There’s been a flurry of activity around Britney Spears in the past week – she joined her parents in court last Friday for a hearing about her conservatorship. She requested that the judge loosen Jamie Spears’ iron grip on her life and allow her more freedom, and Lynne Spears requested that the court inform her of changes to Brit’s conservatorship. All this time, Lynne has had nothing to do with the conservatorship – Jamie managed it with the help of various lawyers and business partners. When Jamie’s health began to fail late last year, it seemed like a domino-effect of bad sh-t for Britney’s conservatorship. Now Britney has told the court that Jamie had her committed to a mental health facility against her consent, and that he authorized her medication without her consent.
As the stories around Britney and her conservatorship accumulate, I have to ask: why are people acting like any of this is new information? We’ve ALWAYS known that Jamie set strict rules for Britney’s personal life, her medical treatment and her career. People just wanted to think that because Britney wasn’t shaving her head in a manic state, that everything is okay and nothing shady is happening. Look no further than the complete rewrite of Britney’s relationship with her sons – Kevin Federline has had full and sole custody of their boys this whole time. Any time Britney spent with their sons was because of an off-the-books deal K-Fed had with Jamie. And now that Britney is going through some difficulties, Kevin isn’t allowing the boys to see her:
Amid Britney Spears’ conservatorship drama and following her mental health treatment, Kevin Federline wants his ex-wife’s condition to improve before he gives her any additional time with their two sons, 13-year-old Preston and 12-year-old Jayden.
“Britney’s immediate concern has been in having increased visitation time with her boys,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly. “Kevin won’t allow the boys to spend more time with their mother until Britney is once again stable and therapeutic on medication. He allows the boys to spend time with Britney, but it’s at his discretion.”
That’s the way it’s always been, at his discretion. Jamie and K-Fed worked out a deal last year on Britney paying Kevin more in child support, and you know why? Because Kevin was actually looking out for Britney’s interests and he wanted a full audit of Britney’s conservatorship, and instead of opening up everything, Jamie just paid Kevin what he wanted. And now Kevin is looking out for their boys, because he doesn’t want their sons to see Britney like this. That’s very telling.
Meanwhile, Us Weekly’s sources say that one of the requests Britney has made from the court is to be allowed whatever visitor she wants to her home. Jamie has always controlled who has access to Britney, that’s a big part of the conservatorship. Now a source says:
“Britney doesn’t care if Jamie is left in control of her finances with the conservatorship of the estate remaining,” a source exclusively tells Us. “However, according to Britney, the conservatorship of her personal life needs to end. She is finished with Jamie having control of her personal life and wants to have her own control over that. Britney has known her rights all along and knew she could ask the court for a hearing to end the conservatorship. She is now exercising that right. Britney will be meeting with a court-appointed investigator that will question her about the conservatorship. The investigator will also meet with Jamie Spears.”
“This is going to be a very long process in which the investigator will also consult with Britney’s doctors under the guidance of Jamie Spears, and Britney’s court-appointed lawyer. Ultimately, it will be up to the judge to determine if Britney will no longer be under the conservatorship.”
How will all of this end? Not well, I suspect. My guess is that there really will be a full review/audit of the conservatorship… and that Britney probably won’t be found competent. My guess is that the conservatorship will probably have to take on a few more neutral third-party people so it won’t just be “Jamie Spears controlling his daughter.” And I would also guess that Lynne will be given a role. Basically, more people getting more money from “looking after Britney.”
Photos courtesy of WENN and Backgrid.
This headline is a bit misleading. She was asking for ADDITIONAL time with the kids – not seeing them in general. She already is allowed to see them…But agreed, say what you want about Kfed but hes been the primary caretaker with no complaints for about a decade and hes seen things we havent…
Yeah. The quote reads: ‘Kevin Federline wants his ex-wife’s condition to improve before he gives her any additional time with their two sons.’ Additional time. So her amount of access hasn’t changed, it’s that she’s asking for more, which he’s denying. Which is fair enough, given the circumstances.
I’m more bugged by “Kevin won’t allow HIS sons…”
They are HER sons too.
Does she have unsupervised access with the boys, or are all interactions supervised? (Just curious.)
K-Fed doesn’t seem to be keeping the kids away from Britney. He seems to just be denying increased visitations? That’s how I am reading it. It’s not about denying time, but denying more time.
But I agree, I don’t think this is gonna end well.
I’m reading it the same way you two are. He’s just not giving her MORE time.
It sounds like K-Fed is doing the right thing. Hopefully this motivates Britney to get the treatment she needs. It must be so tough not to be able to trust your own judgment or the people around you.
yes but what if seeing her kids more actually helps her in the healing process?
