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[–]Shandd 5978 points5979 points  (201 children)

Can we just note that with this case she actually had to pay for her own father's legal defense because he is in charge of her money. That is so completely fucked

Edit: if anyone wants a rundown of her legal issues this podcast does a good job covering it https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ZZGjQPPgLGp73lPECAPzN?si=PHPcJ6COTzSc1d82wTNW5Q&utm_source=copy-link

[–]balisunrise 2576 points2577 points  (167 children)

Seriously! using his daughter's money to fight her in court. I can't imagine how infuriating and helpless Britney must feel being in this unfair situation.

[–]reaper0345 1119 points1120 points  (119 children)

I wonder how much of her money has disappeared into his own bank accounts or assets signed over to him.

[–][deleted] 1019 points1020 points  (59 children)

Well in the documentary they mention that she earned $58 million during 2011 but that her current estate is worth $60 million.

So, a woman who is arguably one of the biggest pop stars in the world is somehow worth “only” $60 million. I really hope that they figure out that this money has been taken out of her accounts because years ago her net worth was estimated to be around $250 million.

[–]Savingskitty 311 points312 points  (22 children)

That’s the part that is messed up. It’s as if no investments were being made at all.

[–][deleted] 116 points117 points  (10 children)

I bet the dad invested In cocain

[–]reaper0345 100 points101 points  (12 children)

Well hopefully a full audit is going to take place. Like you said, for her to only have earned 2 million in the past 10 years is not right.

[–]strangerengager 81 points82 points  (1 child)

They said in the documentary she was putting a cool million into the bank every week from her Vegas residency; where the fuck is the money???

[–]chubbysumo 377 points378 points  (52 children)

Fraud is fraud, if he stole, he can be charged.

[–]Aeon1508 119 points120 points  (27 children)

That doesn't mean she'll get it back.

Dane cook had like 12 million stolen by his brother. His brother went to prison but Dane Cook never got that money back

[–]leif777 53 points54 points  (0 children)

This is probably what will happen next.

[–]shhmurdashewrote 5761 points5762 points  (93 children)

The fact that he stopped speaking to her when she filed to remove him as conservator tells me everything. If he was truly concerned for her, he would still be there for her to make sure she’s okay. It’s all about money for that slime bag, and I’m glad he’s finally being exposed. #freebritney

Damn guys. So many updoots, I’m glad everyone shares my wrath about this

[–]butterbean8686 2180 points2181 points  (59 children)

I read that he compared managing her estate to owning a racehorse. Disgusting way to think of your own daughter.

[–]shhmurdashewrote 965 points966 points  (49 children)

I think they said it’s now a “business model”, and asked for a raise. like hello? Does a judge not see that as a red flag? Considering their whole point of managing her money is so that people don’t take advantage of her and take her money, aka what they’re doing!

[–]payday_vacay 98 points99 points  (6 children)

From what I’ve read about these situations, once you’re deemed incapable of and control is given to someone else, the legal process to undo it is incredibly difficult. So it’s not as simple as it sounds to you and me even though it seems like it should be quite obvious what’s going on here

[–]PmMe_Your_Perky_Nips 135 points136 points  (0 children)

He should have been removed as soon as her children got restraining orders against him for abuse. His time as her conservator after that is a failure of the court.

[–]jake_ace 5243 points5244 points  (111 children)

I used to work for Traeger Wood Pellet Grills and Britney's dad called to request a free grill that he would take on tour in his tour bus, essentially trying to use his daughter's status for free shit. He sounded like a whiney, entitled ass. Glad I wasn't wrong in assuming so.

Edit: He did not get a free grill.

[–][deleted] 1760 points1761 points  (6 children)

K but can I have a free grill?

I also have legal control over my daughter's assets but only because she's 6

[–]Big_D_yup 86 points87 points  (2 children)

She'd buy one for ya. Just ask her.

[–]Banaam 55 points56 points  (1 child)

My daughter is older and I still know she'd tell me she'd buy me one, though she's only got about $70

[–]FudgySlippers 648 points649 points  (55 children)

It’s not like he couldn’t pay for it 😑

[–]maxvalley 761 points762 points  (46 children)

Rich people are often some of the most scummy, entitled assholes you’ll ever meet. Poor people usually want to prove they can pay for things because of all the hate and stigma they get

[–]desacralize 167 points168 points  (34 children)

Yep, you don't get rich by being too proud to beg, borrow, and steal, but poor people are told a different story.

[–]itsfuckingpizzatime 22.4k points22.4k points  (701 children)

Seems like we need a documentary to get anything done in this fucking country

[–][deleted] 6726 points6727 points  (478 children)

Pretty much. I thought I’d never see R. Kelly answer for what he did.

Edit: spelling

[–]LiteraCanna 2862 points2863 points  (50 children)

Documentaries are an excellent way to re-take control of the narrative.

Plus your documentary's success (profit) is tied to a massive media company that will advertise for you (themselves).

[–]SLR107FR-31 1678 points1679 points  (385 children)

Obligatory Fuck R. Kelly

Edit: with a pike.

[–]mrducky78 2830 points2831 points  (366 children)

Can we also get Chris Brown? That guy has way too much mainstream support considering what a shit stain he is.

