out when it was time for the kids to go to their father’s. They were able to put her on an involuntary psych hold and things just went from there. She was unstable enough and posed enough of a threat to herself and others (like her children) that she was not allowed to refuse treatment. It’s difficult to remove a person’s rights, and she was bad enough that the courts felt it necessary. Couple that with the fact that she has the money to pay for all this, and this is what you get. For the regular average joe, it can be harder.
@Wren – I think you’re right about the catalyst being the time she locked herself in the bathroom with her son and got whisked away on a 5150. That point in time was such a whirlwind–every other day Britney was in the news for a new sort of breakdown, but if I recall correctly, that was the point that her dad stepped in and took control. I feel like it’s easy to forget just how bad things had gotten with her, and how unstable she apparently really is. For those of us who don’t follow her life and career closely, it appears that all is well and she is just enjoying her residency in Vegas performing all the time. This is such a dark, sad story. Every time I see pictures of her, to me she looks like someone who just doesn’t want to be bothered with any of the fame or the glamour. I hope that she’s actually happy and not being forced to do things against her will just because other people think that’s what’s good for her.
Pretty much all pictures of her from 2007-2008 are hard to look at.
It’s also why Amanda Bynes’ parents couldn’t get one until she started that fire in some e’s driveway – and even then it was only temporary.
Like anything it varies from state to state but usually the individual has to pose a serious risk to themselves or others. I’m assuming since children are involved it was probably to easier to prove she was a risk. I know an adult male whose family tried and failed to get a conservatorship because he refused to comply. Legally, it’s very hard to force someone to take meds or get treatment.
I re-read the article, as I was wondering the same thing, and noticed that it said it COULD last a lifetime. Maybe Britney is one of the few people who are fully accepting of the need for someone to be her guardian (in my experience, unless adults are very low functioning intellectually, they often resent having a guardian). I agree with Sam’s comment below that we have not heard about everything that has happened, and it’s really family business ultimately so I don’t want to know everything.
I do think we need to have a discussion as a society and figure out how we can better address mental health issues. It is VERY frightening to be told you have to wait until there is a direct threat to themselves or others.
Agree completely, Tiffany. It’s so hard because personal freedom is so foundational in our country, and the line between a mentally ill person’s freedom to not have treatment and the future victim’s freedom from their behaviors as induced by their mental illness is fuzzy.
I was successful in obtaining a protective order against my ex because I got a judicial order for involuntary evaluation, but the hospital released him because they deemed him not to be an imminent danger to self or others. meanwhile he was hearing voices in his head telling him that I was doing foul sexual things in front of our daughter and he believed that 13 different imposter women were living in my house and he felt it was his responsibility to eliminate them to find the “real mother of his daughter.” But he was released.
Oh Embee, my heart goes out to you!
You are right, personal freedom is so important so it makes it a very hard line to place. Not to trivialize your incredible experience, but this issue makes me think back to Nicole Kidman’s performance of Virginia Woolf in The Hours…
“… I wrestle alone in the dark, in the deep dark, and that only I can know. Only I can understand my condition… This is my right; it is the right of every human being. …. The meanest patient, yes, even the very lowest is allowed some say in the matter of her own prescription. Thereby she defines her humanity.”
At the same time, I have also had experiences in college with a friend who had the sudden onset of mental illness. We were so afraid that she was going to hurt herself or someone else. She was not making sense and paranoid. She would hide in campus buildings overnight. After a couple weeks, she became violent and hurt one of my friends. Eventually she was caught hitch hiking in a blizzard trying to go to a state thousands of miles away.
How do you get help to those who need it without infringing on their rights? At the same time, how do you protect the public from someone with mental illness who is on the verge of violence, but who might not threaten violence with specifically?
What this says to me is that the media narrative has never really told us the full story. Britney has some kind of permanent, serious mental illness. If her problems had solely been substance-related, the conservatorship would end at some point once she had a substantial period of sobriety under her belt. But an addiction can be overcome – mental illness is forever. She probably has medications that she must take daily or at least routinely, and her family does not trust her to adhere to the treatment regiment without some kind of supervision. She also probably has problems with impulse control and spending, which is why getting the money away from her is so important.