@livealot and at what cost to the children for having to be part of mom’s medical treatment like that? seeing her when she’s unwell? they’re kids, they can’t solve this, that burden shouldn’t be theirs at all.
I really do wish her the best, although I have no idea what “the best” looks like for her. Peace, contentment, and real love would be a good start.
If her money was invested wisely she should be able to stop performing and live the rest of her life in peace and quiet away from the limelight. Those watching her can cut down on what they are given and live a simpler life style.
If only the people around her would do just that. Let her retire and not gave her in the media.
I’ve read others comment that perhaps performing gives her some much needed structure and positive goals to work towards. It’s hard to say what’s best for her, but I hope the people close to her are working towards it.
I think she spent very lavishly before the conservatorship. Also, she’s going to need a heavy level of security the rest of her life. I’m sure the reason they restrict who sees her is because of con artists like Sam Lutfi, who see a very wealthy woman who’s easily influenced and they want some of her cash.
I don’t know if a truly “simple life” is possible for her, not with the level of rabid fans and con artists targeting her.
I agree that working may help keep her more focused, what would she do with all that money and free time? I sure as hell do better mentally when I’m working. I tried to not work and stay home with my daughter but within 3 months I was spiraling into deep depression, Britney could be the same way. I dunno, I just feel so sorry for her.
Britney may need the structure of work for her mental stability. But maybe she can open up a dance school or something thats not in the limelight?. Who knows. Her mental condition seems really complicated.
All good points.
She expressed many times how much she wanted to be a mom and raise her kids, but most people don’t care about that, they also don’t mind that she’s always robotic when it comes to presentations and being with fans or cameras.
When people talk about “structure” being good for her, they don’t even dare to think she could be doing something else besides moving around in a bra and a mini skirt.
Like an article said yesterday in Pajiba, the cage Britney is in right now, was built for all of those “fans”.
Brittney made over $100 million on her first Vegas residency. If she wants to work great, but she certainly doesn’t need to.
I find it very interesting she’s asking for access to people of her choosing. Tin foil hat theory: Jamie being sick allowed someone from Britney’s past to resurface. A bad influence. Said bad influence is now in Britney’s ear. She’s being egged on to battle Jamie.
sounds like lynne!
Sounds like Sam Lutfi also.
Didn’t Britney go to court recently and get a restraining order *against* Lufti? I could. swear I read this.
As for her mom… well, I don’t trust her as far as I could throw her. She completely used her daughter in the worst way for that paycheck and “stardom-adjacent celebrity”. She shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near Britney, and esp. her finances.
The “old bad influence” wouldn’t be her mother Lynne. She has always been in Britney’s life as much as she wanted to be. Likewise with her grandchildren.
My guess is that Sam Lufti is weaseling his way back into her head. And he is definitely bad news.
K-Fed has always been very liberal with visitation, with restrictions only when needed because of Britney’s difficulties. He even followed her around on tour so she could still spend time with the kids when they were still very young. Something really bad must be happening if he wants to be stricter about it now. Those kids are old enough to tell him exactly what is happening and how they feel about it. They are also old enough to talk with a judge if needed.
It’s a good idea to keep Lynne in the loop and have more people involved with the legal responsibilities. This makes it less dependent on just one person, so if needed others can handle things when her father can’t. Nobody can do anything without serious monitoring and approval of the court, so the Free Britney folk should chill.
As soon as I started hearing the name Sam Lufti again, it all started to make sense. That guy was bad news for Britney, as I recall.
Exactly and still Jamie is accused of all sorts of plots and schemes when it comes to the conservatorship. It is not a coincidence that all this has blown up again when he became sick and had to take time to get well and heal.
It doesn’t take much to break a severely mentally ill person. Just one little change in routine or emotional crisis and years of treatment and work can be erased. It’s almost like an addict falling off the wagon. Britney’s despair over her father’s illness and the changes that illness caused in her daily routine was enough to get her in this state. Very sad.
The idea that a grown woman needs her father’s permission to let someone into a house she owns is ridiculous. Letting her father have this level of control over her life can’t be healthy.
Megan- the courts wouldn’t give Jamie that level of control for no reason, and it’s been going on for years, which means that the courts have seen Britney’s need to have such micromanagement.
I don’t get the second guessing. This kind of conservatorship is extremely difficult to get and keep. Britney is clearly not well for this would not be happening. Jamie controlling visitors is for her health, not to make her unhealthy.
@Meghan, she is struggling with severe mental health issues and clearly is vulnerable to predators who seek to take advantage of her. I have a brother who struggles with severe mental illness and we’ve had step in a few times and not allow certain people who wanted to take advantage of him from spending time alone with him. It’s not about controlling him, it’s about mitigating potential harm.
