I just got a new phone, and I have a lot to say, so bear with me. Basically, a lot has happened since two years ago, the last time ā I wrote all this down ā the last time I was in court.
I will be honest with you. I havenāt been back to court in a long time, because I donāt think I was heard on any level when I came to court the last time. I brought four sheets of paper in my hands and wrote in length what I had been through the last four months before I came there. The people who did that to me should not be able to walk away so easily. Iāll recap. I was on tour in 2018. I was forced to doā¦ My management said if I donāt do this tour, I will have to find an attorney ā
JUDGE: Ms. Spears, I hate to interrupt you, but my court reporter is taking down what youāre saying, so you have to speak a little more slowly.
Oh, of course. Yes. Okay. The people who did this to me should not be able to walk away so easily. To recap: I was on tour in 2018. I was forced to doā¦ My management said if I donāt do this tour, I will have to find an attorney, and by contract my own management could sue me if I didnāt follow through with the tour. He handed me a sheet of paper as I got off the stage in Vegas and said I had to sign it. It was very threatening and scary. And with the conservatorship, I couldnāt even get my own attorney. So out of fear, I went ahead and I did the tour.
When I came off that tour, a new show in Las Vegas was supposed to take place. I started rehearsing early, but it was hard because Iād been doing Vegas for four years and I needed a break in between. But no, I was told this is the timeline and this is how itās going to go. I rehearsed four days a week. Half of the time in the studio and a half of the other time in a Westlake studio. I was basically directing most of the show. I actually did most of the choreography, meaning I taught my dancers my new choreography myself. I take everything I do very seriously. Thereās tons of video with me at rehearsals. I wasnāt good ā I was great. I led a room of 16 new dancers in rehearsals.
Itās funny to hear my managersā side of the story. They all said I wasnāt participating in rehearsals and I never agreed to take my medication ā which my medication is only taken in the mornings, never at rehearsal. They donāt even see me. So why are they even claiming that? When I said no to one dance move into rehearsals, it was as if I planted a huge bomb somewhere. And I said no, I donāt want to do it this way.
After that, my management, my dancers and my assistant of the new people that were supposed to do the new show all went into a room, shut the door and didnāt come out for at least 45 minutes. Maāam, Iām not here to be anyoneās slave. I can say no to a dance move. I was told by my at-the-time therapist, Dr. Benson ā who died [in 2019] ā that my manager called him and then that moment and told him I wasnāt cooperating or following the guidelines in rehearsals. And he also said I wasnāt taking my medication, which is so dumb, because Iāve had the same lady every morning for the past eight years give me my same medication. And Iām nowhere near these stupid people. It made no sense at all.
There was a week period where they were nice to me, and I told them I donāt want to do the ā They were nice to me, they said if I donāt want to do the new Vegas show, I donāt have to because I was getting really nervous. It was like lifting literally 200 pounds off of me when they said I donāt have to do the show anymore, because it was really really hard on myself and it was too much. I couldnāt take it anymore.
So I remember telling my assistant, but yāknow what I feel weird if I say no, I feel like theyāre gonna come back and be mean to me or punish me or something. Three days later, after I said no to Vegas, my therapist sat me down in a room and said he had a million phone calls about how I was not cooperating in rehearsals, and I havenāt been taking my medication. All this was false. He immediately, the next day, put me on lithium out of nowhere. He took me off my normal meds Iāve been on for five years. And lithium is a very, very strong and completely different medication compared to what I was used to. You can go mentally impaired if you take too much, if you stay on it longer than five months. But he put me on that and I felt drunk. I really couldnāt even take up for myself. I couldnāt even have a conversation with my mom or dad really about anything. I told him I was scared, and my doctor had me on six different nurses with this new medication, come to my home, stay with me to monitor me on this new medication, which I never wanted to be on to begin with. There were six different nurses in my home and they wouldnāt let me get in my car to go anywhere for a month.
Not only did my family not do a goddamn thing, my dad was all for it. Anything that happened to me had to be approved by my dad. And my dad acted like he didnāt know that I was told I had to be tested over the Christmas holidays before they sent me away, when my kids went to home to Louisiana. He was the one who approved all of it. My whole family did nothing.
Over the two-week holiday, a lady came into my home for four hours a day, sat me down and did a psych test on me. It took forever. But I was I was told I had to. Then after, I got a phone call from my dad, basically saying Iād failed the test or whatever, whatever. āIām sorry, Britney, you have to listen to your doctors. Theyāre planning to send you to a small home in Beverly Hills to do a small rehab program that weāre going to make up for you. Youāre going to pay $60,000 a month for this.ā I cried on the phone for an hour and he loved every minute of it.
