Strange things are happening around Britney Spears these days. Britney seemed to fall apart when her father Jamie Spears was hospitalized with a ruptured colon late last year. We recently learned that Britney was having issues with her meds too, that they had lost some efficacy and her doctors were testing out new drug cocktails on her, which was one of the big reasons why she was staying in a mental health facility for a month. Jamie is still Britney’s conservator, and apparently there was a co-conservator – Andrew Wallet – who abruptly quit this year. There are also tons of conspiracy theories about what’s really going on, and Britney’s fans have been trying to advocate on her behalf using the #FreeBritney hashtag. What’s clear is that Britney is struggling these days, and what’s also clear is that Jamie’s health issues likely exacerbated the situation, and Jamie probably isn’t in any kind of shape to take a steadying hand over the conservatorship again. So… this happened on Friday: Britney, Jamie Spears and Lynne Spears (Brit’s mom) all appeared in a closed session of court.
After hearing Britney Spears and her parents speak in a rare and secretive joint court appearance Friday, a judge ordered an expert evaluation in the conservatorship that for 11 years has put control of much of the 37-year-old singer’s life in the control of her father. Only the few left inside know what the three said in the courtroom that was closed to public and media shortly after the hearing began. But Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny wrote in an order afterward that all had agreed on a so-called 730 expert evaluation, a process usually used to determine the mental health and competence of a parent in a divorce case.
It is not made clear who would be examined, and whether it would relate to Spears’ relationship to her two sons or her parents’ oversight of her. Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline has custody of their boys, 13-year-old Sean and 12-year-old Jayden, who have frequent visits with their mother. Spears’ personal attorney Samuel D. Ingham rose at the start of the hearing as many reporters and a handful of fans sat in the audience to say that Spears had requested the proceedings so she could speak to the court, and asked that the room be cleared because personal finances and her minor children would be discussed.
Penny agreed, and Spears and her parents were sneaked in through side doors when the court was empty. They left the same way, and when the courtroom was reopened the hearing was over. Outside the courthouse, about 20 Spears fans protested with signs that read “Free Britney” and “End the conservatorship now.”
The appearance of Spears’ 66-year-old father Jamie Spears was something of a surprise because he had been in such ill health in recent months that his daughter put her career on hold, delaying the start of a Las Vegas residency, so she could be with him. Spears mother, Lynne Spears, who is divorced from Jamie Spears, has had no role in the conservatorship, but this week got special permission from Penny to be part of Friday’s hearing. Britney Spears doesn’t normally attend the hearings on her status.
One, I think the “Free Britney” people are doing more harm than good, this is an intensely private family matter involving a person’s private medical situation. It’s not an opportunity for hashtag activism. Two, I do not believe that the evaluation has anything to do with the custody arrangement between Britney and Kevin Federline, I think the evaluation has everything to do with Britney’s malfunctioning meds and wanting to break free of her father’s faltering grip on every part of her life.
TMZ says that Lynne and Britney have been reconnecting in the past month, and Lynne has been living with Britney for the past few weeks. Britney wants Lynne to be her advocate in court, and I guess Lynne believes that Britney should have more freedom. The judge isn’t going to give Britney that freedom without a full evaluation though.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
For them to still have the conservatorship in place after all these years just proves that something isn’t right with her. And for her sake I hope everyone involved is doing the right thing for her…
I agree.
Yep. I think Britney’s problems are much bigger than the public realizes. That’s why these FreeBritney people need to zip it.
Speaking of shady. Few days ago I read on dlisted that she was granted a restraining order against Sam Lufti.
I saw that too. That guys a parasite. He’s probably trying to take advantage of the fact that she’s vulnerable. That guy is scary and. POS.
Yes, he really is a perfect exemplar of the word “villain.”
FINALLY granted a restraining order. That was like 10 years ago and his lawyer is claiming it is unfair….. Yikes
This is the 2nd one – she got one before when she had her breakdown and he went away. Now that there is all this drama he’s resurfaced and so she’s got another one.