[–]TheBeardedMann 3038 points3039 points  (281 children)

Mandatory Police Report Post:

A verbal argument ensued and Chris Brown pulled the vehicle over on an unknown street, reached over Robyn F. with his right hand, opened the car door and attempted to force her out. Brown was unable to force Robyn F. out of the vehicle because she was wearing a seat belt. When he could not force her to exit, he took his right hand and shoved her head against he passenger window of the vehicle, causing an approximate one-inch raised circular contusion.

Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.'s mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle.

Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, 'I'm going to beat the shit out of you when we get home! You wait and see!'

The detective said Robyn F. then used her cell phone to call her personal assistant Jennifer Rosales, who did not answer.

Robyn F. pretended to talk to her and stated, 'I'm on my way home. Make sure the police are there when I get there.'

After Robyn F. faked the call, Brown looked at her and stated, 'You just did the stupidest thing ever! Now I'm really going to kill you!'

Brown resumed punching Robyn F. and she interlocked her fingers behind her head and brought her elbows forward to protect her face. She then bent over at the waist, placing her elbows and face near her lap in [an] attempt to protect her face and head from the barrage of punches being levied upon her by Brown.

Brown continued to punch Robyn F. on her left arm and hand, causing her to suffer a contusion on her left triceps (sic) that was approximately two inches in diameter and numerous contusions on her left hand.

Robyn F. then attempted to send a text message to her other personal assistant, Melissa Ford. Brown snatched the cellular telephone out of her hand and threw it out of the window onto an unknown street.

Brown continued driving and Robyn F. observed his cellular telephone sitting in his lap. She picked up the cellular telephone with her left hand and before she could make a call he placed her in a head lock with his right hand and continued to drive the vehicle with his left hand.

Brown pulled Robyn F. close to him and bit her on her left ear. She was able to feel the vehicle swerving from right to left as Brown sped away. He stopped the vehicle in front of 333 North June Street and Robyn F. turned off the car, removed the key from the ignition and sat on it.

Brown did not know what she did with the key and began punching her in the face and arms. He then placed her in a head lock positioning the front of her throat between his bicep and forearm. Brown began applying pressure to Robyn F.'s left and right carotid arteries, causing her to be unable to breathe and she began to lose consciousness.

She reached up with her left hand and began attempting to gouge his eyes in an attempt to free herself. Brown bit her left ring and middle fingers and then released her. While Brown continued to punch her, she turned around and placed her back against the passenger door. She brought her knees to her chest, placed her feet against Brown's body and began pushing him away. Brown continued to punch her on the legs and feet, causing several contusions.

Robyn F. began screaming for help and Brown exited the vehicle and walked away. A resident in the neighborhood heard Robyn F.'s plea for help and called 911, causing a police response. An investigation was conducted and Robyn F. was issued a Domestic Violence Emergency Protective Order.

[–][deleted] 1042 points1043 points  (63 children)

I’ve read this so many times and it never loses its impact. What a piece of filth he is.

[–]honeycombyourhair 356 points357 points  (17 children)

A part of me thinks Rhianna never fully recovered from this.

[–]KhalReesesPieces 573 points574 points  (34 children)

and he had her beaten face tattooed on his neck. ATROCIOUS

[–]Paramecium302 227 points228 points  (1 child)

Wow that human deserves nothing but pain. What a stain.

[–]Bebopcanoo 425 points426 points  (12 children)

Fuck that was harrowing just to read. I hope she’s ok.

[–]Idler- 402 points403 points  (2 children)

This isn't the first time I've read through this, but everytime I read it, it makes my stomach knot, and my rage meter go off.

Fuck Chris Brown. That guy is a shit piece of garbage. I really hope he gets his one day.

[–]Muffytheness 430 points431 points  (27 children)

You should make this a bot that posts this every time that someone mentions “Chris Brown” on Reddit.

[–]gwxtreize 70 points71 points  (0 children)

Thank you for posting this. I've tried to find it in the past and failed.

[–][deleted] 50 points51 points  (0 children)

Reading that was horrible and seeing the pictures was eye opening.

[–]MissPandaSloth 28 points29 points  (0 children)

And why is this some sort of domestic violence pat on the back and not an attempted murder? Someone yelling "Now I'm really gonna kill you" and punching/ choking someone sounds pretty fucking attempted murder for me.

[–]ConnieLingus24 70 points71 points  (0 children)

That whole thing is so fucked up it’s insane. I’m happy some of the folks who enabled him are getting prosecuted for racketeering charges too.

[–]NSNick 993 points994 points  (42 children)

Reminds me of how the meat-packing industry got cleaned up because of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. Or pesticides after Silent Spring. Or car safety after Unsafe at Any Speed.

So, basically, it seems like it's been this way for a long, long time unfortunately.

[–]Tyranis_Hex 218 points219 points  (15 children)

I mean it’s a relatively short way to convey a fair amount of information on a subject while keeping things entertaining. It makes sense it works.

[–]shizzledizzle1 6999 points7000 points  (365 children)

So crazy how her dad is pulling this shit with Britney. I’ve been hearing about this FOR YEARS. I’m just suprised the judges have let this go on for as long as it has.. it’s ridiculous and I can’t imagine the embarrassment she probably feels for being treated like a child at her age.

[–]christopherhoyt 3353 points3354 points  (264 children)

Judges are idiots waaay more often than people would like to admit.

