Britney Spears through the years: What’s going on with her divorce, life after the end of her conservatorship and where she’s at now | Explainer

Britney Spears hit global headlines last month when she was arrested on suspicion of drink driving, and charged with driving under the influence; one of many challenges the singer has faced in recent years.

The American hitmaker, now 44, known to fans as the ‘Princess of Pop’ thanks to her chart domination, first rose to fame internationally upon the release of her debut studio album, called …Baby One More Time back in 1999.

She of course, started her career as a child star on The All-New Mickey Mouse Club, alongside the likes of her future partner and now ex, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and actor Ryan Gosling.

Want the official inside scoop on MAFS, unfiltered and unseen? Watch After The Dinner Party here

She’s made headlines over the years for her marriages, the release of her tell-all memoir, The Woman in Me, and being released from her conservatorship in 2021 that was set up by her father, Jamie Spears, in 2008.

It was reported in February that the singer sold her entire music catalogue for a whopping ($US200million) $283million and she also hinted an Australian tour could be in the works.

However, the headlines shifted abruptly when she was arrested and charged in California on March 4.

The American musician deleted her official Instagram account at the time, which often contained videos of her dancing to music, but has since reactivated her account.

“This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable,” a representative for Spears told CNN.

“Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law and hopefully this can be the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life. Hopefully, she can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time.

“Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue needed plan to set her up for success for well being.”

She will face county court on May 4.

And just like she sings in her hit song Piece of Me, she really has been in the headlines over the years.

“I’m Miss American Dream, since I was 17. Don’t matter if I step on the scene or sneak away to the Philippines. They still gon’ put pictures of my derrière in the magazine. You want a piece of me? You want a piece, piece of me?” she sings.

Here’s everything that’s happened with Britney over the last decade and a half, to get her to where we are now.

2007

In early 2007, Britney was filmed shaving her own head in a Los Angeles hair salon after leaving a drug rehabilitation centre. Later, she voluntarily spent some time in various treatment facilities over a few months.

In the year that followed, she dropped her album Blackout which received positive reviews and sold three million units worldwide.

But her performance of Gimme More at the MTV VMAs in September was criticised and sparked concern.

READ MORE: Britney Spears arrested for alleged drink driving after car chase

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READ MORE: Britney Spears posts 22-minute message about conservatorship

2008

In January 2008, Britney was placed under a 5150: an involuntary 72-hour psychiatric evaluation. She was photographed by paparazzi being removed from her LA home on a gurney, but only stayed in hospital for two days.

A couple of weeks later she was placed under another 5150, and while in hospital the courts ruled that she should be placed under a temporary conservatorship held by her father, Jamie Spears.

What’s a conservatorship? Basically, a conservator, like Jamie, controls every aspect of her life: business, financial, and personal. If Britney wanted money – even just $5 for a coffee – she had to get permission. While her conservator, he had total control over her career choices, her appearance, and even romantic life. 

Britney also lost custody of her two children, Sean and Jayden, then aged two and one, who she shares with dancer ex, Kevin Federline.

Later in 2008, Britney had a highly-publicised comeback in the lead-up to her album Circus, released in December. Doing public performances and winning MTV awards, it felt like the Britney from the early ’00s was back. 

The conservatorship was set to expire in December, but it was made permanent by a judge.

Jamie was made the permanent conservator of her affairs while attorney Andrew Wallet was named the permanent co-conservator of her estate.

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2009

In 2009, Britney toured the world with her Circus tour, while still legally under her father’s control.

Leaked voicemails with her lawyer revealed allegations that Britney’s father was using her visitation rights with her two children as leverage to stop her from fighting the conservatorship in court.

2011 – 2012

In 2011, she announced her engagement to Jason Trawick, a member of her management team.

Britney was still under her father’s guardianship, but during their engagement, Jason became co-conservator of her personal affairs. Jamie Spears still had full control of Britney’s career and finances, but Jason could dictate everything in her personal life.

The pair split up by 2013. Before they could get married, Jason resigned as co-conservator and Papa Spears was in full control again.

2013

Britney’s eighth studio album, Britney Jean, was released in December 2013 and was widely panned by critics.

Though she called it some of the most personal music she’d ever released, some fans wondered if it was even her voice on some of the recordings. 

2015

By 2015, Britney had an extremely popular residency in Las Vegas, Britney: Piece Of Me. It started in late 2013 and was extended multiple times.

In the middle of 2015, fans noticed that her energy had taken a pretty drastic shift. She suddenly looked excited and invigorated, like she really wanted to be there. 

According to fans, she went from performing shows with little-to-no energy, where she just marked out the choreography, to having flawless form and actually smiling and enjoying herself. 

At one point, she even wore a bedazzled top that read “YOU DON’T OWN ME” – a move some fans viewed as a nod to her father and the conservatorship.

2016

In 2016, things kept looking up. At that year’s Billboard Awards, she won the coveted Millennium Award then took to the stage to perform a medley of her past hits.

Again, she looked happy and healthy and had the stage presence that had been missing from public performances over the last couple of years.

Later in the year, she dropped her ninth album, Glory, which was received much more positively than her last album had been.