That’s such a good thing. I couldn’t believe it when I read he was still sniffing around after all these years. Thats creepy as hell, hes still that fixated on her. He honestly reminds me of Selena’s one time associate who was actually psycho and eventually killed her.
Ugh. Poor Britney having all this play out on a public stage. Last thing her mental health needs. And I don’t know if I trust Lynne. Sad but true.
I agree about Lynne sadly, does anyone know where she has been in all this, it seems to always be Brit’s dad that is mentioned in relation to her care, has her mother been active in caring for her, it just seems from the media reports that Lynne popped back up when Jamie became ill and things started going sideways again for Britney.
I was wondering about Britney’s relationship with her mother as well. The TMZ articles state that Britney had been estranged from her mother, since she broke up with Justin Timberlake over 15 years ago, but I don’t think that’s true. I know that her father is more involved, but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen pics of Lynne with Britney’s boys over the years. Nevertheless, I definitely don’t trust Lynne. She seems like a drama queen (liking conspiracy theories about Britney on social media) and that’s the last thing Britney needs.
From other reports it seems they have a difficult relationship where they often go long periods of time without talking or seeing each other. It’s long been rumoured that JT was the one that got her into drugs and that one of the reasons Brit and her mother parted was because Lynne tried to be a parent when she saw the path Brit started to go down. I think at the time there were stories about how Lynne was spending Brit’s money like it was going out of fashion.
“It’s long been rumoured that JT was the one that got her into drugs”
LMFAO, sounds like something delusional Britney stans want to believe.
I read that in Lynne’s book she describes that Britney was 17 or 18 and was caught with cocaine on a plane, and that was when Lynne realized that her power as a parent was no match for her daughter’s power as a pop star. That even when mom said “No”, others would be there to enable her daughter’s less-than-positive choices.
I didn’t read the book though, it was someone quoting the book, so I could be wrong.
I don’t recall where this info came from but it seemed when Brit was a teen her mum was pushing her into the arms of much older boyfriends….
Take into account her sister’s life path and it’s not the best pattern…
Maybe this is all wrong…?
Lynne sided with Kfed having custody when Brit has problems in 2006. That’s when Britney turned to her dad. They have a peripheral relationship.
Those #freebrittany people are idiots.
Sorry but Brittany hasn’t been well for years and for people to comment on private issues is stupid.
I hope the courts Brittany’s parents and family can help her.
She is “Britney”……
My understanding is Lynne was always the stage mom in this situation. So I have to give her the side eye.
As the story went her father was a monster. Abusive to her mother. An alcoholic drinking all britney earned. And Lynne was pushing the bread winning child to keep earning because that was the only money coming in. Just a nightmare environment from how news came out as it unfolded.
I heard a different story, that dad wasn’t happy with the sexualizing of teenage Britney and the career push in general. He did also have a problem with alcohol, though.
Whatever, he certainly did right by her when she desperately needed it.
Both her parents were closely involved with the grandkids and their dad during her breakdown period. If K-Fed needed to be away, Brit’s mom would stay with the kids in his house. He encouraged as much contact as they desired with their grandchildren. During the period when the judge said no visitation, K-Fed allowed visitation as long as one of the grandparents was always present and Britney did not drive with the kids. This allowed her to have time with the boys even when she was unable to really interact, the grandparents kept the boys occupied while she was in the room. Considering their ages, this was really important. She was in a really bad situation but K-Fed and her parents really worked at keeping everything as normal as possible for her and the children. There are no villains there.
This is soo sad, its obvious that Brit is back to where she was in 2008 – she is very unwell looking. Her father and that conservatorship saved her life and those ‘freeBritney’ twits should shut up and sit down as they have no idea what they are talking about. Mental Health is not a hashtag.
It concerns me that Lynne is back on the scene esp with the re-appearance of Sam Lutfi and how he had been in contact with her is a major red flag. He apparently approached her, offering her money and support to step in and get involved in the conservatorship. Lynne says he’s stalking her but that does not pass the smell test for me – how the hell did he get Lynne’s contact details to begin with and why did she even engage in conversation with him? I’m also side eyeing the BF, who was also stoking the conspiracy theories online. Jamie is sick and the vultures are circling.
