Pop superstar Britney Spears has appeared in court demanding that her father's conservatorship over her be ended.
Since 2008, follow Spear's very public mental breakdown, her father has been given full legal control over her $60 million fortune and other aspects of her career and life, including the demand that she be on birth control and does not have any children.
The strict rules have led many to support Spears through small protests and the #FreeBritney hashtag.
Speaking in court, Spears said in a speech to the judge:
"I want this conservatorship to end - I truly believe that this conservatorship is abusive. I want to be able to get married to my boyfriend and have a baby but the conservatorship told me I can't do that. I have an IUD (intrauterine device) inside me to prevent me from having a baby. I want to go to a doctor and take it out so I can have a baby but they (the conservatorship) told me no. I feel ganged up on and bullied and alone."
Spears also said:
"I have a lot to say, so bear with me. I don't think I was heard on any level when I came to court last time... In California, the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking, making anyone work against their will, taking all their possessions away credit card, cash, phone, passport. The reason I'm telling you this is because I don't think the state of California can have all this written in the court documents from the time I showed up and do absolutely nothing."
Spear's father's lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, released a statement in which they said that her father was only looking out for his daughter's best interests and that she required the conservatorship to be continued in order to protect her best interests, saying:
"For over 12 years, Mr Spears has more than capably and dutifully served as the conservator of his daughter's estate, always doing what he believed was in his daughter's best interest. Mr Spears has performed his job well. This is a fact. He has taken the estate from being in debt and facing tens of millions of dollars of lawsuits, to a current value of well over $60 million. Mr Spears did this all while also serving as conservator of the person (Britney)….and working diligently with a team of professionals to restore (Britney) to good health and revive her career as best as possible under the circumstances."
Many question why such extreme control can be morally or sensibly imposed over a functional individual in a free society.
[h/t: Daily Mail]
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