Christina Aguilera shares passionate call to free Britney Spears from ‘devastating’ conservatorship
Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera at the MTV VMA 2000 Stage at Radio City Music Hall. (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Christina Aguilera has spoken out on Britney Spears’ conservatorship, saying the control over her life is “unacceptable”.
Aguilera said that Spears “deserves all of the freedom possible”, speaking after her old friend’s bombshell court hearing where she described her conservatorship as “abusive” and “traumatising”.
In a six-part Twitter thread, Aguilera, who starred alongside Spears in the 1990s Mickey Mouse Club, said: “These past few days I’ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through.
“It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish.
“To be silenced, ignored, bullied or denied support by those ‘close’ to you is the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable.
“The harmful mental and emotional damage this can take on a human spirit is nothing to be taken lightly.”
These past few days I’ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through.
It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish. pic.twitter.com/NRhNwcJaD3
— Christina Aguilera (@xtina) June 29, 2021
Christina Aguilera says Britney Spears ‘deserves true love’
Christina Aguilera was particularly concerned about Britney Spears’ claim that her conservators have refused to let her remove an IUD contraceptive device.
“Every woman must have the right to her own body, her own reproductive system, her own privacy, her own space, her own healing and her own happiness,” the “Genie in a Bottle” hitmaker said.
“While I am not behind the closed doors of this very layered and personal yet public conversation – all I can do is share from my heart on what I’ve heard, read and seen in the media.
“The conviction and desperation of this plea for freedom leads me to believe that this person I once knew has been living without compassion or decency from those in control.
Britney Spears. (James Devaney/WireImage)
“To a woman who has worked under conditions and pressure unimaginable to most, I promise you she deserves all of the freedom possible to live her happiest life.
“My heart goes out to Britney. She deserves all the TRUE love and support in the world.”
Last week, Britney Spears delivered an incendiary speech to a Los Angeles probate judge that shattered her years-long silence on her conservatorship, the legal arrangement which takes away control of her finances and many aspects of her personal life and gives them to court-appointed actors.
She described the conservatorship as something that has deeply curtailed her civil liberties, comparing it to “sex trafficking” before signalling her desire to free herself from it once and for all.
Her statement to the courts touched off an outpouring of support from celebrities, including Mariah Carey and Justin Timberlake.
Spears’ conservatorship began in 2008 and initially saw her father Jamie Spears granted authority over her personal life and her financial estate.
But Jamie stepped down from his role overseeing her wellbeing, which includes having the final say on medical decisions such as birth control, in 2019 due to health concerns. He currently shares power over her finances with the wealth management firm Bessemer Trust Co, one personally requested by Spears’ legal team.
Spears had been mounting a legal bid to block Jamie from returning to the personal conservator role before her recent court appearance. Now, she has made clear that she wants the arrangement ended, and for her father to face consequences for what she describes as abuse.
“My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no — ma’am, they should be in jail,” she told a judge.