2018

By the end of 2017, Britney’s Vegas residency had been extended twice.

It was originally set to run for two years but, due to rave reviews and numerous awards, ended up running for a full four years with nearly 250 shows.

Soon afterwards, her second residency, Domination, was announced to fans.

In the lead-up to opening night in early 2019, Britney was constantly posting updates and videos from rehearsal. Fans commented that she was in relatively good spirits and seemed excited for Domination.

2019

In early 2019, Britney indefinitely postponed the Domination residence, citing her father’s bad health. 

Saying that the decision “breaks her heart”, she wrote, “a couple of months ago, my father was hospitalised and almost died. We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him. I had to make the difficult decision to put my full focus and energy on my family at this time.”

In April, it was reported that she had been at a mental health facility.

Soon, the #FreeBritney hashtag was born.

In March 2019, Britney’s father became sole conservator after attorney Andrew Wallet resigned from his co-conservatorship.

In April, a paralegal who worked with Britney when she was contesting her conservatorship reached out to the podcast Britney’s Gram.

He claimed that Britney had stopped taking her medication while rehearsing for Domination, and her father Jamie demanded she go back on them or he’d cancel the residency. When she refused, he allegedly cancelled it and placed her in a treatment facility.

#FreeBritney began trending, and her own mother, Lynn Spears, was liking comments saying that Britney was being held against her will. Britney took to social media to clear up the allegations in a video where she claimed the rumours were “out of control”. She asked for time to deal with things in her own way.

In May, Britney and her family went to court for the annual reassessment of her conservatorship.

As fans loudly protested outside, holding “Free Britney” signs, she allegedly asked the judge to “consider ending it”.

The conservatorship stayed in place.

Shortly after, her longtime manager told TMZ that he thought she’d “never perform again”.

“Personally, I want for her to just find a peaceful, happy place – whatever that means for her,” he said. “It’s not about a career anymore – it’s about life.”

In June, a lawsuit filed in LA alleged that a blogger had falsely claimed the court-ordered conservatorship had manipulated Britney’s Instagram to make her ‘troubled’.

The opening line of the lawsuit stated, “It is time for the conspiracy theories about Britney Spears’ well-being and the mob #FreeBritney movement to stop.”

In September, Britney and her ex Kevin Federline, the father of her children, reached a new custody agreement which meant she got 30 per cent (unsupervised) custody of sons Sean and Jaden, then 13 and 12, while Kevin got 70 per cent. The arrangement had been in place since August 2018, according to TMZ, but it was only formalised in September 2019.

Hours after this news was reported, it was revealed that back in August, Federline, filed a restraining order on behalf of his sons against Jamie. He alleged Jamie abused them and the request was granted.

Not long after news of the custody agreement and restraining order, Jamie stepped down temporarily as Britney’s conservator, citing ongoing health issues.

In his place, until January 31, 2020, Britney’s care manager Jodi Montgomery was approved to fill in as conservator. It was decided, temporarily, that Jamie would no longer be conservator of Britney’s personal life, though he would maintain financial control over her.

In late 2019 and early 2020, people began noticing Britney’s Instagram. She posted a lot of videos of her dancing, walking around her house, and just posing in front of the camera.

Nothing really out of the ordinary, but still not what you’d expect from one of the biggest pop stars in the world. This particularly bizarre Christmas video was posted with the caption “There’s no reason to ever go out of your way to make mean comments and bully people.”

However, she could just be living her life as a mum and doing her best to have a good time. She started dating Sam Asghari in 2016. The pair got engaged in September 2021 and married on June 9, 2022. They’ve since split.

Early 2020

In January, Britney spoke in an Instagram Story about how important freedom is to her.

Around this time, she made another plea before the courts for her conservatorship to be lifted and a full hearing was scheduled for April 2020.

In March, a source revealed to Us Weekly that she refused to make any more music as a protest of her conservatorship. “This is the longest break between album cycles in her career – it’s coming up on four years since Glory was released – and she’s perfectly content with it,” the source said.

In early March, her son Jayden went on a giant rant on Instagram Live, where he called his grandfather Jamie a “d–k” and commented that Britney would probably never make new music again.

When a follower asked him if Britney was under Jamie’s control, he replied, “I don’t know”. But when someone else wrote “help your [mum] break free”, he replied, “That’s what I’m trying to do.”

“I remember one time I asked her, I said, ‘What happened to your music?’ and she was like, ‘I don’t know, honey. I think I might just quit it’,” he revealed.

On May 3, Us Weekly confirmed that Britney would remain under the conservatorship until the end of August.

According to court documents obtained by the outlet, a judge issued an order allowing the temporary conservator, Jodi Montgomery, to remain in place until August 22, 2020.

The extension was made due to courthouses being closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The singer had also been hoping to start a family with her then-boyfriend Sam Asghari. Us Weekly cited a source that said Britney told a court official that she had wanted to have a child with her boyfriend and that the singer’s father, Jamie Spears, had been against the idea.

“Britney told the probate investigator late last year she wanted to have a baby,” the source exclusively told Us Weekly. “Her dad had always been against Britney getting pregnant.”