I wish her all the best, but only speaking for myself, I’m not sure I’d want to remain what is essentially a legal child for the rest of my life. I am not sure of the ages, but Britney’s dad has got to be in his 50s (at least) now. I presume they’ve given some thought to who will continue it when he is deceased or unable to do it anymore. Is that part of why Britney seems to have a revolving door of boyfriends? Are they genuinely slightly desperate to get her a partner who will take over for dad? If that’s the case, that feels almost…creepy, to me. I’m not sure how I’d even feel about dating someone who had an illness severe enough to render them unable to manage their own life. But that’s just me.
OOF That sounds very Final and Brutal… I mean sure it keeps her sedated/nice/relationshipped when appropriate/churning “hits” but what happens when Jamie Passes? so eventually do they give it to the Sons? it’s just a sad thing
Oh, Britney. I love her, always have. She was IT when I was a teenager. To think that she will never have one day in her life where she has full control over herself, her kids, and her life choices in general is so sad. And that nobody will ever know how she would have turned out had she not been put into the Disney machine/entertainment business.
And btw, what is this supposed to mean: “year alone the conservatorship raked in $14 million, …” Uh, the conservatorship has raked in zero, it’s still Britney who’s making the money. Yes, she’s managed within an inch of her life but still, it’s all her. Without Brit? Nothing.
I really wish her all the happiness.
I think it is phrased that way because Britney, being basically a legal child, lacks contractual capacity. Her father signs all the contracts on her behalf. She also likely does not have any bank accounts to her name alone – it’s all through the conservatorship. So that just means that the conservatorship is the entity that the money is going to – but it’s still Britney’s labor that earned it.
“I believe that without that structure, Britney would backslide and be in bad shape.”
You don’t know that. Nobody knows. Unfortunately Britney will never be allowed to show that she’s not the same way she was in 2007. That she’s changed a lot and that she won’t abandon the structure she’s grown accustomed to since the conservatorship has been in place. Britney can continue her medical treatment without a conservatorship although I know people fear she wouldn’t. I understand that there are two young kids in the picture and a lucrative business in it too however Britney isn’t the only person living with mental illness.
She should be given a second chance to live her life without the conservatorship in place of her personal life. The financial arrangement can stay but let her have her personal life back legally. If things don’t go well for her when she’s out of the conservatorship then by all means place it back. It’s been 7 years. Never once did she get a second chance to regain her freedom. Every other celebrity who’s done worse than her gets second chances. Why not Britney. Sigh, that’s all I have to say about this.
I agree. There are many people who deal with mental illness every day and manage to live their own lives. The whole idea of someone having that much control over another person…it seems so suffocating.
Why not give her a chance and see if she can handle things?
Here’s the deal about BPD: more often than not the sufferer ends up feeling that they no longer need the medication anymore and as a result cease taking them. It happens far more often than people realise. To protect herself and her children, the conservatorship may be a case of the lesser of two evils. I genuinely feel for Britney. As someone who has had a disproportionate number family members, including myself, afflicted by the blight of mental Illness, I understand it can be difficult for those who don’t suffer from BPD to commiserate. Kindness helps and not judging our personal circumstances based on what one may see from the peripheral is also key.
@Solsolito – I get that. BPD runs in my family. My mother has it, as well as my aunt and uncle. My brother’s wife also has it. None of them have conservatorships, and yet they all manage to lead productive lives.
I have depression and adult ADHD. My stepdaughter cuts and has suffered from anorexia and bulimia. I am not unfamiliar with mental health issues. I commiserate deeply with Britney, which is why I think she should be given at least a chance to live on her own terms.
My apologies. I wasn’t implying that there is a lack of sympathy on your part, I was only relaying my own personal experience with respect Britney’s mental illness. As there are varying degrees of mental illness, and some require conservatorship to mitigate the possibility of self harm, I believe that some affected people will require lifelong supervision.
Oh, and I’m typing this from a 1st generation iPad which is making it difficult to not sound terse. My apologies if I sound defensive… I’m trying to type this before my iPad conks out on me… Again!