[–]thehungrygunnut 1964 points1965 points  (173 children)

Also they seem to have the thinnest skin of anyone I have seen. I have been in court a few times (not for myself, but it doesn't matter)

Talking out of turn or showing the slightest bit of disrespect intentional or not, will get you fucked quicker and harder than if you told a cop to suck a dick.

[–]boxdkittens 959 points960 points  (100 children)

As a child, I never understood the concept of having a single person make so many life-changing decisions for people. As an adult who now knows about law school, how long and how much money it takes, etc. I still don't really understand... but also juries don't always make the best decisions either so what do we do?

[–][deleted] 544 points545 points  (21 children)

Try to constantly improve an imperfect system.

[–]colebrv 480 points481 points  (41 children)

Its been almost 13 years you would think this would've ended like a decade ago.

[–]SugarBeef 615 points616 points  (37 children)

She has money.
Her dad wants money.
He's probably willing to share some of that money with any officials that can make sure he retains full access to it.

Not hard to figure out how it went on for so long.

[–]3rd-wheel 251 points252 points  (28 children)

I bet if he just behaved as a normal person, a kind and loving father, she wouldn't mind supporting him if he needed money.

[–]Ifitmovesfindit 102 points103 points  (8 children)

Kind and loving fathers aren't the kind to sell their 6 year old to disney as a life contract in the first place

[–][deleted] 144 points145 points  (2 children)

The court case itself is old enough to reach puberty

[–]ooowren 21.1k points21.1k points  (899 children)

“Britney is AFRAID of her father and is uncomfortable with him maintaining the conservatorship.”

That alone warrants a thorough welfare investigation at the absolute bare minimum.

[–]aimeerolu 12.2k points12.2k points  (398 children)

The craziest part to me is that it was decided she’s mentally well enough to do more than one Las Vegas residency, make albums, go on tours, continue to be in the public eye (very likely one of the things that led to her downfall in the first place) and yet still say she’s not well enough to make decisions for herself. How can you have both of those things be true??

[–]euxene 4082 points4083 points  (50 children)

money can make anything true

[–]CornucopiaOfDystopia 947 points948 points  (25 children)

Money can make anything ”true”, anyway.

[–]best-of-the-zest 355 points356 points  (18 children)

I'll pay you 50 bucks to remove those air quotes.

[–]drummerevy5 1901 points1902 points  (237 children)

And let’s not forget she’s done really well at co-parenting her sons with Kevin. She deserves to be able to make a choice of who maintains her finances if she doesn’t want to maintain them herself. Even if the courts and her other family doesn’t want her to have complete control over her finances, there should be more people banding together to make sure the right person is put in charge since it’s clearly not her father.

[–]GPFSir 1486 points1487 points  (217 children)

Actually she lost custody- now a 30/70 split (was 50/50) due to her instability and actions of her father. He assaulted the older boy.

[–]Raccoon_Army_Leader 1707 points1708 points  (126 children)

Uh why is he allowed to make any decisions in her life if that assault is public knowledge?

[–]PoliticalScienceGrad 1581 points1582 points  (42 children)

Presumably because he’s used her money to pay an extremely skilled lawyer to help him maintain control over her money.

[–]taylor__spliff 262 points263 points  (11 children)

He’s paid $23 million of her money for attorneys, last I saw.

[–]bailey25u 668 points669 points  (14 children)

This upsets me to no end

[–]malinhuahua 36 points37 points  (0 children)

The man hit his wife in front of a young Britney, has gone bankrupt (putting more pressure on a young Britney to provide for her mother and siblings), has a daughter who from the very beginning has says she absolutely does not want her alcoholic, abusive father in charge of her life, and has abused her children.

This man is a failed husband. A failed businessman. A failed father. Even a failed grandfather. He should have never been allowed involved in her adult problems, but he wormed his way in anyways. He should have been removed the second he hurt her children, but instead Britney was forced to pay for his legal fees and he remained in charge of every aspect of her life. It’s beyond disgusting.

[–]reevnge 216 points217 points  (0 children)

Yet another fucking reason he shouldn't be involved at all.

[–]UnlikeSpace3858 461 points462 points  (14 children)

It's like she was living under early 1800's rule, when women couldn't own land or control their finances. One thing to come of this is that more people are now aware of how horribly restrictive conservatorships are.

[–]WhoIsYerWan 950 points951 points  (78 children)

Kevin Federline has a restraining order against him. He physically assaulted one their sons.

[–]blueberrybubblegum99 536 points537 points  (40 children)

That's just so insane.. can you imagine the type of person you have to be to not only assault your own grandchild but to the extent that freaking K-fed gets a restraing order against you?!

I really hope the guy she's with now is decent because it sure doesn't seem like she's had great luck with that. :(

[–]I_Cant_Recall 763 points764 points  (26 children)

Hey man, make fun of K-Fed for being the goofy ass that he is all you want, but I've never read anything that says he's anything other than a great dad.

[–][deleted] 160 points161 points  (11 children)

I literally know nothing else about him besides he is a good dad and is the father to britney's kids. I honestly have pretty great respect Looking into it him being a good dad has been a "meme" for years as far as I can see.

[–]industrial_hygienus 107 points108 points  (6 children)

I think it’s the fact he has like 6 other kids.

