Why is #FreeBritney Trending? Fans Call for the Pop Star to Be Released From Legal Guardianship Arrangement
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Fans of the pop superstar Britney Spears have resurfaced a #FreeBritney campaign on social media recently, which first gained traction last year when many believed the singer was checked into a mental health facility against her will. Now, the hashtag is trending once again in an effort to free the icon from an alleged guardianship that prohibits her from making any decisions in her life or her finances.
The 38-year-old pop star has been under conservatorship since 2008, after she suffered several mental breakdowns, infamously including her decision to shave her head after fleeing rehab and her attack of a photographer’s car with an umbrella. The conservatorship states that a legal guardianship, in this case her father, will make life decisions for Spears, based on the fact that she is incapable of making them for herself.
The arrangement, which has always been controversial among Spears fans, many of whom believe it is being used to control the Toxic singer, has now been extended until August 22. The #FreeBritney movement is also gaining popularity again since her fans believe she is sending secret messages via her Instagram and Tik Tok accounts.
Fashion industry and pop culture watchdog Diet Prada took to Instagram on Monday to explain the movement, claiming that the singer has been forced into using her iconic baby voice and that the conservatorship is based on a false claim that Spears has early-onset dementia.
The post also pointed out that Spears has released several albums, was a full-time judge on X-Factor, released clothing and perfume lines, and has gone on three worldwide tours along with her four year Las Vegas residency since the conservatorship began.
Diet Prada claimed Spears is not legally entitled to the $138 million she makes a year due to the arrangement and questioned why anyone would allow someone who is mentally ill to work so hard if they were truly concerned about her health.
“I know some people’s instincts might be to not take this seriously or laugh because the world has made a joke of her existence to a certain extent, but this is a woman who is denied access to her own children, finances, and any control over her own life,” their caption added.
“The law is corrupt and so are the middle-aged men who are ruining a thriving, successful woman’s life. Britney has a court hearing coming up on July 22nd. Check our stories for a swipe up of actionable items you can do to help #FreeBritney.”
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