Britney Spears doc prompts US lawmakers to challenge conservatorships

In the wake of a documentary on Britney Spears’ conservatorship battle and the ongoing #FreeBritney movement, aired in February this year, many fans, friends, and celebrities have shared messages of support for the popstar. Now, Framing Britney Spears has also inspired the support of two congressmen, who have called for hearings on the use of conservatorships across the US.

“If the conservatorship process can rip the agency from a woman who was in the prime of her life and one of the most powerful pop stars in the world, imagine what it can do to people who are less powerful and have less of a voice,” reads a letter to house judiciary committee chairman Jerry Nadler, by the Republican congressmen Matt Gaetz and Jim Jordan.

Spears’ father gained control over her career and finances in 2008, following her five-day admission to a psychiatric hospital. Despite Britney saying in court documents that she’s “strongly opposed” to his role last year, he remains a co-conservator to this day, though he lost his right to be sole conservator in a recent court battle. The next hearing is set to be held on March 17.

Though Gaetz and Jordan describe Spears as “the most striking example” of concerns laid out by the ACLU, they add: “Ms. Spears is not alone. There are countless other Americans unjustly stripped of their freedoms by others with little recourse.”

“Given the constitutional freedoms at stake and opaqueness of these arrangements, it is incumbent upon our Committee to convene a hearing to examine whether Americans are trapped unjustly in conservatorships.”

Following the premiere of Framing Britney Spears, the popstar herself took to social media to share a message for her fans. “Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories!!!!” she says, in the February 9 tweet. “We all have so many different bright, beautiful lives!!!”

Her father has also recently given his take on the conservatorship battle, saying in a statement via his lawyer: “I understand that every story wants to have a villain, but people have it so wrong here.”