| Britney Spears conservatorship dispute | |||
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| Date | February 1, 2008 – November 12, 2021(13 years, 9 months and 11 days) | ||
| Location | 34°03′19″N 118°14′49″W / 34.0552178°N 118.2468222°W | ||
| Caused by | Allegations of abuse originating from fan speculation, media investigation, and public testimony | ||
| Goals | Termination of conservatorship, investigations into alleged abuse, guardianship reform | ||
| Methods | Litigation, protest, social media activism, boycott, legislation | ||
| Status | Conservatorship terminated | ||
| Parties | |||
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| Lead figures | |||
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| In re the Conservatorship of Britney Jean Spears | |
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 Seal of the Court | |
| Court | Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles |
| Full case name | In re the Conservatorship of the Person and Estate of Britney Jean Spears, Conservatee |
| Decided | February 1, 2008 |
| Case history | |
| Subsequent actions | The conservatorship of both the person and estate were terminated on November 12, 2021 |
| Court membership | |
| Judge sitting | Brenda J. Penny (2015–2021), previously Reva Goetz (2008–2015; retired) |
| Keywords | |
On February 1, 2008, American musician Britney Spears was involuntarily placed under a conservatorship by Judge Reva Goetz, with her father, James "Jamie" Spears, and attorney Andrew M. Wallet, as conservators. The conservatorship lasted until November 12, 2021.
The management of the conservatorship by Jamie, Wallet, and Spears's former business manager Lou M. Taylor, among other parties, generated controversy almost immediately. While Spears was held on an involuntary psychiatric hold in early 2008 for alleged mental health concerns, there was initially a temporary conservatorship intended to last only days. It was extended to months and eventually made permanent, against the objections of Spears.
In 2019, Spears's career was put on hiatus when her father was hospitalized and she checked into a mental health facility, citing stress over her father's health. Shortly thereafter, details of the conservatorship leaked from inside the management team. Spears's longtime discontent with the conservatorship came to light in personal accounts and investigative reporting. Jamie's legal team maintained that the conservatorship was in Spears's best interests, and sought to keep it in place. In 2020, a social movement calling for termination of the conservatorship, #FreeBritney, attracted worldwide media attention, and grew dramatically following the release of a 2021 television documentary on the issue.
In June 2021, Spears made her first public statement in court proceedings and asked to terminate her conservatorship. She accused her father, family, and management of abuse, detailing instances of mistreatment, coercion, and conflict of interest. On July 14, Judge Brenda Penny granted Spears the right to choose her own attorney, former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart of Greenberg Traurig. On September 7, Jamie and his team reversed position, filing to terminate the conservatorship to allegedly avoid discovery and deposition. Judge Penny suspended Jamie on September 29, replacing him with accountant John Zabel; this allowed the conservatorship to continue until its termination. On November 12, Judge Penny formally terminated the conservatorship.
The dispute and subsequent termination made Spears a symbol of conservatorship law reform and human rights across the United States, and served as precedent for legislation designed to combat such abuse on a state and federal level. The revelations of abuse and mistreatment endured by Spears during this arrangement as well as years in public life led to a reassessment of her legacy and public image, which was heavily distorted by the media and tabloids in years leading up to her highly publicized breakdown.
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