@Megan – If you had a close relation with severe mental illness you would completely understand why Jamie has this control. I would argue that his control over her personal and financial life is one of the things that has kept her functioning. Now that he is sick the wheels are sadly coming off of the cart.
She doesn’t have the ability to make decision for herself, she has severe mental illnesses that makes her unable to do that. A judge reviews the conservatorship every year and based on her medical information, info from social workers and lawyers, the conservatorship is renewed every year. So yes, it makes total sense that her conservators get to decide who comes to her house and who doesn’t: it’s their job and ultimately, it’s for her own wellbeing
Anyone who ever had to seek a conservatorship for a loved one knows how hard it is to get one and how far gone someone has to be for a judge to grant one. Britney is not well, she’ll probably never be completely independent and I hope that the conservatorship gives her the support and structure needed to be ok
There was a very good article analyzing the situation, the whole conservatorship issue is quite obscure: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/08/arts/music/is-britney-spears-ready-to-stand-on-her-own.html
I love how everyone assumes they are the only person who has ever known someone suffering from a serious mental illness. Brittany may be under conservatorship, but she still has basic rights and she clearly feels they are being violated. Where I live, the court appoints an advocate for the person under conservatorship because the potential for abuse is so great.
I totally agree! Apparently they had to get a new restraining order against Sam Lutfi, who had gone in contact with Lynne too. Maybe he wasn’t the only one, or he actually had enough access to plant these seeds in her head before people around her got the restraining.
I believe her restraining order with Sam Lutfi was just renewed our whatever.
As someone who once spiraled from unimaginable stress, the thought of being stuck between a rock and a hard place like her makes me feel dizzy. Imagine Jamie gaslights just a little bit, maybe unknowingly, because he’s worried about the past repeating. Britney’s wanting a little more freedom, is told not to fight, just be, and that’s driving her crazy, which makes Jamie say, “see? I told you you aren’t ready.” Which then drives her deeper and deeper down.
That’s not necessarily what’s happening, but I could see elements of that being true, and either way, my heart goes out to her.
The influence is Lynne, who’s back in Brit’s life after about 15 years – they haven’t had a good relationship in years and she’s supporting this push from Britney and has been whispering into her ear about the online conspiracies.
Lynne was always about giving Brit what she wanted and not what she needs – she wants to be Brit’s friend and be back on the payroll. Lynne tried to get in on the conservatorship when it was first created and was slapped down by everyone. This is her play to get back into the inner circle to get access to the cash. It was rumoured that back when she had her original breakdown she was close to being broke, she had blown through much of her fortune. Her spending was out of control and she was giving shady people like Lutfi access to her money. Britney has proven that she struggles to tell whether someone intentions against her are good or bad hence why she needs someone to look out for her that way – we’ve seen where her own judgement gets her and its not a good place. She is clearly someone people will and have taken advantage off.
I hope she is stabilised and is left alone to lead a life she wants – even her manager has said that he doesn’t think she will ever perform again now. He also confirmed her meds aren’t working.
The review isn’t going to give Brit what she wants, it may change who is part of the conservatorship but not that she needs one. Lynne should never under any circumstances be allowed to be part of that – Lynne was Brits biggest enabler.
As for Kevin he is putting the children first, it won’t be good for them to see their mother like this. As much as I still think of him a lazy grifter he has proven to be a good father who never stopped her seeing them.
Do I think Jamie is an angel? No. Do I think he is better at handling Britney’s finances than a financial advisor/lawyer? No. Do I think he makes really quetionable/shady decisions? YES. Do I think he is still better than Lynne? ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY!
I don’t think Britney is stable enough to discern people’s intentions in getting close to her. Sam Lutfi, Adnam Galib, assistants, “friends” (Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan come to mind). She is easy to manipulate and she needs people with her best interest in mind to be around her.
And Kevin is right, the boys shouldn’t have to see her when she isn’t stable. It would hurt them and cause more harm than being away from her for a while.
Especially if those “friends” who are such bad influences are back in her life. He’s protecting his boys from all angles, like he should. I hope her visits with the boys are supervised.
Oh boy some of her stans. She obviously has issues and hopefully a judge sees that. As for Kevin hes being made the bad guy, mainly again by her stans when in reality hes been taking care of those boys for a long while.
I feel so badly for her and think treating her like a dependent child is not helping her at all. Sounds like it’s more protect the money by controlling Britney. She needs to figure out how to manage her illness and take care of herself with the help of therapists and supports who have her back. I know bipolar disorder is terribly difficult to live with and to treat but I can’t help but think she would be doing better without all of this controlling by the men in her life.
Are you for real?
Do you understand mental illness?
Why do you think Kevin have full custody of the boys.