Mid-2020

Considering the US had been in COVID-19 lockdown for months, there was a lot going on in Camp Britney online.

In May, her fans started a social media movement to stream and buy her 2016 album, Glory, which subsequently reached number one on the iTunes charts despite it being four years old. “I have no idea what happened, but because of you, I’m having the best day ever,” she said in a video message.

As a way to thank fans, her record label released an alternate cover photo for the album.

Apparently just before the album dropped in 2016, they changed the cover image. Fans speculated that it was because it depicted her with chains, and there could be links drawn to her conservatorship.

The Glory artwork that was released in 2016 is a low-quality screenshot from a video, so fans were pretty happy with the new one.

In July, Britney responded to people who were making fun of her dancing – including Timbaland, a musician who she’s worked with in the past.

“I never said I was the best dancer,” she wrote on Instagram. “I dance simply because it fills my heart with joy and expression 💕!”

Britney also started adding the dates she filmed her videos to the captions, because she believed the paparazzi were editing photos of her to make it look like she’d gained weight in quarantine.

From a legal standpoint, there was little progress in Britney’s conservatorship case.

In July, her mother Lynne Spears requested that she have some involvement in her daughter’s finances. She insisted that Britney’s financial matters should be controlled by a third-party financial institution.

Meanwhile, in early July, a fan started a Change.org petition called “Britney Spears: right to her own lawyer“.

That same month, Britney’s brother, Bryan Spears, revealed that his sister was “frustrated” over her conservatorship and wants out.

“She’s always wanted to get out of it,” Bryan said in a podcast interview. “It’s very frustrating to have. Whether someone’s coming in peace to help or coming in with an attitude, having someone constantly tell you to do something has got to be frustrating.

“She’s been in this thing for quite some time now. Obviously there was a need for it at the beginning that I assume everyone knows the issues that were going on, and now they’ve made some changes and all we can kinda do is hope for the best.”

In a rare interview, Britney’s father, Jamie, revealed that he was growing tired of the #FreeBritney movement.

Speaking to Page Six, Jamie called the attempt to see the end of her 12-year-long legal conservatorship “a joke”, saying protesters know nothing about what goes on behind closed doors.

“All these conspiracy theorists don’t know anything. The world don’t have a clue,” he told the outlet. “It’s up to the court of California to decide what’s best for my daughter. It’s no one else’s business.”

Britney’s sister Jamie Lynn shared similar sentiments to her father.

Lance Bass revealed that she told him she has no worries about Britney and her mental health.

“The one thing that I do know is, I know Jamie Lynn… If Jamie is OK with everything going on, I feel like she really has her sister’s back during all this,” Bass expressed. “So I trust her to give us the real information.”

It was reported that Jamie Lynn had been the trustee of the singer’s fortune since 2018, her SJB Revocable Trust.

Britney told a court she wanted to remove her father as her sole conservator, but was OK with the conservatorship remaining in place.

“Britney is strongly opposed to her father continuing as the sole conservator of her estate,” the court document stated. “She strongly prefers to have a qualified corporate fiduciary appointed to serve in this role.”

Despite this, Jamie asked to reinstate himself as conservator along with attorney Andrew Wallet, who was once his co-conservator before resigning.

In the petition, Jamie asked to be given the “power to obtain all documents and records” relating to his daughter’s estate, such as credit cards, bank statements and estate documents. In his filing, it was also revealed that Britney had US$2.7 million in cash assets (approx. $3.7 million) and approximately US$57.4 million (approx. $80 million) in non-cash assets as of December 31, 2019.

There was a lot of back-and-forth in those months, not helped by the viral social media campaign #FreeBritney which had spread a lot of misinformation.

Britney’s plea to have her father removed as sole conservator drew the attention of The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who reached out to help her.

“People with disabilities have a right to lead self-directed lives and retain their civil rights,” the ACLU said in a tweet as they shared a link to the article regarding the case. “If Britney Spears wants to regain her civil liberties and get out of her conservatorship, we are here to help her.”

At a court hearing in October, Britney’s lawyer compared her mental state to that of a comatose patient.

He told the judge that Britney no longer wanted to perform, despite her father insisting that she revives her career. The judge wanted to hear this from Spears herself, which is when the lawyer claimed her mental state was not one where she should be making legal declarations.

On August 22, it was decided that Britney’s conservatorship would be extended until at least February 2021, and on November 10 a judge denied Britney’s request to remove Jamie from her conservatorship.

February 2021

On February 5, a documentary produced by The New York Times about the #FreeBritney movement was released. While attempts to contact Spears for an interview were unsuccessful, her former assistant and members of the media were interviewed for the doco titled Framing Britney Spears.

The singer’s parents, her siblings and her ex-husband Kevin Federline all declined to participate.

During the conservatorship hearing on  February 11, a judge ordered Jamie to remain as co-conservator of his daughter’s estate along with Bessemer Trust Company, despite his formal request to be reinstated as sole conservator.

Addressing the court, Judge Brenda Penny said the purpose of the order was to give both Jamie and Bessemer “an equal division of responsibility, in the hopes that they would sit down and figure out together the best way to handle this complex estate for the benefit of my client”. 