I’ve read speculation (likely on Celebitchy) that remaining under the conservatorship is a stipulation of her Vegas residency contract. Which wouldn’t surprise me at all. A lot of money and other peoples’ livelihoods would be lost or negatively impacted if she were to backslide…
That being said, the whole situation makes me really sad for her. BPD (really, mental illness of ANY kind) is often brutal to deal with. Both for the sufferer AND their family/friends…
I don’t see that she is fighting the conservatorship, though. Maybe she feels more comfortable having it in place. Surely if she objected to it, she would have plenty of opportunities to express that publicly and to fight it legally.
She did try to fight it a couple years back, but the judge kept it in place.
On one hand, I agree with this. On the other, I get the impression that she (as many other child stars) probably never learned any skills to manage her life or mental health at all because she’s always been under someone else’s control. In a way that goes beyond normal parenting, mentoring, etc., and is probably very damaging.. Emotionally, a lot of them seem to stay very child-like, which is probably not the greatest thing in the context of a Hollywood lifestyle and lots of money… She has the added hurdle of a debilitating illness, so maybe it makes sense for her to have someone watch over her. A lot of people have gone off the deep end or into their grave with only one of those variables. My guess is that she’s so used to following someone else’s lead that she’s perfectly comfortable with this set-up..
For starters it has not been publicly stated what mental illness Britney Spears was actually diagnosed with. She would have needed to be clean for at least 8 weeks with no medication whatsoever to properly diagnose her. There has been speculation from many she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and there are varying degrees within bipolar disorder itself where some are able to manage their lives w/o medication to others who can’t with medication. I’m going to hazard a guess she probably has bipolar disorder that cannot be left untreated and she needs constant supervision with reevaluation of her medications annually or biannually. It’s also possible she would not have any contact with her two sons unless she was properly supervised and medicated.
I also suspect her access to her children is involved. Medicated, she is probably no problem for them. But if she starts skipping the meds, they could be at physical or emotional risk. She was pretty scary when untreated and the court (as well as their father) is not going to risk that again. The conservatorship is really giving her freedoms that she would not otherwise have.
“You don’t know that. Nobody knows.”
The courts who uphold the conservatorship know a lot more than the gossip pages do. There must be a legitimate reason why they are allowing it to be in place.
That’s how I feel too.
“Everyone who has done worse than her has gotten a second chance.” Not everyone has survived their 2nd chance. Amy Winehouse, Peaches Geldof, Curt Cobain?
I don’t think there has to be shame surrounding mental illness. Sadness sure- if you must, but not shame. I think of it like a cancer and the conservatorship keeps it in remission.
I have no doubt she would’ve ended up dead if her father hadn’t stepped in, I remember being so upset for her when she locked herself in the bathroom with one of her sons then had to be hauled off on a psych hold, I was genuinely concerned for her. I’ve always wondered if having two kids back to back exacerbated her mental illness, she went downhill not long after they were born. At least she’s stable and seems happy now, surely her dad isn’t worried about making money at this point, he has enough for many lifetimes, I think it’s about keeping her busy doing something she enjoys. I wish her the best!
Really sad to think she will live like this forever. I would think that if Jamie dies they already have that figured out. I know Kevin Federline once spoke about how he did not want to take the kids from her but was forced to because they needed protection. I still don’t know what the issue is however. Did that Sam do things to her with drugs that altered her mind? What happened?
It was most likely a natural progression of an illness she already had and would have manifested even outside of show biz and without fame and fortune. The drugs didn’t help, but they probably weren’t the root cause but more an attempt at non-prescription medicating. Lufti was bad news, and he had a pattern of trying to control people like that, but he likely didn’t actually cause her illness.
Britney is one of those that I really want to see be at peace with herself and with life. I don’t like the idea of Dad deciding who she dates and when, but maybe that is what is needed just so she can have a somewhat stable existence. I also want to know what happens when her parents pass away. Do her sons have to oversee Mom? Does it pass to her sister? I am really pulling for her. So sad what happened to her.
I don’t even get why she is out and performing if she is that out of control that she needs a conservatorship. I mean, she’s so bad that she could hurt herself. I just couldn’t bear to watch her perform – knowing how sick she is.
My guess is performing gives her sense of normalcy. She’s done that for most of her life. PerformIng could be like therapy.
What makes me uncomfortable is knowing she once begged hair and makeup people to help her run away because she did not want to perform any longer. Does she really want to be performing now? Or is she just doing it because the people in her life give her no choice? As long as the conservatorship lasts, we’ll never know.