There are reasons why Brit cut her mother off, Lynne was never a good parent and was only interested in living the rich and famous lifestyle through her daughter (how many books did Lynne write about being Brit’s mother??). IIRC Lynne was buying herself multi-million dollar homes with Brit’s money and that was one of the reasons she was cut off. It was said then and now that Lynne was only ever interested in being Britney’s friend and not a parent, she’s more like an enabler if you ask me.
Given that Brit has access to the best Dr’s and treatment that money can buy, it’s concerning that they are struggling to stabilise her – which should tell everyone how serious her condition is. I hope that she is able to find the stability and peace she deserves and needs.
We actually don’t know that much about how drugs can stabilize various disorders involving the brain (so-called “mental” illnesses. It is not uncommon for drugs to lose effectiveness and then trial and error is used to try to find a reasonable alternative without too many unpleasant side effects. Sometimes drugs are just not effective for an individual, including people with bipolar which is usually more of a success story. One famous cartoon voice actor had drug-resistant bipolar disorder, and finally killed herself rather than face another deep depression. Suicide is a real risk with clinical depression, it is such a whole different level than normal depression after a sad event.
Drug resistance in various disorders is a real problem. My neighbor had drug-resistant epilepsy and had several grand mal seizures per month and multiple daily petit mal seizures. They kept trying new drugs without a lot of success. His memory was badly affected – he told me that when he looked at the family album, he couldn’t remember most of the events.
the free Britney people are gross is have a serious problem. that being said, it does not send me good vibes. I’m getting close with Lynn again and wants her to have more of a role, because that woman has notoriously been bad news for Britney.
The free britney people are horribly immature on life matters and their signs and hashtags prove so. You can support your face popstar, but them doing all the bs is more self-serving than selfless hashtagvism
“Britney’s fans have been trying to advocate on her behalf using the #FreeBritney hashtag”
Honestly? The vast majority refuse to see her as being really ill. They’re convinced that this is all a lie and she’s being kept captive. And I’m sorry – no way would she have a conservator this long if she didn’t actually need it.
I share your thoughts.
I hope this doesn’t come across as mean or critical but I’ve wondered if it’s more than bi-polar and also a v low IQ that challenges her, and makes her an easy target without strong protection. I just feel like she’s v vulnerable, and being a star since childhood, sexualized from such a young age, can’t have helped, makes me sad for her…
I agree, she has always seemed very naive and vulnerable. She was HIGHLY sexualized in front of the entire world at a very young age. I don’t know if she had the intelligence to process that and create a self image apart from that.
She seems like a simplistic person. She seems to love the small things in life: music, good food, dancing, her Louisiana home. She loves to be by a pool, or to just be at home. She’s a simple person who was given the most complicated life, the most complicated self image, in the world! And this happened at the most young and impressionable age.
I’ll always feel for her and wish to always see her happy and taken care of.
If you watch footage of Britney as a young girl, before she was famous, she had FAR from a low IQ. She was a prodigy of sorts, a phenom. A super basketball player, gymnast, singer, dancer… the kid was gifted and going places. Her brain is fried now, that’s pretty clear. But that is most likely drug use and medication, not in any way due to a lack of born intelligence.
even sadder then, I didn’t know that about her early years…
I said on another post about her awhile ago that I suspected she has multiple personality disorder and/or schizophrenia, that was perhaps brought on or exacerbated by her drug use. At the time of her 5150 she was abusing prescription amphetamines. She also has a family history of mental illness.
This is just my internet rando armchair diagnosis but a lot of what she exhibits fall in line with these disorders. Her British persona/accent, the lawsuits from past bodyguards who she sexually harassed, how she is in interviews, etc… She herself at one point in time said she was a very shy, quiet person and had to develop another personality to perform. I think her family history, her unique situation of becoming an international superstar overnight and then the drug use all has played a part in it but I’ve long said that I doubt bipolar is her only issue.
there is no illness called “multiple personality disorder” that’s fiction from the movies. you’re confusing it with the actual illness called dissociative identity disorder.
