Britney Spears speaks in court for the first time: 'Abusive' conservatorship makes her 'cry every day'

'I deserve to have a life'

(Image credit: Lester Cohen/BBMA2016)

'I deserve to have a life'

We brought you news yesterday that pop star Britney Spears was due to appear in court regarding her conservatorship battle with her father.

And, in news today, she's finally shared first hand how she feels about the conservatorship, which she's labelled as both 'abusive' and a form of bullying.

Explaining how it's controlled her life for over thirteen years, the Toxic singer said that she has suffered trauma and cries every day. She told the LA courtroom judge that she 'just wants her life back'.

One of the more shocking revelations to come from the Britney's court proceedings includes her being forced to stay on contraception despite expressing the wish to have more children.

Speaking for over twenty minutes to the judge, Britney said she found the situation 'embarrassing and humiliating'.

Referencing social media posts, the star said: "I've lied and told the whole world I'm okay and I'm happy."

"I've been in denial. I've been in shock. I am traumatised," she said. "I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry it's insane. And I'm depressed. I cry every day."

She also went on to explain her wishes to marry her current boyfriend, actor and personal trainer Sam Asghari, and have a child with him, but shared that her conservatorship doesn't allow her to do so.

At current, it won't allow her to remove her contraceptive intrauterine device (IDU), which prevents her from getting pregnant.

"I feel ganged up on and I feel bullied and I feel left out and alone," she shared. "I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does, by having a child, a family, any of those things."

Addressing the amount she's worked since the conservatorship was finalised - a key component to the saga which many fans use to highlight how Britney should no longer be under her father's control - she shared that she feels 'forced' to perform on tour by her team.

She also said that her therapist was incorrectly informed she was refusing to take her medication, which led them to prescribe lithium - a drug most commonly used to treat bipolar disorder - against her will. When asked how this felt, she detailed feeling both drunk and unwell.

The singer maintains that the conservatorship is, in the grand scheme of things, doing 'way more harm than good'.

Jamie Spears, the singer's father, was first legally granted the right to Britney's affairs back in 2008, after she suffered a mental breakdown.

However, the conservatorship has been extended for more than a decade since.

Responding to the accusations a lawyer for Britney's father said: "He is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr Spears loves his daughter, and he misses her very much."

The court case yesterday was the first time Britney has publicly shared her feelings, and she was thanked for her 'courageous' words by the court judge.

This comes after the documentary, Free Britney, was released on Netflix earlier this year. Many fans have been petitioning for her release and legal freedom for some years now under a movement of the same name.

Ally Head
Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor

Ally Head is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health, Sustainability, and Relationships Editor, nine-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner. Day-to-day, she works across site strategy, features, and e-commerce, reporting on the latest health updates, writing the must-read health and wellness content, and rounding up the genuinely sustainable and squat-proof gym leggings worth *adding to basket*. She's won a BSME for her sustainability work, regularly hosts panels and presents for events like the Sustainability Awards, and saw nine million total impressions on the January 2023 Wellness Issue she oversaw. Follow Ally on Instagram for more or get in touch.