Money. Money money money money money money money money money money.
Britney supports her whole family, and they got accustomed to a certain lifestyle when she was at her pinnacle. Continuing to perform is the only way she’ll make enough money to keep that going. Also, her father controls her music library, so he can license her songs, and he can keep slapping her photo and signature on fragrances and makeup deals and whatever else to keep more cash flowing.
I believe that Britney has real emotional/mental issues that may have been exacerbated by drug use, but I also believe the rumors that circulated when she was first put in the conservatorship, that she had blown through almost all of a nearly $400 million fortune. I’ve been through the town where her family lives in Louisiana, everyone has a huge eff-off house with a huge eff-off pool and a collection of luxury cars out front. I don’t just mean her parents and sister, her whole family is living like that. There are financial advisors who tell athletes and movie stars to not do that, don’t support everyone, that is exactly how you blow a fortune.
The spending etc may have been indicative of deeper emotional/mental issues, I do not deny that is part of the equation. But ever since seeing the town where her family lives, and how they live, I’ve always thought it was mostly about preserving what was left of her fortune, and then pushing her out on stage to earn more and keep the gravy train flowing. Has anyone seen her show in Vegas? A friend of mine did, she was a huge Britney fan and she said it was sad. She was uncomfortable and said it was clear Britney wasn’t really there, she was just going through motions and lip-synching and she compared it to seeing animals in a circus. It’s a big show, but you know they don’t want to be there.
All so true. And so sad.
That’s exactly what I was trying to write, Algernon. It’s like watching an animal in a circus.
How sad.
It’s so hard to tell in this situation. How much of what she does/lives/performs is what she wants or is told/made to do..?
Just from reading this, someone is going to have to think of Britney in the long term. Jamie is not going to live forever and I would not trust her Mother as far as I can throw her.
I can see why Jaime wanted Britney to marry Jason, he knew what needed to be done. Whoever takes over has to be prepared to well, take care of her.
It is a sad cycle because I believe Brit is a hopeless romantic who what the white picket fence.
I love Britney, but I think she does need this much care. I saw her perform before her mental health fragmented and she was electric. I saw her last year and she’s still Britney, but seemed so fragile. I know people side-eye her dad but I think she needs stucture and she’s been performing all her life. It’s what she knows.
It’s understandable they want to maintain control of her personal relationships, if she’s mentally still a child then she would be very vulnerable to abusive men so she needs to be protected like a child.
I suppose her brain is fully formed now so given that it’s fully formed with the mentality of a child it’s too late for any therapy that could make her grow into a functional adult. Very sad but it’s too late to do anything else now.
> It’s very much like she’s still a child and she’s just doing whatever her daddy tells her
She's mentally ill.
This is the crux of the issue.
And so far, I've never heard or read anything negative about Jamie and how he's treating Britney. I truly believe that he wants her to be safe, happy, and productive not only business-wise but also as a mother.
Even the article says that it's all well done, that she's given substantial freedom to make her own day-to-day decisions, and that there's no complaint. If there was, I'm sure Britney would be able to tell the judge and request a court conservator to replace her dad. But it seems as if she and her dad love each other and that she knows her dad wants a good and healthy life for her.
Personally, I’m happy about that. People forget how close we were of losing Britney. It would have been devastating if something had happened to her. Clearly her team know more than we ever will. That incident at her home were she was taken in a straight jacket to the hospital was more serious than we will ever know because it was a life changer in many ways. This is what is best for her and it’s working.
I’m grateful Jamie Spears is there and looking out for her, because many celebrity parents are incapable, and other family members only carr about inheritance. Thinks about Whitney Houston’s family, or Amy Winehouse’s family, or Courtney Love before you say Jamie only cares about the money and not Britney. I wish all mentally ill people had a Jamie Spears in their life.
+100000
Yes, thank you!
My guess, and it is only a guess, is that she has bipolar 1. I know a little about it having known someone who had it. It is often disabling and requires life long medication. As for why her father would also interfere in her personal relationships? Maybe he is concerned that left on her own to choose, she would be used by men looking to take advantage of her wealth and fame. The woman I knew who had bipolar was very child-like, even with meds. Before bipolar, in her very early twenties, she was bright and capable. And she still is bright, but it is not the same. Bipolar 1 is awful.
