Spears freed from 13 years under ‘abusive’ conservatorship

BRITNEY SPEARS was last night freed from a restrictive conservatorship which controlled her life and money for nearly 14 years, after a Los Angeles judge ruled it was “no longer required”.

The decision came four months after the 39-year-old pop star alleged in a shocking public testimony that the conservatorship was abusive, stating that she had been placed on lithium, forced to perform and denied the ability to remove her birth control.

Her plight rallied people around the world behind a #Freebritney movement, hundreds of whom gathered outside the Los Angeles courthouse on Friday cheering and dancing to Spears’ song Stronger.

“The court finds that the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,” Judge Brenda Penny told an LA superior court hearing. “Therefore, as of today, the conservatorship is hereby terminated.”

While the singer was no longer subject to the conservatorship as of yesterday, it is thought it will take a few weeks for John Zabel, the caretaker conservator who replaced her father Jamie several months ago, to transfer all assets to Spears’ trust that she will control herself.

The singer, who turns 40 next month, had begged the court to terminate the “abusive” and “embarrassing” arrangement that governs her personal life and her $60 million estate. Spears has already successfully had her father removed from the conservatorship.

The singer did not attend Friday’s hearing, but was pictured on Instagram wearing a #Freebritney t-shirt before the court decision. Another hearing has been set for Dec 8 to resolve any outstanding financial matters.

In September, Judge Penny said the situation was untenable and reflected “a toxic environment which requires the suspension of Jamie Spears effective today”. The singer had asked to be released without a new psychiatric assessment.

“This week is gonna be very interesting for me! I haven’t prayed for something more in my life,” she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram post this week.

The court-approved conservatorship was set up in 2008 and overseen by the singer’s father after she had a public breakdown and underwent treatment for undisclosed mental health issues.

The arrangement dictated her personal, medical and financial affairs. Spears stepped up her efforts to end the conservatorship in June.

Spears, who has two teenage children with her former husband, the rapper Kevin Federline, has alleged in court that she was prevented by her father from having a contraceptive IUD removed, despite wanting more children.

Jamie Spears denied the allegation.