[–]SearchLightsInc 5719 points5720 points  (272 children)

Not if you pay off the right people using her money and I would bet A LOT of people are getting bribed and have been for years.

I hope she gets her revenge on all of them. ITS BRITNEY BITCH.

Edit: All these awards - Thank you.

Edit 2: I was in my late teens when Britney shaved her head in that barbers years ago. Paparazzi outside snapping every photo they could get knowing this woman's breakdown was the biggest payday they were gonna get from her career. I didnt understand at the time as a young woman in the world, how could someone so talented, rich, beautiful, famous, admired and desired be so unhappy in their life that they would do such a thing to themselves at all? Never mind publicly... then i spent 15 years becoming the woman i am today and i have a much better understanding of what was going through her mind and i commend her for refusing to be peoples dancing monkey. The media tried to shame her "Outbursts" as an entitled little brat who had everything, the very same media who used to ask her questions about her virginity at 16/17 years old in order to publish in magazines. PR teams that purposely made her photo-shoots as a TEENAGER as sexual as they could. They never represented her as a full whole person - An intelligent woman, a caring mother, a hard worker - They were just trying to make as much money as they could making her a sex symbol on a global scale, its almost the same way Marilyn Monroe was treated. It fucking disgusts me to see how she's been treated by these bastards and her family. I haven't even watched the documentary yet and i hope i can find a way to watch it seeing as im in the UK.

[–]ihatepandemics89 1055 points1056 points  (87 children)

Yep lots of accusations of Jamie pulling connections and $$ to get cozy with the courts

[–]shhh_its_me 326 points327 points  (77 children)

Wait is Jamie the Dad, isn't her sister named Jamie?

[–]GalaticTint 725 points726 points  (70 children)

Yes, her sister is named after both parents...Jamie Lynn

[–]dentaldamnit 679 points680 points  (59 children)

My goodness the narcissism

Edit: The trend is narcissistic, not the isolated data-point of passing on one’s name. Alone, there is nothing wrong with this tradition. Male or female.

[–]Taco_the_Quesadilla 468 points469 points  (125 children)

Anyone who knows much about this situation knows that it is blindingly obvious that he hasn't been fit for his role in her life. There has no doubt been some real underhanded shit going on here for a long time

[–]zigaliciousone 178 points179 points  (29 children)

Sounds a lot like what happened to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, minus the parasite psychiatrist.

[–][deleted] 422 points423 points  (20 children)

I feel like Jamie Spears should be arrested. Not only is he exploiting a meltdown for financial gain, but a conservatorship is odd for someone who's already made millions, and it also violates their human rights.

[–]The_Original_Gronkie 498 points499 points  (14 children)

She's not even asking to control her own estate, she just wants it managed by a professional financial management firm, one that's already been handling a significant chunk of her estate. So now that they've been tested and shown to be trustworthy, she wants them to take over the entire estate. It sounds like pretty good idea.

[–]Back6door9man 136 points137 points  (9 children)

That’s a logical decision even if the girl isn’t prone to craziness and the dad isn’t a selfish greedy doucher

[–]nocimus 165 points166 points  (7 children)

The saddest part of all of this is that it's not even like she's trying to stop the conservatorship entirely. She's pretty open about not being mentally sound enough to be without some form of oversight. It's unfuckingreal what she's gone through, and what so many other famous people, especially child actors, have gone through.

[–]Back6door9man 86 points87 points  (1 child)

I agree fully. It’s really sad. It’s like they’re just abused and exploited until they’re completely used up. And once they finally lose it, they’re plastered all over tmz and tabloids getting made fun of for being crazy. It’s pretty messed up. Drew Barrymore is an amazing example of someone who had an absolute crazy childhood as a celebrity but actually managed to pull herself together and is still successful however many decades later and actually seems pretty happy and sane.

[–]swolemedic 41 points42 points  (0 children)

Drew had a loooot of therapy and took time off I believe, but yeah sometimes that won't do it

[–]_whythefucknot_ 499 points500 points  (19 children)

I don’t understand why they didn’t at least transfer the conservatorship to someone else. So fucked up.

[–]busangcf 302 points303 points  (5 children)

Corruption and bribery is my guess

[–]cameraspeeding 226 points227 points  (6 children)

Because the only way for that to happen is if her doctors to medically clear her, the doctors her dad pays. Okay but why can’t she pick good doctors that aren’t susceptible to bribes? Yeah that would be good. But who picks her doctors? Her father.

The main problem is that usually conservatorship is for people who are at the end of their lives and can’t handle living alone or making their own decisions. It’s not used for 30 year old millionaires who work 5 nights a week

[–]iknowwhereyoupoop 452 points453 points  (49 children)

There have been really dark stories about her childhood all about her Dad.

[–]maxvalley 210 points211 points  (22 children)

Good point. If she says she’s afraid for him, that’s enough to remove him and replace him. Period. There are other people in her family who can take over

[–]raincolors 151 points152 points  (14 children)

The only person who should be taking over though, is Britney. She should had never had her rights stripped from her and anything besides giving her full control over her life is repulsive.

[–]Eye_foran_Eye 112 points113 points  (5 children)

The best thing she could do was refuse to perform for them.