I am torn with this one. If she is that severely mentally ill how is she allowed to perform so much? I can’t imagine that being healthy for her, especially since her dance routines are stiff now and she always has that “dead eyed” look to her.
I agree with the others above, it is creepy that whoever married her will have control over her finances, medications etc, but her father isn’t getting any younger and they will have to appoint someone eventually..
I feel like we still and many never know the full story.
I was never a Britney fan, and as someone who was growing up (early teens) when her music was popular, it was a blessing the day her songs finally went off the radio, but this makes me feel so sad for her. I’m unsure what happened to Britney when she had that breakdown, but whatever it was, it was obviously something really serious if she can’t even make her own decisions and will likely never be able to. At least she is in good hands and not in danger of being taken advantage of again by that leech Sam Lufti.
It also made me sad to learn that this means that she doesn’t get a say in her Vegas performance deals, and that she has to do it whether she wants to or not.
Never a fan of her music either but this makes me sad too. She has had a lost look in her eyes for many years now. I hope she has a happy life with her boys.
Heart-breaking…but if it is the best option for her well-being, I will support though I may never know if it is the best option. Britney or Britney’s team, if you’re seeing this, please know that I wish you and your family well and I hope that you’re happier now and will continue to find happiness. It’s ok if you wish to stop performing, we just want you to be happy and healthy. I grew up with you and we are the same age, so you’ll always be a part of my joy growing up : )
My opinion is that Michael Jackson needed conservatorship too…
Still smiling weird.i really like to know THE insight scoop on THIS one.
Whats really wrong here?
I have a lot of respect for Jamie Spears as looking after someone with serious mental health issues is not easy and I know he is her father and am glad he is but it is still very difficult. He clearly has HER best interests at heart and she is doing very well under his care – much better than she was before it all hit the fan and her mother had substantial influence. I don’t that in a mean spirited sort of way but I just think Lynne struggled to deal with whatever ails Britney.
Britney will always need someone to manage things for her and give her the structure and stability she needs. That responsibility will at some point pass onto her sons but i think if anything happens to her father (god forbid) i think her brother may step up until the boys are old enough. She will always be a target for the Sam Lufti’s of the world.
The conservatorship may eventually be relaxed but that won’t happen for a long time and there will be a point when she will ‘retire’ but thats what she really wants. To retire with her boys in Louisiana but if its true about that state of her finances when she had her breakdown these tours etc. could be a way of building it back up so that she can live in the lifestyle that she is accustomed to.
And as for KFed – he has proven himself to be a decent guy, the one guy that it could have worked out with. He never sold her out and is a good father to those boys. He’s never stopped her seeing them.
What did she do to her mouth?? Omg. I couldn’t even read the article I was so distracted. I really hope she doesn’t start messing her face up with plastic surgery.
Omg me too! She looks like the joker in the first picture!
I have a family member with severe mental illness. It first manifested itself in his senior year of college. Long story short, we haven’t heard from him in 15 years. Last I heard he was homeless in California, but that was six years ago. It’s devastating to know that the brother I grew up worshiping is somewhere out there sick and lost. That he missed my wedding and has never met his nieces. I wish we’d been savvy enough to get conservatorship when we had the chance; as it is we live every day not knowing if he’s still alive, and that the authorities wouldn’t even be able to find us to tell us if something happened.
Oh God, I’m so sorry, Tanya; what a horrible tragedy to live with everyday for you, your brother and the rest of your family. I’m currently estranged from my only sister, not by my choice. I strongly believe her husband is emotionally, if not physically, abusive; he’s managed to cut me and my dad from her life. This ambiguous loss of a sibling, where they’re still alive but gone from your life, is really hard to accept. You want to fix things, but you can’t — b/c they’re adults, and they make their own choices. I’m scared too that one day we’ll get that call saying she’s gone. It’s maddening and devastating. Prayers for you and your family.
I am sure this girl has amassed enough of a fortune that she would never have to work again. She must get some happiness out of the schedule and the affirmations she gets from still working. I think her Father stepped up and has only her best interests at heart. I respect the fact they have all pretty much kept quiet about her issues and very little is known about her situation for many years now. Kudos to whoever is responsible for that.
Her father is a Godsend to her. He has her absolute best interests at heart and protects her.