I’m a therapist and not a fan of armchair diagnosing, but do feel comfortable saying that there’s been no sign of the cognitive declines, disorganized thoughts and behaviors, delusions, or negative symptoms that we generally see in schizophrenia. So I doubt it. It would also take a lot of assessment to rule out DID but I doubt it. The kind of different personas she describes sound pretty normal for someone in her industry, and her personality/affect seem pretty consistent across interviews. Prob just bipolar and trauma stuff, maybe complicated by substance use,
as she’s said.
As others have said above, I saw in the past week or 2 that her old manager that really just made everything worse is involved in this- in getting her mom involved & the free Britney crap. According to TMZ, Britney is also trying to convince her mom that she is better now & honestly I think her mom is an idiot if she thinks Britney can manage without the conservatorship. I’m afraid we’ll see a rapid decline if Britney’s Dad is removed & especially if Lynn is put in his place. TMZ has repeatedly stated that Britney’s Dad can’t just do whatever he wants with her meds or with her money. Everything has to be approved by her doctors & the courts. He has been able to help her lead a functional life after her breakdown. I’m afraid to see what will happen if the “reigns” are loosened, so to speak. With his current health issues it may be time to find a new conservator, but I don’t think Lynn is up for the job.
For once TMZ is correct in what they say about Jamie and how the conservatorship works – other posters on here who have experience with such things have been saying that for a long time.
The only way Lynn should be considered is if they have someone else involved at the same time. I think she’s made it pretty obvious over the years that she shouldn’t have unfettered control over Brit’s money and life.
Her dad’s actions repeatedly being approved by the doctors and the court system is so important. There are so many people, sometimes even this site, that give a side-eye to her dad and his “control” over her life. But his power has been constantly checked by the court system.
Her father’s care has allowed her to get to a seemingly healthy place before the meds stopped being as effective. I don’t think he should be treated with suspicion. He’s a caregiver and he’s had a lot of oversight.
I hope that the evaluation is for her mother in the event that they are wanting her to be co-conservator or the sole conservator if her father dies. I don’t trust that woman.
Poor girl, was she always mentally ill or did it happen suddenly and still progressing?…. To be honest it all does look suspicious- they treat her for ever and she’s only getting worse or what??… although she used to be fine enough to become a global star??… was she always so fragile and weak in the head or is their treatment shady?…
It seems she has had mental issues for 15+ years that exacerbate during stressful periods. Her dad being ill would be very rough plus the other conservator quitting (on top of all the child support drama last year). Medication, for whatever reason it is taken, sometimes needs to be adjusted.
Britney seems to enjoy stable work – a goal to work towards.
Why do you think it’s suspicious? There are many mental health conditions that will never be “cured” or “get better,” they are permanent and can only be managed, and the management of them doesn’t always work or has to change over time.
Yup. Mental illness is usually a life long battle. It isn’t cured, it is managed.
She became a star when she was a teen, and mental health issues sometimes appear in early adulthood/late teens. Medications for some conditions will work for a period of time, and then become ineffective, so the meds need to be recalibrated.
Calling her “weak in the head” is a really poor choice of words.
She showed signs of mental illness while dating Justin Timberlake, which is the right time for various disorders to start emerging more strongly. I really can’t blame any of her exes from that period (including K-Fed) for simply not knowing what to do about it. It’s very common for people to just withdraw from the problematic person. She had real power at the time and used it, so it’s unlikely they could have done anything anyway. K-Fed was one of her backup dancers, and she was actually the one who approached him initially.
@jwoolman I know it’s an accident of phrasing but I love that you implied that when a person starts dating Justin Timberlake is when mental disorders tend to display
She’s 37 years old. I’m definitely missing something.
apparently britney left court barefoot
Oh no. This is shades of 2007 all over again.
that’s what i thought too 🙁 very sad to see this happen again
The horror. Come on like people never to off there heels after long day. She took her shoes out off when she was talking to her car.
