IT SEEMED like a drastic arrangement from the start: a grown woman having no say in her own life. Relying on her dad to make every single decision for her – from who she can be friends with to what colour to paint her kitchen cabinets.
But a court decided in 2008 it was in Britney Spears’ best interests to have her father, Jamie, as her conservator, effectively granting him permission to control every aspect of her life.
After a public meltdown that culminated in the songbird shaving off her hair and attacking the paparazzi with an umbrella, it seemed intervention was needed. It was hoped the conservatorship would be temporary but year after year Jamie applied for it to be extended.
How must it feel for Britney, one of the most successful pop stars on the planet worth an estimated $60 million (R840m), to still have her father calling the shots 13 years down the line?
The world recently found out exactly how she felt when she dramatically broke her silence, revealing how her father made her life hell by imposing all kinds of draconian rules.
In a shocking 24-minute statement, given by video link to the Los Angeles Superior Court, Britney (39) claimed she’d been drugged on Jamie’s orders, compelled to work against her will, and prevented from having her contraceptive device removed because her father didn’t want her to have more children.
As she listed the reasons why the court should end her conservatorship, which is administered by Jamie along with a team of legal and financial experts, she sometimes spoke so fast Judge Brenda Penny had to ask her to slow down.
Denne historien er fra 8 July 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 8 July 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life