If Bobbi Brown had someone like Jamie Spears looking out for her most likely she would still be alive today.
Bobbi wasn’t 40 years old and perhaps would have survived had she had better care. Yet I maintain it’s important to have independence, especially as a woman. I have struggled with comorbid mental illness for 35 years and have had to learn self care and how to manage my illness in order to be well. I was much worse when I felt dependent and that I couldn’t use my own judgment and manage my own life. Well meaning men in my life were always willing to step in and do it for me though. I realize you reacted strongly to my post but your language and tone was really jarring and unpleasant.
@Mego, please do some research about bipolar disorder because you certainly don’t understand that for Britney to be in a conservatorship for this long, then she’s seriously mentally ill and unable to manage her own life.
I have bipolar disorder and while I manage it with medication and therapy, I do have a legal medical directive that if I ever become incompetent and cannot rationally make my own decisions then my brother steps up. (He’s a nurse). I can’t stand how people talk about Jamie Spears when it looks like all he’s ever done is try to take care of his daughter.
I have to wonder if there are parts of her life that she could manage if the grip were loosened enough to let her. Didn’t she just announce a residency in Vegas a la Celine Dion? Why wasn’t she being encouraged to take time to care for herself? If she is that bad why would such a thing even be considered. I cannot work full time because of my mental health and it’s something I have had to accept.
I also have bipolar disorder that I manage pretty successfully with medication and lifestyle but OMG all the informal agreements and formal legal documents that have been created to keep me safe in case of a relapse! Totally necessary and it comforts me to know that my loved ones are empowered to step in if I need it and that they know what my wishes are. Sometimes it truly takes a team to a manage a life with mental illness and it’s a reason people without resources or good family/social supports fare so badly. I am in my 40s and have a million powers of attorney for specific situations. I’m financially blessed and my financial advisor watches closely for sudden increases in spending (a sign of mania) and if necessary she can put me on an allowance. My friends and family watch for behavior and mood changes that I don’t even notice. All these “arrangements” were made when I was stable and fully able to participate in and direct the making of these arrangements. With a severe mental illness like bipolar disorder, it can take a village for even the most high functioning and talented person to stay healthy and safe. Brittney is lucky she has people in her life that want what’s best for her. The problem is making sure that those people are the ones with the power.
Right??
People seem blind by the fact that as soon as her dad fell ill, she lost control and vultures already appeared to talk her into doing things that are clearely not in her best interest. For this conservatorship last a decade, it’s abvious she can’t make her own decisions.
Like I said before, he may not be a saint, but he helped her more than anybody else.
So, have they ever disclosed a diagnosis? Why is she so disabled, I just don’t get it? Does she have psychosis? Does she have manic episodes? I feel like is she if she was delusional or something along those lines, serious disability, then how would she be able to work as successfully as she does? Does she just have the inability to see and assess risk and danger, like, I guess she has to be assessed as vulnerable to being exploited. I know it is confidential information, but I am curious as to what is actually going on with her
I feel this too. It’s not that I think the world is entitled to know everything going on with her, but I do feel there’s been a LOT of contradictions around Britney. What she’s well enough to do and not do and able to cope with and not cope with and what she’s allowed to do and not do all vary wildly from report to report.
At one point we were told the conservatorship really only existed in name to protect her financially, that she pretty much had day to day freedom like any other person. Then another report would have you believe she doesn’t have ANY freedom, Jamie makes every decision, she can’t even have a phone. (I personally don’t even understand how that level of control would WORK, when it comes to an adult who has a brain and a mind and is apparently well enough to date and even at one point get engaged. How would you even begin to make them submit to that for a decade? How would you run every aspect of another adult’s life like that?) It’s all varied wildly, she’s continued to perform and work all this time (though it’s been a long, long time since she’s performed with much life in her, I saw her once and honestly, I love Brit, but it was just… sad.) she’s had relationships and a fiancee and yet we’re told she has such serious mental health issues she doesn’t even have the freedom you’d give a teenager. And yet nobody has ever said definitely what those issues ARE either.
It’s all really really hard to make out what’s going on. It seems pretty certain she is NOT in a good place now though, and I’m worried that her trying to fight Jamie isn’t coming from a healthy place of wanting to take control back. I’m worried that she actually seems like she’s in a worse place than she’s been in for years, and might need the conservatorship to stay in place more than she has in a long time.
Me too. I know it’s none of our business but I don’t think we know the half of it.
I feel like the vulnerability to being exploited is a huge part of it.