The control he had over someone as powerful as me ā he loved the control to hurt his own daughter 100,000%. He loved it. I packed my bags and went to that place. I worked seven days a week, no days off, which in California, the only similar thing to this is called sex trafficking. Making anyone work against their will, taking all their possessions away ā credit card, cash, phone, passport ā and placing them in a home where they work with the people who live with them. They all lived in the house with me, the nurses, the 24-7 security. There was one chef that came there and cooked for me daily during the weekdays. They watched me change every day ā naked ā morning, noon and night. My body ā I had no privacy door for my room. I gave eight vials (?) of blood a week.
If I didnāt do any of my meetings and work from eight to six at night, which is 10 hours a day, seven days a week, no days off, I wouldnāt be able to see my kids or my boyfriend. I never had a say in my schedule. They always told me I had to do this. And Maāam, I will tell you, sitting in a chair 10 hours a day, seven days a week, it aināt funā¦ and especially when you canāt walk out the front door.
And thatās why Iām telling you this again two years later, after Iāve lied and told the whole world āIām OK and Iām happy.ā Itās a lie. I thought I just maybe if I said that enough maybe I might become happy, because Iāve been in denial. Iāve been in shock. I am traumatized. You know, fake it till you make it. But now Iām telling you the truth, OK? Iām not happy. I canāt sleep. Iām so angry itās insane. And Iām depressed. I cry every day.
And the reason Iām telling you this is because I donāt think how the state of California can have all this written in the court documents from the time I showed up and do absolutely nothing ā just hire, with my money, another person and keep my dad on board. Maāam, my dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no ā maāam, they should be in jail. Their cruel tactics working for Miley Cyrus as she smokes on joints onstage at the VMAs ā nothing is ever done to this generation for doing wrong things.
But my precious body, who has worked for my dad for the past fucking 13 years, trying to be so good and pretty. So perfect. When he works me so hard. When I do everything Iām told and the state of California allowed my father ā ignorant father ā to take his own daughter, who only has a role with me if I work with him, theyāve set back the whole course and allowed him to do that to me. Thatās given these people Iāve worked for way too much control. They also threaten me and said, If I donāt go, then I have to go to court. And it will be more embarrassing to me if the judge publicly makes the evidence we have.
You have to go. I was advised for my image, I need to go ahead [to rehab] and just go and get it over with. They said that to me. I donāt even drink alcohol ā I should drink alcohol, considering what they put my heart through. Also the Bridges facility they sent me to, none of the kids ā I was doing this program for four months, so the last two months I went to a Bridges facility. None of the kids there did the program. They never showed up for any of them. You didnāt have to do anything if you didnāt want to. How come they always made me go? How come I was always threatened by my dad and anybody that participated in this conservatorship? If I donāt do this, what they tell me to enslave me to do, theyāre gonna punish me.
The last time I spoke to you by just keeping the conservatorship going, and also keeping my dad in the loop, made me feel like I was dead ā like I didnāt matter, like nothing had been done to me, like you thought I was lying or something. Iām telling you again, because Iām not lying. I want to feel heard. And Iām telling you this again, so maybe you can understand the depth and the degree and the damage that they did to me back then.
I want changes, and I want changes going forward. I deserve changes. I was told I have to sit down and be evaluated, again, if I want to end the conservatorship. Maāam, I didnāt know I could petition the conservatorship to end it. Iām sorry for my ignorance, but I honestly didnāt know that. But honestly, but I donāt think I owe anyone to be evaluated. Iāve done more than enough. I donāt feel like I should even be in room with anyone to offend me by trying to question my capacity of intelligence, whether I need to be in this stupid conservatorship or not. Iāve done more than enough.
I donāt owe these people anything ā especially me, the one that has roofed and fed tons of people on tour on the road. Itās embarrassing and demoralizing what Iāve been through. And thatās the main reason Iāve never said it openly. And mainly, I didnāt want to say it openly, because I honestly donāt think anyone would believe me. To be honest with you, the Paris Hilton story on what they did to her to that that school, I didnāt believe any of it. Iām sorry. Iām an outsider, and Iāll just be honest. I didnāt believe it.
And maybe Iām wrong, and thatās why I didnāt want to say any of this to anybody, to the public, because I thought people would make fun of me or laugh at me and say, āSheās lying, sheās got everything, sheās Britney Spears.ā
Iām not lying. I just want my life back. And itās been 13 years. And itās enough. Itās been a long time since Iāve owned my money. And itās my wish and my dream for all of this to end without being tested. Again, it makes no sense whatsoever for the state of California to sit back and literally watch me with their own two eyes, make a living for so many people, and pay so many people, trucks and buses on the road with me and be told, Iām not good enough. But Iām great at what I do. And I allow these people to control what I do, maāam. And itās enough. It makes no sense at all.