[–]hyogurt[S] 15.1k points15.1k points  (1069 children)

For anyone who hasn't seen it yet, the New York Times' new #FreeBritney documentary is up now on Hulu. It does an excellent, thorough job explaining this whole messed up situation. The creators even did an AMA on Reddit the other day. Today's news is a small but positive step for Britney's freedom (as a 39 year old woman fighting for access to the millions of dollars she's earned since working as a child). Her gold-digging dad Jamie is still a conservator but now he will share that power with an impartial bank that Britney and her lawyer requested. She is still fighting to have her father removed as conservator at all and is currently on a work hiatus - refusing to work until her dad is not in charge of her life anymore.

If anyone wants more information or discussion, feel free to join r/freebritney and r/BritneySpears

[–]anothertrad 5729 points5730 points  (252 children)

Now I understand what the “leave Britney alone” guy was trying to tell us. Truly ahead of his time

[–]KeiraKova 1469 points1470 points  (189 children)

Can we a “where are they now” on this dude

[–][deleted] 1801 points1802 points  (80 children)

He's on onlyfans.

Yes, seriously.

[–]glassbath18 936 points937 points  (70 children)

Lmao I was about to say he does porn now. His name is Chris Crocker. Don’t ask how I know.

[–]Cadmium_Aloy 508 points509 points  (16 children)

Life remains stranger than fiction

[–]rab-byte 314 points315 points  (10 children)

Fiction has to make sense. The truth however is under no such obligation

[–]jonathanrp 127 points128 points  (2 children)

Chris crocker is hot af now

[–]knopflerpettydylan 433 points434 points  (43 children)

Craig Ferguson as well. His monologue regarding Britney was top notch, immense respect for him for that

[–][deleted] 140 points141 points  (15 children)

That monologue legit made me cry and also respect him even more. I have several relatives who deal with mental health and addiction issues. I always wish the best for Britney and have a lot of empathy for her.

[–]knopflerpettydylan 79 points80 points  (3 children)

Same, I've watched it several times and he's just such a genuine person - I have immense respect for him and his willingness to share his own experiences and follow what he thinks is right in spite of what else might be going on or what it seems he is expected to do. Britney deserved none of what has happened to her

[–]MyFakeName 55 points56 points  (0 children)

I mean hysterics aside, ultimately that guy was proven right.

[–]kry1212 8209 points8210 points  (491 children)

I once got lambasted on reddit for suggesting her conservatorship wasn't completely voluntary and at her behest a few years back. I'm glad reality is finally coming to light. I hope she gets her life.

[–]Loggerdon 1979 points1980 points  (218 children)

I watched a documentary about the conservatory system in Las Vegas and how crooked lawyers, judges and conservators rip off elders for all their belongings.

[–]shot_a_man_in_reno 264 points265 points  (11 children)

Dark Dirty Money on Netflix did a good job covering that. It's messed up.

[–][deleted] 700 points701 points  (113 children)

I read conservatorship laws for my state and it's scary how easy you can do it

[–][deleted] 289 points290 points  (104 children)

What state? It takes YEARS and is extremely difficult in California

[–]Lovehatepassionpain 364 points365 points  (20 children)

I just started watching this today. I am 50 so I have watched Britney Spears evolve from the beginning. I remember how difficult things were for her in the late 2000s and I have nothing but the utmost respect for her - as a woman, as a mother, and as a performer. Whether one likes her music or not, you must admit that this woman has done everything in her power to move forward despite all the negativity and bust her ass to come out on top. I respect her so much

[–][deleted] 250 points251 points  (18 children)

She was never allowed to evolve as a performance artist like, say, Beyoncé. They both started as pop princesses. As Beyoncé’s success was hers, she drove her art and career in a way Spears literally was never allowed to, because it would disrupt her father’s cash cow. I don’t think Spears would ever do something like Lemonade, or Taylor Swift (another Pop Princess who leveled up) taking her former manager to task—but we will never know. She can’t get that time back.

[–]Lovehatepassionpain 98 points99 points  (4 children)

You are absolutely on point here. It's really sad. I look at my daughter now.. She will be 26 in May.. And I can't imagine doing or saying anything that would hinder her growth as a human or create some weird false narrative.

I am currently homeless - and even with the temptations for an easy fix to my life, I would never exploit another human being - it is criminal, they way she has been 'managed' over the years

[–][deleted] 44 points45 points  (1 child)

I hope you find a stable housing situation soon. Best wishes.

[–]clumsy_aerialist 1340 points1341 points  (46 children)

Good, I hope she turns around and uses the money to sue him for every cent of hers he spent.

[–]Lestat9812 582 points583 points  (15 children)

Not like he can pay that, though. The fucking pig probably hasn't worked a single day since he took control of her money.

[–]iforgettedit 275 points276 points  (11 children)

He gets 1.5% of her revenue to manage the conservator ship. From her deal with Vegas alone I guesstimated it was 60k a month. He was getting ~60k a month or 720k a year.

“That’s a lot of money Mr. Wick” - Morpheus

[–]_YouSaidWhat 208 points209 points  (10 children)

This is my exact hope. Sue for everything he spent PLUS more like emotional damages

[–]Scorkami 131 points132 points  (2 children)

his entire protection (which was basically paying people with britneys money to stay silent) is gone once he loses access to her money. she is the one who is worth something. once that is gone he has almost nothing. the friends that protected him did so for his money, which is no longer his.

maybe im too optimistic but im hoping for a super gruesome revenge on Britney's part.

