STRONGER THAN YESTERDAY
Us reveals the shocking truth about Britney Spears’ private prison and how she finally found the strength to break free
After more than a decade of being trapped in a conservatorship, insiders say Britney Spears is breaking her silence and revealing what her life has really been like behind closed doors.
It was a simple moment caught on camera. On a gorgeous Sunday in L.A., Britney Spears took an afternoon drive with her main squeeze, 27-year-old model Sam Asghari. In a clip Asghari posted on Instagram, Britney can be seen turning up the volume on her car radio as they sing along to her
2001 song, “Lonely.” The outing carried special meaning for fans who’ve been paying close attention to her ongoing conservatorship battle with her father, Jamie. “All I want is… for this to end,” the “Toxic” singer told a judge in an emotional June 23 plea, “and for my boyfriend to be able to drive me in his f**king car.”
After 13 long years under her dad’s control, Britney is fighting back — and telling all about everything she’s endured. “Her life became a living hell,” one source tells Us. “After walking around in a thick fog feeling trapped and numb, she realized she couldn’t stay silent any longer.” According to the source, the 39-year-old has had enough. “Britney snapped,” says the source. “She exhausted all her other options and felt something had to give.”
Now, she’s ready for her revenge. “Britney has found her voice and there’s no stopping her,” warns a second insider. “She wants the world to know what her dad’s been doing and she’s set to unleash on everyone who’s held her back from living her own life.”
SO POWERLESS
Britney — who’s worth an estimated $60 million — has been watched like a hawk by Jamie and those in charge
since 2008. “Everything she posted on social media was checked and edited before it was shared,” says the insider. Britney couldn’t purchase hygiene products, art supplies or even gifts for her sons (she shares Sean Preston, 15, and Jayden, 14, with ex Kevin Federline) without approval. “Her phone was taken years ago,” adds the insider, “so she couldn’t have access to any of her old contacts.”
The first source says Britney’s hobbies and shopping habits have also been “micro-analyzed” and that her team had to sign off on everything from groceries to new makeup.
She hasn’t been allowed to socialize much, either.
“Jamie and the others will say Britney’s been on numerous vacations
and that they didn’t stand in her way when she met Sam. They also maintain she still goes out and enjoys trips to local parks and so on,” says the source. “But the reality is that Britney’s often required to stay within the confines of her home. She’s been imprisoned inside a palace like a princess for the last 13 years,” adds the source. “It’s been heartbreaking and demoralizing.”
RIPPLE EFFECT
Britney has put her once booming music career on hold after claiming she was forced to tour. In a July 18 Instagram post, the pop star shared that she won’t be performing “anytime soon” with her dad at the helm.
“She’d like to get back on stage, but on her terms — and not so she can line these people’s pockets instead of her own,” spills the source. Britney won’t be returning to the studio to record new music either “until she can live her life without restrictions,” notes the insider. “She wants her freedom first.”
Her relationships with her kids have also suffered. “Britney’s
happiest times are when she’s with her boys,” says the insider. “When she’s with them, everything else fades away. But because she’s locked away, she doesn’t get any say in their dayto-day lives. Kevin gets to make all major decisions.”
FINDING HER VOICE
For years, Britney was terrified to speak up. “She thought no one would believe her,” shares the insider, “and that she’d face retribution from the people who have power.” The judge’s recent decision, which now allows her to choose her own lawyer “is huge,” the insider continues. “She’s thrilled and feels empowered.”
The fans behind the #FreeBritney movement (see box) have been instrumental. Adds the insider, “She’s fighting back now because she feels supported for the first time.”
Sadly, the “Sometimes” singer’s relationship with her family members remains fractured. “It’s hard to see Britney and her dad ever getting back on good terms after everything she’s said,” notes the source, who adds Britney and her mom, Lynne, have a “complicated” relationship as well. “They generally get along, but Britney wishes Lynne would stick up for her more publicly.”
FUTURE PLANS
Asghari hasn’t left Britney’s side since they started dating nearly five years ago after meeting on the set of her “Slumber Party” video. “Britney trusts Sam implicitly,” says the source, “and cannot wait to build a new life with him once this nightmare is finally over.”
And it seems like it could be happening sooner rather than later. While driving with Asghari on July 18, Britney was spotted at a local Starbucks drive-thru flashing what appeared to be a giant ring on her engagement finger. “Britney and Sam want to get married and have a baby,” says the insider, “and for the first time that’s looking like a real possibility.”