There is perhaps no other celebrity whose life draws more speculation than Britney Spears. This is partly down to the fact that for the past 13 years, every single inch of her life has been under the control of a strict conservatorship led by her father, Jamie Spears. Under the rules established by the conservatorship, all of Britney’s external communications have been limited and vetted by her management team, ostensibly with the goal of protecting her assets after a very public mental breakdown. It’s precisely this lack of direct contact between Britney and her fans that has prompted many to wonder what she herself actually thinks or feels about any of what is going on, fuelling further speculation still.
But on that issue things have been quickly beginning to change over the past few weeks, since Britney spoke openly in court on June 23rd for the first time about her feelings regarding the conservatorship. The allegations she made were shocking, and prompted an outpouring of support for the star from celebrities such as Mariah Carey and fans all over the world. It was a moment that set off a chain reaction, with both her manager and her attorney resigning on July 6th against a backdrop of intense calls from the public that clustered around the #FreeBritney{
On July 14th, Britney appointed her own lawyer, and said she wanted to press charges against her father. Since then, her social media activity, which many fans had speculated was being used by her team to try to control the narrative, has become bolder and more accusatory. Her plight has even reached the national legislature, where the New York Times have reported that a bipartisan bill is being proposed to reform how conservatorships work. In short, she’s having a lot of impact, as it’s a genuine joy to watch her taking back control of her life.
This seems to have extended now to her social media activity. Over the weekend, her usually buoyant and chirpy tone on Instagram transformed into something more raw and honest. Among the captions she posted were a statement that she will not “be performing on any stages anytime soon with [her] dad handling what [she] wear[s], say[s], do[es], or think[s],” as well as stating clearly that her “so-called support system” (including her sister Jamie Lynn) hurt her deeply. 'This conservatorship killed my dreams,' she said, as well as saying that she “didn't like the way the documentaries [brought] up humiliating moments from the past.'
Yesterday she took to Instagram again to be even more explicit about her need to speak for herself after so long. 'So I said “life goes on” in one of my recent posts but it’s always easier said than done !!!!! In that moment that’s what felt was the easiest to say but I think we all know that I will never be able to let go and fully move on until I’ve said all I needed to say … and I’m not even close !!!! I was told to stay quiet about things for so long and I finally feel like I’m just getting here.'
Her calls to be heard were met with yet more speculation. The problem with all of this is that if we take this shift in her communication at face value, she seems to be saying: let me speak for myself. And while many well-intended fans may have become used to filling in the gaps over the past few years, if Britney is finally communicating honestly, then their role should be to listen rather than reach their own conclusions or look for gaps or clues. This is a woman who is emerging from an extended period in her life when her self-expression has been both restricted by her conservatorship but also subject to the most intense scrutiny by [hopefully] well-meaning fans. She has been spoken for, spoken about and spoken of...what she needs more than anything is to be listened to now.
The truth is we still don’t know what is going on behind the scenes, nor if there is a third party still working on influencing her social media that may have a vested interest in presenting her to the world in a certain way.
READ MORE: And Now Britney Spears Herself Has Reportedly Joined The #FreeBritney Movement