Britney Spears has been freed from the conservatorship that has controlled her life for more than 13 years. As The New York Times reports, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny said in a Friday hearing that the conservatorship should be terminated effective today (November 12).
“The court finds and determines that the conservatorship of the person and the estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,” Judge Penny reportedly said.
Spears was placed in a conservatorship in 2008 after a series of public meltdowns that were heavily covered by the tabloids, taking away her rights to make basic decisions about her finances, career, and personal affairs. The controversial legal arrangement was overseen by her father James “Jamie” Spears, who was formally suspended in September and replaced with California accountant John Zabel as the temporary conservator of Spears’ finances.
Spears has fought for years to put an end to her conservatorship, reporting from The New York Times and New Yorker has since revealed. But it wasn’t until her explosive testimony earlier this year and two documentaries about the case that Spears’ struggles with the conservatorship were brought further into the public eye. “I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized,” Spears told the judge on June 23. “I just want my life back.”