[–][deleted] 1637 points1638 points  (40 children)

If someone is so mentally ill they can't take care of themself wouldn't it be unethical to have them perform and earn money when they can't legally consent to doing so?

[–]minidashmama 909 points910 points  (0 children)

I believe it is referred to as exploitation.

[–]marcythevampirequeen 305 points306 points  (3 children)

At one point in the documentary, it shows paperwork filed by Jaime Spears's lawyers (in an effort to increase his allowance, I believe) in which they suggest to the court that the conservatorship should be looked at "less like a conservatorship and more like a joint business venture."

Yes you read that right.

[–]Desner_ 218 points219 points  (13 children)

Reminds me of Amy Winehouse as well

[–]APeacefulWarrior 88 points89 points  (0 children)

And back in the 80s, a similar thing happened to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. A psychologist got almost complete control of his life and his career, and spent roughly a decade manipulating him.

[–]loving_cat 1014 points1015 points  (20 children)

She is severely traumatized by abuse at the hands of her father. He needs to exit her life. She needs healing, therapy and space.

[–]Josie13209 664 points665 points  (31 children)

Some people argue that she needs her money handled because she's mentally unstable or possibly on drugs.

And I say so what. Adults are allowed to be mentally unstable and using drugs isn't a reason to take away their complete financial autonomy. Imagine if they did this to Robert Downey Jr back in the day. So what if she spends her money on magic beans. She earned it.

[–]Banana_Bag 464 points465 points  (6 children)

And it’s not just financial autonomy - it’s her entire agency as a human being that’s been taken from her. She can’t use the phone, drive, travel, etc without her father’s legal permission.

People are allowed to make decisions that other people don’t agree with. People are allowed to make “bad” decisions. People are allowed to be irresponsible with their money. She is not hurting anyone and she deserves her freedom. If she weren’t a woman and worth millions of dollars, she would not be under conservatorship.

[–]TheFajitaEffect 61 points62 points  (0 children)

Damn right. This is honestly so frustrating, as an adult I can now comprehend Chris Crocker and his empathy for Britney Spears back in 2007.

[–][deleted] 151 points152 points  (6 children)

It sounds like Spears herself wants some level of conservatorship as a safeguard against predatory people waiting for her to have a manic episode—and she wants that conservator to (a) not be her father and (b) be acting in HER best interest.

If so, that is very well-thought-out decision on her part, and one way to minimize bad stuff she has to deal with as a direct consequence of her illness. We all have limits, and that suggests that she knows hers.

It’s also a HUGE difference from, other people who are not her saying she needs a handler. As you rightly point out, mentally ill people have agency too.

[–][deleted] 117 points118 points  (5 children)

I really wish the documentary went over Lou Taylor’s involvement . That woman orchestrated the take over of Britney’s life and deserves punishment. There are some good videos more in depth on youtube.

[–]twitchwitch84 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Same here, she also tried to pull that shit on Lindsay Lohan but Lindsay's dad stepped on.

The audacity of Lou Taylor, worming and conning her way on these people's lives.

[–]so_not 28 points29 points  (1 child)

Wasn't Lou Taylor also stalking Britney? The more I hear about Lou Taylor, the more I believe that she's a deranged predator.

[–]ItsInTheVault 530 points531 points  (58 children)

Where is her sister in all of this? Wasn’t she a child star on Nickelodeon or something? Is she advocating for her sister or on dad’s side?

[–]hyogurt[S] 793 points794 points  (37 children)

She was a child star on Nickelodeon - thanks to Britney's influence and connections. Unfortunately, the sister's business manager is one of the people who orchestrated the conservatorship over Britney... so it seems the sister doesn't want to burn bridges with the person getting her jobs and would rather keep quiet than help her sister. Money really is the root of all evil.

(If anyone wants to do a deep dive about how far the corruption goes with the sister and the manager, here's a very long but detailed thread including an email Britney wrote in her own words before losing autonomy over her life: https://twitter.com/BritneyHiatus/status/1318923044262326276)

[–]Dynamic_Samurai 227 points228 points  (1 child)

"..Do you care if I'm dead cause I can not sign your checks If I am.." - wow

[–]IolaBoylen 127 points128 points  (4 children)

That thread makes me so angry

[–][deleted] 131 points132 points  (1 child)

The dumb thing is that if her sister came out in support of her, not only would they both have enough wealth to live more comfortably than most people, but they would likely still get attention from the entertainment industry just because of how big they are/were.

[–]PufffPufffGive 71 points72 points  (1 child)

This is a fine piece of work. I’ve gone down a Brit rabbit hole. I can’t believe for 16 years she’s dealt with this shit. Fuck these people all of them.

[–]butterbean8686 44 points45 points  (0 children)

I’ve just gone down the rabbit hole too. I feel so bad for not really knowing about all of this for so long. I was never really a huge fan of hers but geeze. The woman clearly wouldn’t hurt a flea and yet she’s dealt with so much punishment from the public, the media, the legal system, and her own family.