Britney had requested to entirely remove her father as conservator back in November – she wanted the Bessemer Trust Company to solely be in charge of her estate – but Judge Penny also denied that request. 

June 2021

On June 17, a few days before her scheduled hearing, Britney answered some fan questions, addressing rumours she will never perform again.

“OK, so I hear that you guys have been writing in and I’m here to answer all of your questions,” Britney said in an Instagram video. … “The question is, Am I ready to take the stage again? Am I going to take the stage again? Will I ever take the stage again?”

“I have no idea,” she answered. “I’m having fun right now, I’m in a transition in my life and I’m enjoying myself so, that’s it.”

June 23, 2021

On June 23, Britney appeared virtually before the court and pleaded for her “oppressive and controlling” conservatorship to be removed.

At the Los Angeles hearing, the pop star called the conservatorship “abusive,” and condemned her father and the others who have controlled it.

“This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good,” she said. “I deserve to have a life.”

Britney said she wanted to marry her boyfriend Sam Asghari and have a baby with him, but under conservatorship, she was not allowed to.

She also revealed, amongst other disturbing claims – including likening her conservatorship conditions to being a “slave” – that she was being forced to take birth control against her will. Read the full hearing summary here.

June 24, 2021

One day after her explosive testimony, Britney told fans directly via Instagram that she was “embarrassed to share what happened to me” at the conservatorship hearing.

“I just want to tell you guys a little secret,” she wrote alongside an image of a whimsical little girl walking into a forest with a quote by Albert Einstein: “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

Spears’ caption explained that while her life may have been presented as a fairy tale, she has been living a lie and pretending “like everything was ok”.

“I believe as people we all want the fairy tale life and by the way I’ve posted… my life seems to look and be pretty amazing … I think that’s what we all strive for !!!!” she wrote in her caption.

“I’m bringing this to people’s attention,” Spears continued, “Because I don’t want people to think my life is perfect because it’s definitely not at all … and if you have read anything about me in the news this week … you obviously really know now it’s not !!!!”

That same day, Britney’s mum Lynne spoke out about her “concerns” following the singer’s heartbreaking claims during the conservatorship hearing.

According to Lynne’s lawyer Gladstone Jones, she was reportedly a “very concerned mother” after hearing Britney talk freely and in-depth about the “abuse” she said she endured while under the court-appointed conservatorship.

On behalf of Lynne, Jones then asked the judge to listen to Britney’s request to change her care plan, which had been in place since 2008.

June 28, 2021

Britney’s little sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, spoke out for the first time to show her support. Jamie Lynn said there’s no need to troll her for not speaking up earlier because she was keeping her silence out of respect for Britney.

“Now that she’s very clearly spoken and said what she needed to say, I feel like I can follow her lead and say what I feeI I need to say,” the Zoey 101 star said on her Instagram Stories.

In the video, Jamie Lynn said she had previously spoken to her sister about hiring a new lawyer, and she’s glad Britney took her advice. 

“I’m so proud of her for using her voice,” Jamie Lynn said. “I’m so proud of her for requesting new counsel like I told her many years ago. Oh, not in a public platform but just in a personal conversation between two sisters.

“Maybe I didn’t support the way the public would like me to – with a hashtag on a public platform – but I can assure you that I support my sister long before there was a hashtag and I’ll support her long after.”

June 29, 2021

Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline addresses conservatorship through his lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan.

“The best thing would be for their mum to be healthy and happy,” Kaplan told People. “And if either of those things aren’t true, it doesn’t provide for the best setting for custody to be exercised.”

“[Kevin] certainly respects Britney and only hopes the best for her because when the best for her is achieved, it’s the best for their kids. The kids love their mother and he wants there to be a healthy and strong relationship.”

June 30, 2021

Britney’s father Jamie filed court docs saying his daughter’s treatment under the conservatorship was not his fault.

A lawyer for Jamie filed new documents, obtained by Variety, with the Los Angeles Superior Court regarding the conservatorship of his daughter, stating that he was “concerned” about her treatment.

But he claimed he was not responsible, and was placing the blame on others, specifically his daughter’s temporary conservator, Jodi Montgomery, and her lawyer, Samuel Ingham III.

Jamie was “greatly saddened to hear of his daughter’s difficulties and suffering, and he believes that there must be an investigation into those claims,” the documents stated.

July 1, 2021

Britney’s request to have her father removed as co-conservator is denied.

Despite the singer’s heartbreaking testimony about what she claimed was an “oppressive and controlling” conservatorship, a California judge rejected her petition to have Jamie removed altogether, TMZ reported.

Britney’s lawyer Samuel D Ingham III filed documents for Bessemer Trust to be made co-conservator, which was approved by the judge. However, Ingham’s request to have Jamie removed altogether was denied. 

July 4, 2021

Britney’s mother Lynne Spears told The New Yorker reporters Ronan Farrow and Jia Tolentino she had concerns about her daughter’s current situation.

“I got mixed feelings about everything. I don’t know what to think… It’s a lot of pain, a lot of worry,” she said.