I was thinking about it even more after I posted–I mean, if she is legally unable to make decisions, how was she engaged to that guy a few years ago? Is she able to consent to having sex with someone? Because all of the restrictions and things said over the years make this sound like she has someone making decisions concerning both her property and her person, which is super restrictive, and not really done unless the person is really very disabled, unless she consented to it, which even then the court should not order it if it is not a necessity
I’m really wondering about this too, I have a close relative who’s bipolar, and has been psychotic in the past, and the hard part for her was just getting the diagnosis, after that and lithium and anti psychotics she’s been pretty much fine and rebuilt her life. Not everyone reacts the same to medication obviously, but it doesn’t make sense to me that Britney’s still suffering so much if she’s really on the right medication… could she be schizophrenic possibly? I don’t mean to speculate in a bad way, it just makes no sense to me, bipolar with the people I know who have been very ill is still treatable and liveable…
I’m pretty sure the audit of Britney’s finances was less about looking out for her and more about leverage to get an increase in child support,! Can’t deny it was effective.
As an above poster mentions Kfed’s likely seen things we haven’t and he hasn’t been resistant in the past re: time with her boys so distance is likely needed.
I feel for her having so little control over her life but perhaps it’s what’s needed…
This is so sad.
+1000
What I don’t understand is what exactly is wrong with her. I know bipolar is widely accepted, but isn’t it pretty manageable? And most people that have it don’t have the level of supervision that she does, can anyone elaborate on this for me?
She broke down in 07, that was 12 years ago, it’s not just bipolar, it can’t be right?
And I’m not trying to troll or shame. I love Britney she was my first concert (LFO opened) I’m just kind of confused about what could be so wrong that all this is required
Sometimes bipolar disorder is manageable and sometimes it is not. Past articles referenced that Britney’s medication stopped working and they were trying a new cocktail of drugs to get her stabilized. Which is probably why she was in the mental health facility. Most of the time you have to be pulled off your old meds for a period of weeks until it leaves your system. Then, until you start your new cocktail, sometimes you can go manic.
Some people with mania, besides making bad financial decisions also become delusional (my sister sometimes thinks she can fly). And no, most people don’t have the level of supervision Britney has, but then most people don’t have the money Britney has. She’s very lucky she has the option to be treated by the finest doctors and probably get the best drugs that she doesn’t have to fight with her insurance to be on.
For some people, it is not easy to treat. For a smaller number, medication doesn’t seem to work at all.
Some people can reach a depth of depression or experience manic highs so severe that they fall into psychosis.
People who are actively experiencing psychosis are often unwilling to medicate, which makes things worse.
I’d guess that this is part of her problem – she spirals, and them she can’t practice self-care well enough to reign herself in. Hence, the conservatorship.
She isn’t doing anything wrong, but I’m sure it feels like punishment. It has to be awful.
I feel so bad for Britney. She’s in a better spot than some, with money and a career; but she always seems deeply unhappy. I hope she’s able to reach a state of balance and peace. She deserves it.
“I know bipolar is widely accepted, but isn’t it pretty manageable?”
This is a very common misconception. While there are a lot of people who find their disorder reasonably manageable, there are also a lot of people who will never find a way to keep their disorder under control. Not even when they are absolutely willing to take their medication and see their therapist as instructed.
It’s been 9 years since my last manic episode but I’m still not able to go back to work. Most days I can’t even leave my house. It’s not depression or mania that is making me stay indoors, it’s the myriad of symptoms caused by countless of manic, depressive and psychotic episodes that were left untreated before I got correctly diagnosed. I get panic attacks, I get this horribly insanely strong fear of people, I keep experiencing what people call “hearing voices”, auditory hallucinations. But the most crippling symptom I suffer from is dissociation. There’s no pills for that.
I’m not saying that Britney has any of that. I just wanted to explain why it sometimes might take years for someone to get their life back on track in these situations and why people might not be able to bounce back to life and pick up where they left off.
What a sad situation all the way around. I don’t think any of the adults in the situation are necessarily angels – KFed is a good dad from all appearances, but I think he also is looking out for himself. I think her parents love her, but also love the lifestyle they can have with her assets.
And I definitely feel badly for Britney. Mental health issues are so hard and having everything about yours be newsworthy while also not knowing who you can trust is awful.
LOL, the amount of back patting KFed gets over those kids blows my mind. He’s a father. Their his children. Taking care of your children in the absence of another reliable parent isn’t going above and beyond – it’s your JOB. Women do that shit all the time without the benefit of multi-thousand dollar child support.
It’s not technically the business of the world what’s going on with Britney, particularly where her mental state is concerned, but I will say that the mentally ill are some of the most vulnerable populations out there. It would absolutely not shock me to find out her health dilemmas were being utilized by people for personal gain, though I hope that has not been what’s going on.