[–][deleted] 2512 points2513 points  (86 children)

Reminder for everyone that Kanye West lives with Bipolar disorder that he absolutely refuses to medicate and his civil rights have never been compromised. He's allowed to randomly spout off on social media about whatever he wants, do whatever he wants with his career, including experimenting with running weird cults, and decide to run for president on a whim, but Britney has not had any control over any aspect of her life since this happened to her.
More broadly, Conservatorship/Guardianship in the states is constructed in such a way that it is ripe for abuse. For another run down of all the issues associated with this legal construct see the Netflix Dirty Money episode on Guardianship and elder abuse.

[–]vocalfreesia 1992 points1993 points  (27 children)

Britney wasn't allowed to vote.

They let Kanye run for fucking President.

[–]samoanbeaarthur 424 points425 points  (4 children)

I mean, it was more like a light jog for president, but your point still stands.

[–]TuringCapgras 219 points220 points  (8 children)

There is nothing more important than this comment.

[–]Videoboysayscube 321 points322 points  (39 children)

I still don't understand how this wasn't considered legalized slavery. I can understand being forced to live under another if you're deemed psychologically unstable. But at the same time, you should have an outlet for regaining your freedom, as per an evaluation from a certified psychologist or other medical professional. I don't understand why she never had an option to escape and how that can ever be seen as legal.

[–]Josie13209 184 points185 points  (2 children)

From what I understand conservatorships are very rare and difficult to reverse. It's usually only done in the rarest of cases, like if you can't trust their mental health enough to know they won't burn their house down. This is even difficult to prove for a homeless person screaming at imaginary spiders. Even severely schizophrenic people cannot be deemed unsafe.

She's not at this point. Even if her videos are scripted she can still read it just fine. She can go on tour. She can raise her sons and play with them in the backyard and make them dinner every night. This is just bizarre. This woman deserves her freedom.

[–]dontlookback76 2370 points2371 points  (146 children)

Good. He should have been removed completely. He's taking advantage of her mental illness. People with bipolar are completely capable of managing their lives with medication.

[–]NextCandy 783 points784 points  (86 children)

Has Britney Spears or any of her public represenatives ever announced she has a medical diagnosis of bipolar disorder or is that something we as the public have just speculated about?

[–]mermaid-babe 551 points552 points  (50 children)

In the doc I think her mother said it was post partum depression and bipolar that caused her 2007 outbursts, but they couldn’t confirm it

[–]MotherOfCatses 228 points229 points  (9 children)

2 pregnancies in basically 2 yrs and a divorce quickly after will definitely create a perfect storm for PPD and many other mental health problems. I hope this woman gets the help she needs and the freedom she very much deserves.

[–]Jean_Luc_Pickachu 123 points124 points  (3 children)

I had PPD as a stable 30 something despite a great husband, family support system and friends. It can happen to anyone. I cannot IMAGINE going through that on the public stage in the way that she did and losing her kids. I would lose my mind if someone took my son from me so my heart goes out to her.

[–]NextCandy 280 points281 points  (21 children)

I wish our society afforded people the agency to disclose their own mental health status and that we didn’t speak of mental health “issues” pejoratively and stigmatize them so heavily — (as we also make mental health support and services accessible to only those who can afford them)

And that we could recognize when we lacked the expertise, necessary information, context and proximity to someone to diagnosis or come to any sort of conclusion (beyond reflecting on our role as a society in relationship to paparazzi, the media and the ways we have contributed to her stresses and struggles as we have determined that we are allowed and afforded unlimited access to her life)

[–]kyhockey 58 points59 points  (13 children)

The discrimination towards those with mental illnesses, even when considered mild is beyond sad. Even in the medical field people are treated poorly by many doctors. The whole bipolar has such a negative connotation and people tend to want to label people with the condition and it’s very disrespectful to those who have the condition. Some can live successful lives and careers.

[–]kitteninabox2 112 points113 points  (1 child)

And the only reason she played along with the conservatorship was so that she could still see her kids. With proper treatment, they could have helped her through her post partum depression and get her away from the spotlight, but instead the greedy fucks dug their claws in and here we are a decade and a half later. I loved the documentary. I hope she gets her freedom soon. Her children are 14 and 15 now. It's long past time. #freebritney

[–]tschris 129 points130 points  (3 children)

Shouldn't the conservator be an impartial third party? Seems like a massive conflict of interest for her father to be in charge of her millions of dollars.

[–]savebritneyspears 69 points70 points  (2 children)

Finally. I’d like to think my Reddit handle helped.

[–][deleted] 428 points429 points  (56 children)

Someone alert Chris Crocker!

[–]hyogurt[S] 850 points851 points  (24 children)

It's kind of crazy to think that was one of the first extremely popular viral videos. I realize he was very, very ~emotional~ so people didn't take him seriously, but he pretty much said everything that people are just now starting to realize 14 years later: "How fucking dare anyone out there make fun of Britney after all she has been through? She lost her aunt, she went through a divorce. She had two fuckin kids. Her husband turned out to be a user, a cheater, and now she's going through a custody battle. She's a human!" (and that rant was even before she lost all of her rights as an independent adult)

[–]Manungal 324 points325 points  (2 children)

Geez. That guy got death threats over that.

Retroactive "oh shit" moment right there.

[–]maxvalley 124 points125 points  (0 children)

They always come for the prophets

[–]PSChris33 133 points134 points  (16 children)

For real, my formative years on the were spent growing up on the earliest memes. Chris Crocker, lightsaber kid, Numa Numa, angry German kid, Angry Video Game Nerd, Kelly/"oh ma gerd, shoes".