Now, going forward, Iām not willing to meet or see anyone. Iāve met with enough people against my will. Iām done. All I want is to own my money, for thisĀ to end, and my boyfriend to drive me in his fucking car.
And I would honestly like to sue my family, to be totally honest with you. I also would like to be able to share my story with the world, and what they did to me, instead of it being a hush-hush secret to benefit all of them. I want to be able to be heard on what they did to me by making me keep this in for so long, it is not good for my heart. Iāve been so angry and I cry every day. It concerns me, Iām told Iām not allowed to expose the people who did this to me.
For my sanity, I need you to the judge to approve me to do an interview where I can be heard on what they did to me. And actually, I have the right to use my voice and take up for myself. My attorney says I canāt. Itās not good. I canāt let the public know anything they did to me and by not saying anything, is saying itās OK.
Itās not OK. Actually, I donāt want an interview ā Iād much rather just have an open call to you for the press to hear, which I didnāt know today weāre doing, so thank you. Instead of having an interview, honestly, I need that to get it off my heart, the anger and all of it thatās been happening.
Itās not fair theyāre telling me lies about me openly. Even my family, they do interviews to anyone they want on news stations. My own family doing interviews, and talking about the situation and making me feel so stupid. And I canāt say one thing. And my own people say I canāt say anything.
Itās been two years. I want a recorded call to you actually, weāre doing this now ā which I didnāt know that weāre doing this. My lawyer, Sam (Ingham), has been very scared for me to go forward because heās saying if I speak up, Iām being overworked in that facility of that rehab place, that rehab place will sue me. He told me I should keep it to myself. I would personally like to ā actually, Iāve grown with a personal relationship with Sam, my lawyer, Iāve been talking to him like three times a week now, weāve kind of built a relationship but I havenāt really had the opportunity by my own self to actually handpick my own lawyer by myself. And I would like to be able to do that.
The main reason why Iām here is because I want to end the conservatorship without having to be evaluated. Iāve done a lot of research, maāam. And thereās a lot of judges who do end conservatorships for people without them having to be evaluated all the time. The only times they donāt is if a concerned family member says somethingās wrong with this person.
And considering my family has lived off my conservatorship for 13 years, I wonāt be surprised if one of them has something to say going forward, and say, āWe donāt think this should end, we have to help her.ā Especially if I get my fair turn exposing what they did to me.
Also I want to speak to you about my obligations, which, I personally donāt think at the very moment I owe anybody anything. I have three meetings a week I have to attend no matter what. I just donāt like feeling like I work for the people whom I pay. I donāt like being told I have to, no matter what, even if Iām sick. Jodi the conservator says I have to see my Coach Ken even when Iām sick. I would like to do one meeting a week with a therapist. Iāve never before, even before they sent me to that place, had two therapy sessions. I had a doctor and then a therapy person. What Iāve been forced to do illegal in my life. I shouldnāt be told I have to be available three times a week to these people I donāt know.
Iām talking to you today because I feel again, yes, even [acting conservator] Jodi [Montgomery] is starting to kind of take it too far with me. They have me going to therapy twice a week and a psychiatrist. Iāve never in the past ā wait, they had me going, yeah, twice a week and Dr. Gold, so thatās three times a week. Iāve never in the past had to see a therapist more than once a week. It takes too much out of me going to this man I donāt know.
Number one, Iām scared of people. I donāt trust people with what Iāve been through. And the clever setup of being in Westlake, one of the most exposed places in Westlake, which, yesterday, paparazzi showed me coming out of the place literally crying in therapy. Itās embarrassing, and itās demoralizing. I deserve privacy when I go and have therapy, either at my home, like Iāve done for eight years. Theyāve always come to my home. Or when Dr. Benson ā the man that died ā I went to a place similar to what I went to in Westlake which was very exposed and really bad. Okay, so where was I? It was like, it was identical to Dr. Benson, who illegally, yes 100% abused me by the treatment he gave me, to be totally honest with you, I was so ā
JUDGE: Ms. Spears, excuse me for interrupting you, but my reporter says if you could just slow it down a little bit, because sheās trying to make sure she gets everything that youāre saying.
OK, coolā¦ And to be totally honest with you, when [Dr. Benson] passed away, I got on my knees and thanked God. In other words, my team is pushing it with me again. I have trapped phobias being in small rooms because of the trauma, locking me up for four months in that place. Itās not okay for them to send me ā sorry, Iām going fast ā to that small room like that twice a week with another new therapist that I pay that I never even approved. I donāt like it. I donāt want to do that. And I havenāt done anything wrong to deserve this treatment.