You’re absolutely right, it’s just that KFed stepping up seemed so incredibly unlikely that people are still surprised by it a decade later. Honestly, if my dog walked in the room and started reading the Wall Street Journal, I’d be less surprised than I am by KFed being the adult in the room.
I agree 100000000%! I’ll take care of a stranger’s child for what he gets for taking care of HIS kids. It’s ridiculous the way he’s applauded for being a father.
Courts in California expect similar lifestyles when kids are with either parent, and child support payments are how they implement that. They are trying to equalize the conditions so kids aren’t susceptible to being more attracted to the richer parent. The judge decides, not K-Fed, and the amounts are small based on that standard.
He also has to figure on increasing expenses through college. Pretty ridiculous for Britney’s kids to have to struggle. But her inability to hold on to her money may be a concern unless some sizeable trusts have been put in place.
I’m sort of stunned by how many people are asking for an exact diagnosis in the comments. This is, frankly, none of our business. No one is entitled to this information other than Britney and her doctors.
A family member should never have been made conservator. This should always have been a third party, unrelated, who had no stake in Britney’s money or personal life.
Hmm… I didn’t read those comments as stunning at all. They’re merely musing, which is human nature, and acknowledging that while we’re not entitled to know, it would lend a little understanding to the situation. Granted, there’s no need for me to understand what’s going on in Britney’s life, but she’s a public figure which feeds people’s curiosity, and this is a celebrity gossip site, which is the proper forum for discussing such things.
I read them as people who are trying to understand through curiosity. Mental health is a mystery to most people because of the silence that surrounds it, Brittany’s case brings out the complexity of treating mental health issues.
I’m just blown away the kids are 13 and 12! Where did the time go?
They should keep het out of the spotlight. Not make her do a puppet on a string Vegas residence. I always felt like she would be happy just being a danceteacher or something.
I am not a fan but this breaks my heart. This woman should be away from the spotlight. Surely the fatted calf has earned enough millions. It’s all getting a bit too much like “let’s all go and watch the crazies at Bedlam tonight”.
I agree completely.
I too agree completely!
Random question… Does Britney drive herself? If she doesn’t, what does that say?
She’s a young woman living in a state where everyone drives, so if she isn’t I doubt it’s personal choice.
She is not allowed to drive a car.
which is why it’s a problem she’s been spotted driving alone recently.
Not everyone drives in CA, especially wealthy people. A lot of people have drivers, even for their school age children. Celebs especially have drivers so they can work in transit, so they don’t have to dodge paps, for security, etc. Driving in LA sucks, and if you can avoid it, most people probably would.
That being said, there are legitimate reasons why some people can’t/don’t drive, like those with epilepsy. Her medical condition, which we do not know, may be reason for her not driving.
Is she really that stupid? I mean they make it seems as if she’s a 5 year old girl who’s naive and not sure how to take care of herself. It’s really weird how they treat her.
she has a significant mental illness that needs to be managed closely; it’s severe enough that she does not have the mental competence to make decisions like other adults
It’s really not a question of intelligence, but rather a question of being mentally/emotionally stable. Also, nothing about her life is “normal”. She has extraordinary wealth along with all of the attendant complexities.
Mental illness and stupidity are not the same thing.
Wow. This is supremely ignorant of you. You clearly have no idea how much strength it takes to live with a mental illness. You saying it’s childish to be so crippled with mental illness that you need a caretaker is NO different than saying it’s childish for a cancer patient to require such. Shame on you. If you only knew the strength it takes.
I’m glad he’s trying to protect the kids.
People seem to forget she took them hostage the last time she was left to her own devices. For hours she kept them both trapped in a bathroom while law enforcement tried to talk her down. There were very serious fears she was going to kill them and herself.
The fact that Federline ever let her near them again after that speaks to how generous he’s been throughout this.
That was such a scary time. She could have been in serious danger if the police thought she was going to harm her kids. They could have been in serious danger if she was in psychosis. She’s come so far since then, I really hope it doesn’t go back to that.
This is all incredibly sad to read. I hope everything works out and she’s able to get to a healthy state with the right people helping her.
Between this and reading about how Stan Lee was taken advantage of in his later years makes me thankful I’m not famous.
Her eyes in that last photo. The sadness and fear. Poor thing.
Whoops, read it wrong. Still, she should be getting more time. All this lockdown shit is over. Why not let the kids decide?
I think that puts a terrible amount of pressure on the kids – if they say no then they hurt their mom, but maybe they’re afraid to say yes. I don’t know them, but it’s definitely possible. Julieta, I had forgotten that the boys were there during the police standoff. I hope these visits are supervised .
I have not had to deal directly with this level of mental illness, but what I gather from others is that it can be a terrible, vicious circle of needing to take medication to function and then functioning well enough to resent taking the medication and stopping.
