Britney Spears is set to make a rare – though remote – appearance in a hearing for her conservatorship case.
The conservatorship has been a hot-button topic for some time now, with interest in it renewed by the documentary “Framing Britney Spears,” which also revived public interest in the pop star’s past and how she was mistreated by public figures.
There have been mixed messages from Spears and her camp over the last few months regarding the status of the conservatorship, but the general consensus is that the “Toxic” singer, now 39, wants to be freed from her legal guardianship.
Ahead of the star’s hearing, here’s a look at a timeline of her conservatorship:
BRITNEY SPEARS WILL APPEAR REMOTELY AT CONSERVATORSHIP HEARING
Late 2000s: Erratic behavior and psychiatric care
In the late 2000s, Spears became known for erratic behavior. (Photo by Toby Canham/Getty Images)
Trouble began for Spears in the late 2000s.
Notably when the star was spotted driving her car with her infant son in her lap and the now-infamous incident which saw the songstress shave her head and attack a paparazzi photographer’s car.
Before the conservatorship was put in place, the star took several trips to rehab and was hospitalized under psychiatric hold twice, according to The Hollywood Reporter, resulting in the loss of custody of her children to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline.
2008: The conservatorship
After her second psychiatric hold, Spears’ father Jamie petitioned the Los Angeles County Superior Court for an emergency “temporary conservatorship” over his daughter, according to the Los Angeles Times, which was granted.
In 2008, Britney Spears was put under a conservatorship overseen in part by her father, Jamie. (Getty Images, File)
Jamie, now 68, was given complete control over the “Crossroads” star’s estate and physical well-being while co-conservator Andrew Wallet, an attorney, was to oversee her finances.
Jamie was given the authority to do everything from restricting the star’s visitors to negotiating business deals
By the end of the year, the conservatorship was made permanent.
Spears was initially vocal about her dislike for the conservatorship, comparing it to a “never-ending” jail sentence in the documentary “Britney: For the Record,” per the Chicago Tribune.
2009: The fans rally
What is known today as the #FreeBritney movement saw its origins form in 2009.
The movement, which now calls for Spears to be released from her conservatorship, was kick-started, at least to some degree, by FreeBritney.net, which called into question the necessity and validity of the legal guardianship.
Since then, the cause has gained a massive amount of followers and protests are frequently held outside of courthouses during hearings regarding the case.
Britney Spears performs in Las Vegas in 2016. (Photo by Denise Truscello/BSLV/Getty Images for Brandcasting, Inc)
2019: The music stops but things get stickier
Despite being under the conservatorship for over a decade, Spears stayed active within the music scene and didn’t speak much on the conservatorship.
She pumped out an album every few years, had a Las Vegas residency and appeared as a judge on “The X-Factor.”
But in early 2019, Spears canceled her upcoming Vegas residency and announced “an indefinite work hiatus,” citing her father’s poor health.
In March, Wallet stepped down as co-conservator and suggested the court accept his resignation “swiftly,” though he did not give an exact reason for his departure beyond stating in court filings that Spears would suffer “substantial detriment, irreparable harm and immediate danger” if he didn’t step down, the L.A. Times reported.
Jamie Spears, father of Britney Spears. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
Not long after, Spears checked into a mental health facility for a month-long stay.
Comedians and “Britney’s Grams” podcast hosts Tess Barker and Barbara Gray revealed that they received a tip from a man claiming to be a former paralegal for an attorney who worked with Spears’ conservatorship. He said that Jamie was involved in his daughter dropping the second Vegas residency and made other allegations suggesting the star had limited autonomy. The podcasters claimed to have verified the tipper’s identity.
Throughout the year, Jamie would file to expand the conservatorship to other states including Hawaii, Florida and Louisiana.
BRITNEY SPEARS PRAISES PRINCESS SIANA AMID PANORAMA INTERVIEW CONTROVERSY
A new conservator
In late 2019, Jamie temporarily stepped down as Spears’ conservator and a judge approved the singer’s longtime “care-manager” Jodi Montgomery to take over the role.
The change came after an alleged altercation between Jamie and Spears’ son, though Jamie cited his personal health as the reason for stepping back, according to TMZ.
2020 and beyond: Is the end in sight?
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Spears’ conservatorship was reportedly extended in order to adhere to social distancing policies.
Britney Spears has reportedly asked that her father be removed from his position as co-conservator. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
More of the singer’s family became involved with the process as her mother reportedly filed a request to be informed of her daughter’s finances while Spears’ sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, was revealed as the pop star’s trustee.
A major blow came to Jamie and the supporters of the conservatorship when Spears’ brother, Bryan Spears, said that his sister has “always wanted to get out of” the “guardianship.”
“She’s been in this thing for quite some time now. Obviously, there was a need for it in the beginning,” Bryan said during an appearance on the “As NOT Seen on TV” podcast. “Now they’ve made some changes and all we can do is hope for the best!”
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When it came time to consider reinstating Jamie as the co-conservator, it was reported that Spears was “strongly opposed” to such a thing happening, not long before the conservatorship was extended once again into 2021.
Spears is set to appear in court on June 23. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
The star reportedly suggested that a trust company take over her conservatorship and formally asked the court to nix Jamie’s return, and eventually, a judge ruled that Jamie and Bessemer Trust Co. would work together to oversee the star’s estate.
Now, the “Lucky” singer’s attorney has filed a request to remove Jamie as the conservator of her person and to keep Montgomery in the position.
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Since then, Jamie has reportedly claimed in court docs that his daughter has dementia, but the star is set to make a remote appearance in court on Wednesday. It will be her first time addressing LA Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny, who presides over her conservatorship case.