I know it is none of my business but I would love to know the *true* story of what happened (behind the scenes, was it drugs etc) to her way back when and what is actually ‘wrong’ with her now.
She has mental health issues and drugs are just part of self-medicating.
i really don’t understand her situation. I work in mental health and I really struggle to get any of my patients any protection from exploitation by others. Some of these are seriously unwell, on depot medication or community treatment orders. How come britney is well enough to perform and function day to day, yet is deemed to totally lack capacity to make decisions about her own life? Even if they are the wrong decisions in our opinion. It seems like de provision of freedom to me
I am a therapist, and it baffles me also- generally the least restrictive treatment regime is utilized, which doesn’t seem like a full-conservatorship if one can parent, perform shows, etc. That said, I’ve read that there were various lawsuits against Britney that were deemed uncollectable as long as the conservatorship remains in place…so some of this may be truly coming from finanacial angles. Maybe an attorney could chime in on this??
That said, I think Britney had a perfect storm of issues: likely arrested development from early stardom, substance abuse, post-partum depression, and burgeoning mental illness POST ppd…there may even be a personality disorder in there, too. I think Britney has multi-layered diagnosis, personally.
My view is a lot more cynical – she’s allowed out to perform because she still makes money. The healthiest thing she could probably do for herself and her family is retire, but I don’t think she has it in her to really do that, whether it’s because she feels pressured to do it herself or because others in her life are pushing her to do it. That’s part of why I find her conservatorship so suspect – they won’t let her visit her children or marry on her own terms, but they have no problem allowing her back into the toxic environment that caused her breakdown in the first place? Disturbing.
That certainly seems true- it appears what’s best for those who gain from Britney the Star is far more important than Britney herself.
Makes me sad.
“For the rest of her life” might be a bit too long, right? A decade perhaps. People grow and so will Britney.
I am not an expert at all, but am familiar enough with our mental health system to realize how hard it is to grant a conservatorship . I believe the courts have their reasons and they have to be valid. This is purely speculation, but I kind of suspect there must be other reasons then mental illness. After all this time, if it was “just” mental illnesses, it wouldnt seem terrible to admit it. I tend to think there might also be some type of major learning disability along with bpd or schizophrenia that compounded with her emotionally stultifying upbringing has left Brittany the with mental capacity of an adolescent. Not just emotionally, but on every level.
Her mother wasn’t doing her motherly job even before Britney was famous, and prob worse after Brit became famous. We’ll never know but we have imaginations and aren’t blinded be PR twists, colgate smiles and the “all american image” bc they’re just images. Nothing is or will be real.
I feel as thought Britney has always been the work-horse, show-pony for her family. She is like mentally stuck in 7th grade and if she’s not on display performing she will mentally lose it. Maybe she is bi-polar or maybe she is burnt out from being used and abused for many years.. raised to be a money maker for her mother.
I think there is a HUGE price to pay when you pimp your children out for fame and money. It rarely ends well for the kids. Is it worth it? To waste your daughters’ childhood, work her to the bone, sexually exploit her to the masses and record exec pedos. My “friend” has a baby who is about 2-3 MONTHS old and she already has a “manager” and goes to auditions and tries her hardest to get the baby into photo shoots and commercials. It’s upsetting.
Considering how many reports of widespread sexual abuse have come out in the past few years in both the Hollywood and modeling industry, I don’t know how anyone could willingly subject their child to that. Greed and selfishness go a long way to explain most things, I suppose.
All that money and fame, and this is how she’s spending her thirties. Something about her just makes me really sad, like if the people who are watching her now had done their job 10 years ago, she wouldn’t be in such bad shape now. But then, she was too good at making enough people money that I don’t know if she could have left the game at that point. That’s part of why I sideeye the good press surrounding Jamie Spears – we usually focus on her mother, but where was he when all of this went down? And why does he think it’s appropriate to control ALL aspects of his child’s life beyond the necessary? Maybe he means well, but maybe he has other motives, too.
I was a teenager when her meltdown occurred, and I’m not so old that I don’t remember how the media treated it like a circus event rather than a serious health issue. Whatever went wrong in her life, society certainly made it more difficult at every turn.
I’m just curious as to what may have become of Britney, say, had her parents actually been parents in the beginning of her life, rather than focusing on money.