No way, we are marginalizing and shaming people with mental health problems. This has got to stop.
He has consistently stepped up to ensure those boys are taken care of.
Again, I think Brit is really struggling and I wish her the best.
This entire thing confuses me. I realize she’s not like “normal” people. But from what I understand, she had a breakdown several years ago, and we all remember that. She has a mental illness and she takes medication for that mental illness. And all of this requires her father (or someone) have control over her entire life?? I’ve had a breakdown, so have at least 50 percent of the people I know at one point or another. I know several people (including myself) who take medication for mental issues. And every single one of us continues on in our life without a conservator, free to make mistakes or not make mistakes. How did this one breakdown turn into she can’t live her life or even date who she wants for over a decade? I’m sorry, but I’m just finding it really hard to buy that this is necessary. How many celebrities have public breakdowns? A lot. How many are under conservatorships? It’s frankly a little creepy to me how easily everyone seems to accept that this is a good thing for Britney, she’s closing in on 40, all stemming from a breakdown she had in her 20s? I’m gonna be team #FreeBritney on this one, solely based on my limited knowledge of course.
Fact is that her conservatorship has been evaluated multiple times over the years and the courts agree that she still to be under it.
Getting conservatorship is not easy in any way shape or form . Not to mention Brittany full Mental Health diagnosis has never been up for public disclosure.
Clearly there’s more going on here then just a breakdown.
We don’t know her diagnosis or the specific ways her mental illness manifests. We know that she had a public breakdown, that she was surrounded by vultures (she was dating a paparazzo for a period), that she was blowing through money and behaving erratically and dangerously towards herself and her children. The conservatorship is difficult to grant and difficult to maintain. They need to prove her continuing need for it, not just the initial period 12 years ago. A court has determined that this is an ongoing need, based on evidence we don’t have.
I don’t think we can make a “oh, she just needs to take medication” judgement without knowing what the specifics are of her mental illness. Managing depression is not the same as managing schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder, or borderline personality disorder (which based on the limited information is kind of what I’m guessing she has, not that it’s my business). And mental illness, even the same diagnosis, can manifest differently depending on the person. I would also submit that most people you know couldn’t afford to have a conservatorship or the level of care that Britney can.
Without knowing the details, just the little bits that have leaked out, I cannot say #FreeBritney. I also think that having her mother back around and wanting to be involved is bad news, because from all accounts Lynne is not helpful to her. I hope she gets whatever help she needs, and I hope she can breathe easily.
Nobody knows what her actual diagnosis is. I don’t know why it’s so hard for some people to grasp that she can’t handle her life. Whether it’s bipolar or schizophrenia or whatever, she clearly cannot make decisions like a functioning adult. You don’t get a conservatorship put on you for nothing. She has very real and very serious problems. All these people saying well I have mental illness and I’m fine or my cousin has so and so and he’s fine, who cares. Britney isn’t you or your mom or your cousin. Just because she can get on stage and perform doesn’t mean she can take care of herself.
My mother had to get a conservatorship for my father. He was very hard to manage and did irrational and sometimes dangerous things.
In the years she had it, the court required very strict record keeping of any finances and care expenses and at least once a year she would have to go to court to review everything with the judge to keep it.
I feel bad for Brittney that this is so public and I wonder if she really wants to continue to be a performer –seems like she must feel some pressure to support a LOT of people in her life. I’ve always wondered if she might be just as happy to move home and open a dance school or a nail salon or something and live a normal life in private.
I know K-Fed has been one who has lived off her money but I suspect he is thinking about their boys here and it doesn’t say they can’t see her–but I would imagine he’s concerned about them going off with her for long unsupervised so it’s probably fair to ask for a review.
If her parents are not able to be reliable for her care right now and they involve outside people they should probably begin to involve her sister so she can begin to learn what Brittney needs–so there is someone in the family who is able to be involved.
I believe the conservatorship saved Britney’s life and allowed her to get at least somewhat back on track. She could return to working and performing, and maintained a relationship – albeit limited – with her children. I believe that Jamie has her best interests at heart and it seems the court and her doctors agree.
Having said that, I just think she doesn’t really want to perform anymore. She seemed to have lost that sparkle in her eyes and seemed sort of robotic? I get that having structure and routine was probably part of her recovery but it just felt exploitative to see a fragile woman being paraded in front of lights and cameras.
Also, her engagement to Jason Trawick never made sense to me. It just seemed so strange that she couldn’t make any decisions for herself, but she was thisclose to getting married.
I agree, I have felt for many years that she wants to just wants to hang with her kids, grab some coffee at Starbucks and have a loyal boyfriend. I read a new interview with her manager and he says she may never work again. She stopped enjoying it a long time ago. Surely she has enough money to do what she pleases.