“I’m good. I’m good at deflecting,” she added “wryly,” the publication reported.

Lynne reportedly “spoke in a whisper” to reporters and “declined to answer detailed questions about the case.” She later told reporters she may have to hand up if anyone found her talking to the media.

In the same expose, Britney’s ex-manager Sam Lufti revealed the singer would borrow people’s phones to contact him.

“I’ll go years without contact, and then I’ll get a call every once in a while from her in a closet,” Lufti told The New Yorker.

Lufti implied Britney’s phone was under surveillance from her legal team.

“Last time she called me, she was at Ralphs, in Calabasas,” Lutfi said. “After she hung up, I got a call from the same number – it’s an Asian doctor, who says, ‘Wow, this is surreal, Britney just borrowed my phone.’ Five years ago, she borrowed a phone at the gym and just made off with it.”

Lutfi was placed under a five-year restraining order against Spears that was instated in 2019.

July 6, 2021

Britney’s manager Larry Rudolph revealed he was stepping down as her manager.

“I have never been a part of the conservatorship nor its operations, so I am not privy to many of these details,” Rudolph wrote in a letter per Variety. He also noted that he hadn’t had contact with Britney in over two-and-a-half years.

“I was originally hired at Britney’s request to help manage and assist her with her career. And as her manager, I believe it is in Britney’s best interest for me to resign from her team as my professional services are no longer needed.”

July 7, 2021

Another resignation! Britney’s court-appointed attorney Samuel D. Ingham submits a petition to resign from his position.

In the filing, Ingham stated his resignation would be “effective” upon the designation of new court-appointed counsel.

Ingham represented Britney for the entirety of her 13-year conservatorship.

July 8, 2021

Jamie Lynn responded to a report she was the only member of Britney’s family that wasn’t receiving money from the pop star.

Jamie posted a screenshot of an article headline reading ‘Britney Spears’ sister Jamie Lynn shares photos of her home life…after it’s revealed she is the ONLY family member not on the singer’s payroll.’

Jamie Lynn confirmed the report by captioning it, “facts…now leave my broke-a– alone.”

It’s also emerged Britney’s court-appointed conservator Jodi Montgomery is receiving death threats. She also made it clear that she wouldn’t be receiving as Britney has asked her to stay involved.

“Since Ms. Spears has requested that Petitioner retain her position as conservator, Petitioner has no intention of abandoning her by resigning because of these threats,” Montgomery’s lawyers wrote.

July 11, 2021

Britney Spears‘ father Jamie Spears reportedly spent millions of her money on his own defence against her, according to claims made by Britney’s conservator Jodi Montgomery.

Jamie Spears is the conservator of Britney’s estate and finances, while Jodi Montgomery is the conservator of Britney’s person.

The duo had been warring since Britney’s 24-minute bombshell testimony on June 23, with Jamie blaming Montgomery for the abuse and suffering Britney testified to experiencing throughout her restrictive 13-year conservatorship.

Montgomery filed court documents on Friday, July 9 in response to Jamie’s Wednesday July 7 filing, saying he was concerned Montgomery “does not reflect Ms Spears’ wishes” as she handles Britney’s daily “personal care and medical treatment”.

Per People, Montgomery said in the documents: “It is ironic that Mr Spears now wants the conservatorship to ‘reflect her wishes,’ since it is no secret that Ms Spears has wished her father out of her life for years.”

Jamie was also accused by Montgomery of using over US$2 million (approx. $2.7 million) of Britney’s money for his own legal defence, which aimed to allow him to maintain control over Britney’s estate, People reported.

July 12, 2021

Veteran Hollywood lawyer Mathew S. Rosengart was in discussions with Britney Spears about representing her in her conservatorship battle.

Spears had been represented by lawyer Samuel Ingham III for the entirety of the conservatorship, starting in 2008, when the court put the arrangement in place, with her father, Jamie Spears, as her sole conservator, after she endured a tough time in the public eye in 2007. At the time, Spears had no say in selecting Ingham as her lawyer, which is typical for a conservatorship.

During her June 23 testimony, Spears asked the judge to allow her to hire a lawyer of her choosing. At that hearing, Ingham told the judge that he would be willing to resign, if that was his client’s wish.

Ingham filed paperwork to resign on July 6, roughly two weeks after Spears’ testimony, while a lawyer for Britney’s mother, Lynne Spears, filed paperwork, urging the court to “listen to the wishes of her daughter” and allow her to hire her own private lawyer.

July 14, 2021

Britney’s case was back in court with the popstar looking to appoint a lawyer of her own choosing.

Judge Brenda Penny granted Britney, who appeared at the hearing via phone, the right to hire her own attorney.

From this court hearing, Mathew Rosengart then acted as Britney’s attorney in her quest to remove her father from the conservatorship.

For the first time, Britney formally joined the #FreeBritney movement in a post of her own on social media.

Britney’s family and friends speak out

After Britney was granted the right to choose her own non-court-appointed lawyer, her circle started speaking out about the conservatorship.

First was her ex-manager Sam Lufti, who said he “failed her” and apologised for his role in her breakdown almost 15 years ago.