Itās not okay to force me to do anything I donāt want to do. By law, Jodi and this so-called team should honestly ā I should be able to sue them for threatening me and saying if I donāt go and do these meetings twice a week, we canāt let you have your money and go to Maui on your vacations. You have to do what youāre told for this program and then you will be able to go. But it was a very clever thing, one of the most exposed places in Westlake, knowing I have the hot topic of the conservatorship, that over five paparazzis are going to show up and get me crying coming out of that place. I begged them to make sure that they did this at my home, so I would have privacy. I deserve privacy.
The conservatorship, from the beginning, once you see someone, whoever it is, in the conservatorship making money, making them money, and myself money and working ā that whole statement right there, the conservatorship should end. I shouldnāt be in a conservatorship if I can work and provide money and work for myself and pay other people ā it makes no sense. The laws need to change. What state allows people to own another personās money and account and threaten them and saying, āYou canāt spend your money unless you do what we want you to do.ā And Iām paying them.
Maāam, Iāve worked since I was 17 years old. You have to understand how thin that is for me every morning I get up to know I canāt go somewhere unless I meet people I donāt know every week in a office identical to the one where the therapist was very abusive to me. I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive, and that we can sit here all day and say oh, conservatorships are here to help people. But maāam, there is a thousand conservatorships that are abusive as well.
I donāt feel like I can live a full life. I donāt owe them to go see a man I donāt know and share him my problems. I donāt even believe in therapy. I always think you take it to God. I want to end the conservatorship without being evaluated. In the meantime, I want this therapist once a week. I just want him to come to my home. Iām not willing to go to Westlake and be embarrassed by all these scummy paparazzi laughing at my face while Iām crying, coming out and taking my pictures as all these white nice dinners, where people drinking wine at restaurants, watching these places. They set me up by sending me to the most exposed places, and I told them I didnāt want to go there because I knew paparazzi would show up there.
They only gave me two options for therapists. And Iām not sure how you make your decisions, maāam. But this is the only chance for me to talk to you for a while. I need your help, so if you can just kind of let me know where your head is. I donāt really honestly know what to say but my requests are just to end the conservatorship without being evaluated. I want to petition basically to end the conservatorship. But I donāt want to be evaluated, and be sat in a room with people four hours a day, like they did me before. And they made it even worse for me after that happened.
Iām honestly new with this. And Iām doing research on all these things. I do know common sense and the method that things can end ā for people, it has ended without them being evaluated. So I just want you to take that in consideration.
It also took a year, during COVID, to get me any self-care methods. She said there were no services available. Sheās lying, maāam. My mom went to the spot twice in Louisiana during COVID. For a year, I didnāt have my nails done ā no hairstyling and no massages, no acupuncture. Nothing for a year. I saw the maids in my home each week with their nails done different each time. She made me feel like my dad does. Very similar, her behavior and my dad, but just a different dynamic.
Team wants me to work and stay home instead of having longer vacations. They are used to me sort of doing a weekly routine for them. And Iām over it. I donāt feel like I owe them anything at this point. They need to be reminded they actually work for me.
I was supposed to be able to ā I have a friend that I used to do AA meetings with. I did AA for two years. I did three meetings a week. Iāve met a bunch of women there. And Iām not able to see my friends that live eight minutes away from me, which I find extremely strange.
I feel like theyāre making me feel like I live in a rehab program. This is my home. Iād like for my boyfriend to be able to drive me in his car. And I want to meet with a therapist once a week, not twice a week. And I want him to come to my home. Because I actually know I do need a little therapy. (Laughing.)
I would like to progressively move forward and I want to have the real deal, I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told right now in the conservatorship, Iām not able to get married or have a baby, I have a (IUD) inside of myself right now so I donāt get pregnant. I wanted to take the (IUD) out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team wonāt let me go to the doctor to take it out because they donāt want me to have children ā any more children. So basically, this conservatorship is doing me waaay more harm than good.
I deserve to have a life. Iāve worked my whole life. I deserve to have a two to three year break and just, you know, do what I want to do. But I do feel like there is a crutch here. And I feel open and Iām okay to talk to you today about it. But I wish I could stay with you on the phone forever, because when I get off the phone with you, all of a sudden all I hear all these noās ā no, no, no. And then all of a sudden I get I feel ganged up on and I feel bullied and I feel left out and alone. And Iām tired of feeling alone. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody does, by having a child, a family, any of those things, and more so.
And thatās all I wanted to say to you. And thank you so much for letting me speak to you today.
JUDGE: Ms. Spears, youāre quite welcome. And also, I just want to tell you that I certainly am sensitive to everything that you said and how youāre feeling and I know that it took a lot of courage for you to say everything you have to say today, and I want to let you know that the court does appreciate your coming on the line and sharing how youāre feeling.