I hate the “free Britney” crap her so-called “fans” are promoting. I think her father saved her life and wants to keep her alive. Obviously there are some huge mental health issues going on lately and her “fans” need to shut it.
she truly was on top of the world twenty years ago. like, the world in the palm of her hand. now, she doesn’t even have access to her own children.
i can’t get over the tragic course her life ended up taking. and who the f knew k-fed would be this stable and responsible.
I worked in psych for a long time and I am familiar with conservatorships and the process of placing someone in a facility against their will. It is NOT the easy process the press makes it seem to be. Her mom is shady and would literally kill her own kid for $. Because Britney will not survive if she is forced to perform and not tightly managed. Like it or not, she improved tremendously with him managing her. As soon as there was a crack in that, she started downhill. My grandmother was identical to this. If she was medicated and someone watched her every move she was sweet and kind and smart. If she was off her meds and unmanaged it was a disaster. She’s been dead a long time and we’re still unraveling the threads of dysfunction that were wound together by her and her mental illness. I know the concept of freedom sounds good, but there is a small percentage of the population that cannot handle it.
imagine people who are this sick and don’t have the loved ones and the resources britney is afforded. likely composes a large percentage of the homeless population around the world.
let alone looking the other way and declining to actively be one another’s keepers – the societies we live in, spearheaded by certain politicians, are unspeakably rotten for looking down noses and applying the “bootstraps” mentality on the homeless.
i’m rotte when it comes to that, too. have to do more and be better.
Just look at her eyes and that grimace of a smile. Britney is not well.
I typically do not have much good to say about K-Fed but, he has every right to protect their kids from trauma, and if Britney is really struggling, he could make arrangements to bring their kids to see her for a short visit…kids want to see Mom and Mom wants to see kids= a neutral location and set up a quick visit, lots of hugs, etc. That’s good for everybody. I say this having been young when my Mom was in ICU w/cancer treatment. Christ, it was brutal. But, I insisted on seeing Mom.
Now, big picture for Britney .. Variety has just posted statement from her longtime manager saying Britney needs a break, cancel Vegas , etc.
IMO, he’ll let Britney get all the medical help she needs, she never needs to work again for $$.
Retire, get healthy, see her kids more often, take up gardening, whatever.
I’m 57, and I can tell you … life is more than $$.
Everyone close to this is privy to more info on Britney’s condition than us and it should stay private. Like others have said, she has remained in a conservatorship for so long therefore she isn’t well at all. Kevin get so much crap but he stepped up and got his sh*t together. He has maintained a co-parenting relationship and allowed access to their boys. Kevin is doing the right thing by protecting their sons whilst their mother isn’t well. This is so sad.
Looking at it from a different perspective.
What if the cause of her mental health issues is and was always grounded in the fact she has no control over her own life.
Britney’s life and money is controlled, hence not having the choice to do less. Her mental health was used to ensure she stay in the music game.
Her ex managed to screw her out of the kids and ended up securing a fantastic lifestyle for himself and the rest of his children. He doesn’t want her out from the under the thumb of the conservatorship.
I don’t think her father or mother have her best interests at heart. It’s all about who controls her assets. Does that make her more vulnerable to creeps that want to do the same…of course.
How screwed up would you be if someone fucked whores in your bed and then managed to get your kids and money and tell you what to do, whilst Daddy is going shut up and make more money.
Do you even know anything about what happened to her? How exactly did her ex “screw her out of her kids”? She locked herself in the bathroom with them and by all accounts people thought she was going to kill them and herself and was put on a 5150, twice actually. It was at that time she lost custody to her children. That had nothing to do with k-fed…
@Melody I think her ex had a lot to do with her breakdown. He did fuck women in her bed. He ended up with a pretty sweet deal for someone who did the dirty to her. Granted he was probably paid a nice price to ensure he was silent.
Strange how Britney was always deemed too unsafe to raise kids or make decisions by herself and handle her own money, and yet she has never been too unstable to make money and perform to fill the pockets of all the people keeping her ‘safe.’
I don’t think we the public will ever get a true answer to what is wrong Britney that’s in her right to keep that information private. Whole situation is just weird on one hand people are saying Britney is so mentally unstable that she can’t how control of her own life she can’t make any decision what so ever but on one hand she mentally fit enough to do a residency in vegas for years .
Something is wrong here. I think Britney may actually be very ill and not realize it. I have a feeling that her father is the one trying to protect her and make sure she gets what she needs to stay well and her mother is the enabler who isn’t understanding the extent of her mental illness. I hope for Britney’s sake the judge recognizes this.
So Jamie gave in to Kevin’s demands to avoid an audit of the conservatorship. Interesting.