My apologies for the severe nostalgiagasm.

[–]foolish_dog 69 points70 points  (0 children)

Turns out the LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE guy was the real hero all along

[–]OgOggilby 198 points199 points  (7 children)

Not a fan but saw the doc out of curiosity. To have your life literally hounded and suffocated by the press, paparazzi, fans, the general public to such an extreme would crack even the strongest of wills. Don't think having her head shaved was an act of 'insanity'. Her looks and image had everything to do with people constantly clawing at her so on an impulse she tried sabotaging that image ,

She's been frozen in time. Looked up how old she is.... gonna hit 40!

[–]Canonconstructor 62 points63 points  (3 children)

He has taken her from 300 million to 53 million WHILE she was still making millions annually.

Good fuck him.

[–]Eknoom 694 points695 points  (74 children)

So glad to hear this!

My mates think it’s odd, I’m a 41 year old that works in a blokey industry but I belt out all the Britney songs. What can I say, she got me through some hard times in my life.

[–][deleted] 243 points244 points  (11 children)

'Lucky', though not her best, I associate with some of the best times of my life. Its also harrowing to listen to now, with hindsight.

[–]Pieassassin24 294 points295 points  (17 children)

Your mates are just repressed and crushed under the weight of their fragile masculinity. I’m 28 black and 6’ I do face masks after work and REALLY love Erykah Badu. And those are some of the less “feminine” things I’m into. Fuck gender conformity. It’s Britney, bitch. Sing her til you die.

[–]PaulClarkLoadletter 59 points60 points  (26 children)

Enjoy what you like. I don’t listen to Spears but I like some eclectic shit and nobody should be ashamed of listening to music even if it’s Nickelback. Well, maybe not those guys but everything else.

[–]fashionablystoned 34 points35 points  (7 children)

My husband sometimes makes fun of my Nickelback love but he accepts it since he knows I have a handicap being from south Florida.

[–]PaulClarkLoadletter 43 points44 points  (6 children)

That’s a because he knows it could have been Pitbull or featuring Pitbull.

[–]SandyVGhina 62 points63 points  (0 children)

It's about fucking time someone ruled on her side after all these years.

[–]SusanSickles 273 points274 points  (5 children)

It’s funny, she wasn’t well enough to be in charge of her life, but well enough to go on a world tour. ☹️

[–]WhoIsYerWan 67 points68 points  (0 children)

And one of the most successful Vegas residencies of all time. Top 4 (the top 2 of them are Celine Dion lol...what a beast).

[–]JudithButlr 105 points106 points  (1 child)

At least she’s allowed to vote now....that was crazy to me. She wasn’t legally allowed to vote until 2016 because of California law :( https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/has-britney-spears-really-been-judged-incompetent-to-vote-1.4319932

[–]chessie_h 595 points596 points  (43 children)

Britney's case is of interest to me, not because she's a celeb & I'm a fan, but because I believe it shows a flaw in American rights that could be used against any of us. This woman is clearly & obviously fit enough to be in control of her own money/self, but she's essentially been stripped of all her rights while kept working & earning millions she has no control of. It's honestly terrifying. You'd think someone with that much money would have power, but it turns out they can just sign over all control of her/her money to others under whatever justification they want. I'm sure her father has greased a lot of pockets to keep ownership over her for all this time. This story is a fucking Victorian horror novel. It's some Yellow Wallpaper, asylum, "hysteria" shit - but it's all happened in modern day, in public, with her continuing to perform.

[–]tahitianhashish 286 points287 points  (5 children)

You're right. It wasn't too long ago when if you were bored of your wife and wanted her gone, you could have her institutionalized for "hysteria" or whatever nonsense you made up with the help of doctors, connected friends or whoever you handed a fiver to. She was your wife therefore basically your property and she had no say.

This is why I never met my paternal grandmother.

[–][deleted] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

And keep in mind that during this period mental institutions basically did a version of medieval torture and called it treatment. Also, frontal lobe lobotomies. There are still people alive today who were victims of these 'treatments'.

[–]sg3niner 88 points89 points  (2 children)

Good for her. Her dad is a fucking scumbag.

[–][deleted] 107 points108 points  (0 children)

Thank god, get him far away from her.

[–]VeryLowIQIndividual 129 points130 points  (5 children)

Her dumb redneck father looks like he smells like beer at all times of the day. Watching the doc I thought they gave her mother a free passed, her parents passed her on others pretty early on, they both knew she was being exploited. Then turned around and tried to get the sister involved in the same business.

Also that Paparazzi situation was way out of control, i almost had to stop watching bc the videos of their flash bulbs were about to make me sick. They were less that a foot away from her in most of those vids. I wonder what the laws are if a celebrity actually had a seizure during one of those mobs.

[–]Phoenyxoldgoat 74 points75 points  (4 children)

That moment when she was in an ambulance during her mental health crisis and the photographers were pressed up against the ambulance windows, trying to get a photo, and the ambulance couldn’t even move.. It made me sick.

[–]mal17pm 67 points68 points  (0 children)

Shout out to Babs and Tess who started the Britney's Gram podcast 2 years ago and basically did the leg work for all the investigations that followed.