Britney’s mother, Lynne Spears, and her sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, then took to social media to seemingly show their support for the star.

What followed was a seemingly cold war of attrition between the trio, where Britney rebuffed their claims of support, slamming her sister especially.

Jamie Lynn, for her part, turned off her Instagram comments as Britney seemingly continued to dig at her on social media.

Britney’s agent and longtime friend Cade Hudson also spoke out, saying he was threatened to stay silent on the conservatorship. Her former husband Jason Alexander also spoke out, saying that their marriage was terminated by her team against his wishes.

Meanwhile, Britney’s former best friend ean Phillip claimed that Jamie enabled her alleged drug addiction.

Late July 2021

Britney’s new lawyer filed a petition to replace Jamie as her conservator with CPA Jason Rubin, and her personal conservator Jodi Montgomery supported the petition.

Britney’s doctors in court documents also said that they believed removing Jamie from the conservatorship would be in her best interest.

Britney’s lawyer then asked for an earlier hearing to determine Jamie’s place in Britney’s conservatorship, which was denied.

August 2021

Jamie Spears said that Jodi Montgomery told him Britney is “mentally sick,” which Montgomery denied.

Lynne Spears pleaded with #FreeBritney fans on social media to stop attacking Jamie Lynne Spears online.

Jamie Spears then did the unthinkable — he agreed to step down from Britney’s conservatorship, with his lawyer stating that Jamie’s “public battle with his daughter” being the reason for Jamie stepping down.

Britney then took to social media with a comment on freedom, as Lynne said in a statement that she was “pleased Jamie has agreed to step down.”

September 2021

Britney’s lawyer Mathew Rosengart accused Jamie Spears of trying to “extort” US$2 million (approx. $2.7 million) from the songstress in exchange for stepping down from her conservatorship, and one week later, Jamie Spears – who at this stage was still the conservator of Britney’s estate – filed a petition to the court to completely terminate the 13-year conservatorship.

At the time, Britney was already celebrating, since that week Sam Asghari popped the question — and she said yes!

The songstress posted on social media saying she was “counting for my freedom,” before deleting her Instagram account, saying that she was “taking a little break from social media” in order to celebrate her engagement.

On September 29, Britney’s father Jamie was immediately suspended from her conservatorship.

Judge Brenda Penny ruled that Spears’ father would no longer serve as the conservator of his daughter’s estate, immediately removing him from the conservatorship altogether.

CPA John Zabel temporarily replaced Spears’ father in the role of conservator of her estate, meaning he was in control of her financial decisions, for a short term, until the next steps were determined, in regards to terminating the conservatorship, altogether. Spears’ conservator of her choice, Jodi Montgomery, who managed her day-to-day well-being and medical decisions, still remained on the case.

After being ousted from the conservatorship, Jamie issued a statement via his attorney, Vivan Thoreen.

“Mr. Spears loves his daughter Britney unconditionally,” the statement read.

“For thirteen years, he has tried to do what is in her best interests, whether as a conservator or her father. This started with agreeing to serve as her conservator when she voluntarily entered into the conservatorship. This included helping her revive her career and re-establish a relationship with her children.

“For anyone who has tried to help a family member dealing with mental health issues, they can appreciate the tremendous amount of daily worry and work this required. For Mr. Spears, this also meant biting his tongue and not responding to all the false, speculative, and unsubstantiated attacks on him by certain members of the public, media, or more recently, Britney’s own attorney.

“These facts make the outcome of yesterday’s hearing all the more disappointing, and frankly, a loss for Britney.”

November 2021

Britney accused her mum Lynne of pushing the conservatorship idea on to her dad, Jamie.

In a since-deleted Instagram post, the pop star accused Lynne of being the one who gave her dad “the idea” of a conservatorship 13 years ago. 

Britney began her post by sharing a quote that read, “The most dangerous animal in the world is a silent smiling woman.” But it was in the accompanying caption where Britney spoke her mind, accusing Lynne of planting the conservatorship seed in her dad’s mind following her 2008 breakdown.

“[He] may have started the conservatorship 13 years ago … but what people don’t know is is that my mom is the one who gave him the idea !!!!” Britney claimed, before also calling out her former manager Lou Taylor.

“I will never get those years back …. she secretly ruined my life … and yes I will call her and Lou Taylor out on it … so take your whole ‘I have NO IDEA what’s going on’ attitude and go f–k yourself 🖕🏼🖕🏼🖕🏼 !!!! You know exactly what you did … my dad is not smart enough to ever think of a conservatorship … but tonight I will smile knowing I have a new life ahead of me !!!!””

On November 1, hours after Britney’s post, Jamie filed a request to “immediately terminate” his daughter’s conservatorship as he has “no interest” in being at the helm anymore. 

“Britney’s recent testimony and requests to take personal control of her estate and affairs have made clear that continuing the Conservatorship is contrary to her desires,” Jamie’s attorney Alex Weingarten wrote in court documents filed on November 1 and cited by People. 

“Jamie sees no reason why the Conservatorship should continue for any amount of time and asserts he has no interest in the Conservatorship continuing.”

