#FreeBritney Movement Intensifies After Spears' Shocking Testimony About Her Conservatorship

The #FreeBritney movement intensified yesterday after pop star Britney Spears, 39, gave a 24-minute statement to a Los Angeles court pleading to be released from her conservatorship under her father, Jamie Spears.

"I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized," she said in a livestream that was broadcast to the media.

Spears has been under the conservatorship of her father since 2008, shortly after a public 2007 meltdown in which she shaved her head. Jamie Spears had control of Spears' life and money until 2019, at which point he was placed in charge of her finances while a court-appointed professional took control of her personal matters. In this case, those "personal matters" include control over who can visit Spears, how often she can see her children, her ability to get married and, most strikingly, her choice to have more children.

During Spears' statement, she explained that she has an IUD inside of her that prevents her from having more children, and under the conservatorship, is unable to book a doctor's appointment to have the IUD removed.

“I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby," she said. “I have an IUD inside of myself right now, so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have children — any more children.”

"I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does, by having a child, a family, any of those things, and more so," she concluded.

After the livestream of her testimony, which was transcribed by Variety, voices from across social media, including those who hadn't been closely following Spears' situation, were appalled at the extent of her conservatorship, which many calling her forced birth control a form of "reproductive coercion." Reproductive coercion is defined as imposing one's will on a woman about her reproductive health and choices.

We stand in solidarity with Britney and all women who face reproductive coercion. Your reproductive health is your own -- and no one should make decisions about it for you. #FreeBritney https://t.co/jkx5ZpOdFT

— Alexis McGill Johnson (@alexismcgill) June 23, 2021

I’m notoriously uninterested in pop music and pop culture, but I find the Britney Spears conservatorship fascinating and upsetting and I am genuinely rooting for her. I never feel this way about celebrities.

— Ben Adler (@badler) June 23, 2021

The entire Britney situation feels dystopian. Other people have ownership OF HER PERSON, AND she has to pay them a salary… for what, the privilege of being owned? I'm trying so hard to wrap my head around how ANY judge could have allowed this, ever, from the start. #FreeBritney

— carina adly mackenzie (@cadlymack) June 23, 2021

Additionally, fuck anyone who thinks they have the authority as an institution or individual to control a person’s reproductive health. #FreeBritney

— h (@halsey) June 23, 2021

The court has not yet issued a ruling on the matter, but it is clear Spears has the vast majority of the public's support.