Drew Barrymore is speaking out in support of Britany Spears as the pop star finally receives some good news in her ongoing conservatorship battle.
After years under a conservatorship, Spears has only just been speaking out publicly as she takes to the courts to try and end what she says is an oppressive deal that leaves her with precious little legal control over decisions in her life that most people take for granted.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Barrymore, 46, noted that she’s been trying her best to stay out of the #FreeBritney movement since she doesn’t know the singer personally. However, that has changed for her in recent weeks as it became clear that Spears needed as many voices as possible to champion her cause.
“I feel that there’s a human being at the core of this. But since she put herself out there more… she’s the key to her freedom,” Barrymore said. “This is about her and her life and everybody deserves the freedom to make mistakes or a success of their life and everything in between. That is what a life is.”
The talk show host added: “So whether it’s about her or anyone else, I want people to have their civil liberties; to have the freedom to live their lives.”
Barrymore’s comments come months after she lightly touched upon the Spears drama during an appearance on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM show, where she likened the situation to her own wild days that led to an involuntary psychiatric ward stay when she was 13 years old.
Drew Barrymore spoke out in support of Britney Spears amid her conservatorship battle.
(Getty Images)
“My mom put me in a place that was like a full psychiatric ward. I used to laugh at those, like Malibu 30-day places. They talked about things that p—d me off. I was just like… A little spa vacation for 30 days in Malibu was sort of the opposite of the experience I had,” she explained. “I was in a place for a year and a half called Van Nuys Psychiatric and you couldn’t mess around in there. If you did, you’d get thrown either in the padded room or get put in stretcher restraints and tied up.”
DREW BARRYMORE WAS STOOD UP BY A MAN SHE MET ON A DATING APP
As a result of her experience, she noted at the time that she sees stories of Hollywood “privileged” girls and often finds people forget the human element underneath it all.
Barrymore noted to Entertainment Tonight that she believed not posting about Spears was an exercise in giving her privacy as a human being. However, she also admits that the “Toxic” singer may not have needed silence at the time.
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“I think one of the things I thought that I could [do to] respect her the most is not Instagram about it, and not talk on social media. This is too big for that,” the actress explained. “But I also think on the other side of the coin, the noise had to be made in order to start to have change here. Social media is a very tricky animal. It can lead to great outcry and people listening, and it can also be a place that has a little bit of empty calories.”
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Fortunately, regardless of Barrymore’s involvement, Spears was able to take a positive step forward in her conservatorship battle. Last week, after more than a decade of legal strife, her father, Jamie P. Spears, agreed to step down as her conservator once a proper plan is in place. According to a court filing, Jamie hopes to work with the court and his daughter’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, to resolve pending matters related to his job as he passes the torch in order to facilitate a “smooth transition.”