November 12, 2021

Britney Spears won her highly-publicised court battle to remove a 13-year conservatorship, which she dubbed “abusive” in her June hearing.

Judge Brenda Penny delivered the verdict, saying “Effective today, the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated”.

An excited Spears released a series of social media posts, some of which thank supporters.

READ MORE: Britney Spears is free, 14-year conservatorship comes to an end

In one heartfelt post, she wrote: “Good God I love my fans so much it’s crazy!!!”

“I think I’m gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen.”

The singer also shared a now-deleted photo of herself donning a bright yellow dress, with the caption: “I can’t freaking believe it!!!! Again… best day ever!!!”

Celebrations erupted on the streets as the verdict was delivered, with one fan telling 9News: “It’s about time for her to live her life on her own and make her own decisions.”

Reports revealed the singer was to transition to a care plan formulated by her therapists and doctors, designed to help her through the conclusion of the conservatorship and aftermath.

At the time of the ruling, her father Jamie Spears wasn’t charged with any wrongdoing, though the star’s attorney Mathew Rosengart didn’t rule out taking action against the former conservator.

February 21, 2022:

Britney Spears landed a massive publishing deal for a tell-all memoir, Variety confirmed.

Publishing house Simon & Schuster and Spears reportedly secured a deal for the pop star’s memoir. The book was pegged to provide Spears’ accounts of and commentary on her rise to fame, her music career and her relationship with her family.

Page Six reported that the book deal was worth as much as $US15 million ($20.8 million) and that Simon & Schuster reportedly emerged victorious after a bidding war involving multiple other publishers.

April 7, 2022: 

Britney Spears objected to her mother’s request to pay $US660,000 ($930,000) in lawyer’s fees, in conjunction with her conservatorship.

The singer’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, asked a judge to deny Lynne Spears’ petition for her famous daughter to foot her hefty legal bills.

“Britney Spears has for decades been her family’s sole breadwinner, supporting her entire family,” Rosengart stated in a filing with the Los Angeles Superior Court.

“Lynne Spears and her counsel seek payment of legal fees and costs – from Britney Spears – of more than $US660,000,” Rosengart’s filing stated, arguing there was “no legal authority” supporting the singer’s mother’s request since she was not an official party involved with the conservatorship. “Britney Spears opposes the Petition in its entirety.”

April 11, 2022: 

Britney Spears announced she was pregnant, expecting her first child with fiancé Sam Asghari, who she refers to as her husband in her message to fans.

The singer shared the news on Instagram, excitedly writing: “I lost so much weight to go on my Maui trip only to gain it back 🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️🤷🏼‍♀️ … I thought ‘Geez … what happened to my stomach ???’ My husband said ‘No you’re food pregnant silly 🤪 !!!’ So I got a pregnancy test … and uhhhhh well … I am having a baby 👶🏼 …”

“4 days later I got a little more food pregnant 🤰🏼🙈🙈🙈 It’s growing !!! If 2 are in there … I might just loose it 😬😬😬😬😬😬 …” she adds. 

Asghari also shared the happy news in an Instagram post, saying he was looking forward to fatherhood, while alluding that the pair are husband and wife.

“Marriage and kids are a natural part of a strong relationship filled with love and respect,” he wrote alongside an illustration of two lions and a lion cub.

May 14, 2022

One month after announcing the pregnancy, Britney Spears shares the sad news she and fiancé Sam Asghari had lost their “miracle baby”.

The pop star posted a heartbreaking update on Instagram, saying it was a “devastating time” for the couple.

“It is with our deepest sadness we have to announce that we have lost our miracle baby early in the pregnancy,” Spears wrote. “This is a devastating time for any parent. Perhaps we should have waited to announce until we were further along however we were overly excited to share the good news.”

“Our love for each other is our strength. We will continue trying to expand our beautiful family,” she added. “We are grateful for all of our support. We kindly ask for privacy during this difficult moment.”

June 9, 2022:

Britney Spears and fiancé Sam Asghari married at her home in Thousand Oaks, California.

Spears’ wedding saw a star-studded guest list with celebrities including Donatella Versace, Madonna, Paris Hilton, Selena Gomez and Drew Barrymore.

While the day proved a hit, there was one unfortunate moment that made headlines, other than Spears and Asghari’s joy.

On the day, Spears’ first ex-husband, Jason Alexander crashed the wedding preparations. Alexander not only managed to enter Spears’ estate, but he also filmed the entire thing. While streaming on Instagram live, Alexander showed how he made his way onto the property’s first floor and entered the wedding tent before he was restrained by security. 

“Where’s Britney? I’m Jason Alexander, her first husband. I’m here to crash the wedding, bro,” he tells security when confronted. Alexander was later found guilty of trespassing and battery charges.

Spears and Alexander were married for just 55 hours after exchanging vows in a Las Vegas ceremony back in 2004. Their marriage was annulled days later.

In her first Instagram post the day after the wedding, Spears wrote that “the ceremony was a dream and the party was even better”.

“Holy holy crap !!! WE DID IT !!! WE GOT MARRIED,” began her very sweet caption.