I know Brotney has issues but this is her least of the problem. I dont considered that for someone to say she lost it. Smh
No, I’ve never seen anyone take off heels in a public parking garage. Those places are filthy. It’s not normal behavior.
Just because you haven’t seen them doesnt mean it doesnt happened.
That’s doesnt make someone crazy. Like I said she does have mental illness but that’s the least of the problem.
did you watch britney’s breakdown happen?
@tessa, I live in Florida, originally from Missouri. I’ve seen so many people down here going without shoes. I used to think it was crazy when Britney back in the day used to be seen in gas stations with no shoes on. But down here, i see it frequently. Usually people from Georgia or Alabama. I think it’s a southern thing. No offense southern people. I think it’s gross too. Besides just getting your feet dirty, you could also step on broken glass, nail, etc. I don’t even go barefoot in my yard lol
Some of the gossip blogs have really been pushing “oh she just had a blister from wearing high heels!” story. Clearly they’re being fed by Britney’s team and have an agenda to portray her as mentally well.
I walk around barefoot a lot, but surely — if you’d been diagnosed with a mental illness so severe you’d lived under a conservatorship for 11 years and were fighting in court to prove you were mentally fit to take care of yourself — surely if you had a shred of common sense or self-awareness/self-control, you’d suffer the blister and keep your shoes on for the two minutes it takes to walk out of court?
Snowflake – I won’t go barefoot in my house! I know what’s been on these floors. I live with cats and have to point a flashlight downward all the time to avoid unpleasant incidents! No joke. Bad lighting and cats don’t mix well.
I do have a collection of various types of comfy washable sandles, though.
Lynne should not be anywhere near this situation. Totally agree that the Free Britney people are exacerbating an already tense situation.
All signs point to “Britney needs help.” she seems to be doing fine under conservatorship and the hashtag activists need to let her be. Getting guardianship or conservatorship over a person is a very difficult task. If she didn’t need it, it wouldn’t be happening. Managing a complicated case of bipolar disorder (as this has always been reported and likely is accurate) sometimes requires family involvement, periodic hospitalizations, and medication adjustments for life. Just let them get on with it, people.
I’m a therapist and I wish more of my clients with bipolar disorder had family willing to support them like this.
To think I thought Britney had it all when I was in high school! Seriously her mom (prob her dad too!) was a stage mom who pushed her daughter like a work horse that finally broke so many years ago. They helped create this situation and they’re now trying to help her??! God I hope there’s someone on her side who actually cares about her and not the money train attached to her. I’ll say it again her boys are lucky to have Kevin in their life and how he’s been so supportive of her during her ups and continuous downs…
If I was Kevin, I’d make sure I had a lawyer involved. The boys will reach their majority in just a few years and will be Britney’s next of kin. As their dad, he has a vested interest to make sure this doesn’t become a bigger burden for them than is necessary.
I thought something was up with her over the past year. She kept posting odd videos of herself on Instagram that were kind of uncomfortable to watch. Weird videos of her posing or catwalking in tight clothing, or her very unnaturally painting (seemed like she was fake painting at least once) really kind of simplistic paintings, odd interactions with her kids. It all seemed strange and I wondered what was up with her judgement. Oh and her appearance has gotten kind of strange again over the last year, bizarre and unnatural looking extensions, way too dark eye makeup, etc. Now, it seems as if something is truly going on.
I really wish her well and to be surrounded with people who truly have her best interests at heart. I’m not sure Lynn is that person but I pray I’m wrong..
The whole thing just makes me so sad. Poor Britney should be allowed to deal with this in private. I’ve long believed she should have been allowed to retire and live her best life with her boys but maybe she needs the stability and routine of working. Vegas seemed to really suit her – performing but not a gruelling tour, state to state, country to country. I don’t know much about her mum or why it’s always been the dad taking care of Britney, but I don’t quite trust her mum in all of this. I just hope Britney is given the privacy, space and the necessary time to get back on a more stable path for the sake of her boys.