“It was the most spectacular day !!! I was so nervous all morning but then at 2:00 pm it really hit me … WE’RE GETTING MARRIED 💍 !!! I had a panic attack and then got it together 🙄🙄 🙄 … the crew who created our home into literally a dream castle were fantastic !!! The ceremony was a dream and the party was even better 🎉 !!! So many incredible people came to our wedding and I’m still in shock 😱 !!!”

July 22, 2022

Jamie Spears officially denied whistleblower claims that he bugged his daughter’s bedroom while acting as her conservator.

The claims were made in the bombshell documentary, The New York Times Presents: Controlling Britney Spears which premiered in September 2021.

Jamie submitted a sworn declaration to the Los Angeles Superior Court in the week of July 22 calling the allegations “false”, saying he never conducted or authorised any surveillance of Britney’s bedroom at any time, including during the conservatorship.”

He also said that he was “not aware” that any surveillance like that of his daughter had occurred.

August 2022

After teasing their collaboration for weeks, Britney and Elton John finally dropped their collaboration song, Hold Me Closer.

The song was a reimagined duet of the piano man’s immortal tune, Tiny Dancer

August 29, 2022

Spears made headlines after posting a 22-minute video of her speaking about her conservatorship to YouTube.

The video, which only had sound, was quickly made private after a few hours, so the public was unable to view it.

In the video, Spears ran through the timeline of her conservatorship and also revealed that she’d been offered multiple interview opportunities with the likes of Oprah and more to tell her story.

“I’ve had tons of opportunities…but I’m here to open myself to others and shed a light on it,” she said. “I get nothing out of sharing this… I have offers [for] lots and lots of money…to me, it’s beyond a sit-down, proper interview.”

The singer went on to speak of the “punishment” her father forced onto her and his “control”.

“He loved to control everything I did,” she said in the video, which largely backed up claims she made during her legal battle to end her conservatorship in 2021.

September 2, 2022

Spears’ 15-year-old son Jayden Federline spoke out about his and his brother Sean Preston’s reportedly strained relationship with their mother.

“I 100 per cent think this can be fixed,” he said in an interview broadcast on the UK’s ITV network.

“It’s just going to take a lot of time and effort. I just want her to get better mentally. When she gets better I really want to see her again.”

Jayden’s comments came after the boys’ relationship with their mother was questioned when they failed to attend her wedding to Sam Asghari.

Days later, Spears spoke out about her son’s comments, claiming that he had “undermined” her.

October 5, 2022

Lynne Spears entered the stage again by choosing to (quite dismally) apologise to her daughter.

In what was judged by fans as “the worst possible” apology, Lynne wrote under an Instagram post of Britney’s: “I am soooo sorry for your pain!” she wrote. “I have been sorry for years! I love you so much and miss you! Please unblock me so I can speak to you in person!

“Britney, deep down you know how much I love and miss you! I apologise for anything and everything that’s hurt you!” 

January 27, 2023

At the end of January, controversy struck Spears again when “concerned” fans decided to call police to her house after she deactivated her Instagram account and changed her name on her profile to “River Red”.

Days after the event, Spears took to Instagram to set the record straight.

In a somewhat indecipherable stream of words, Spears shared a photo of a pink rose and wrote that she was “not having a breakdown”.

“Nope I’m not having a breakdown … I am who I am and moving forward in my life,” she wrote. “I have never felt better !!! Nope, I’m not this girl or that girl … I am River Red … and being able to volumize my voice in a world where I lost my rights … for 15 years … gives me an opportunity to succeed !!!”

In a small preamble prior to this text, Spears opened her post with this passage: “Since everyone thinks they know my story. THINK AGAIN !!! A mere side of any given SUNDAY doesn’t show worship placing someones story out there … it’s a day of WELCOMING … not a righteous reply !!! It is what it is …”

February 9, 2023

Sources told both Page Six and TMZ Spears’ close circle were trying to conduct an intervention this week in order to encourage Spears to seek treatment. However, they apparently scrapped their plans at the eleventh hour after Spears became aware of the situation.

One source told TMZ, “I’m afraid she’s gonna die”, another adding that she’s been “flying off the handle” regularly.

Spears rebutted the claims on Instagram, writing, “It makes me sick to my stomach that it’s even legal for people to make up stories that I almost died”.

“No folks, it’s not 2007 … it’s 2023 and I’m making my first homemade lasagna at home !!! I finally got my fireplace to work in my living room !!!,” she continued.

May 15, 2023

An unauthorised documentary about Spears and her life, titled TMZ Investigates: Britney Spears: The Price of Freedom, was released.

A few days later, Britney voiced her anger over the film. “These men who I have no idea who they are, are talking about me as if they have any right at all to do so !!!”

“Considering what happened to me during the conservatorship and how hard I work everyday to be a better person since it’s been over !!! The concern and just effort on TMZ’s part of being the trashiest news channel for news,” she wrote on Instagram.

Spears also said her friend told her the documentary was “really disturbing” and called it “incredibly conniving and foolish.”

Asghari also commented on the documentary in an Instagram post: “All of a sudden – after 15 years when she’s free after… all those things that went down – now you’re going to put her under a microscope and tell her story?” he asked the team behind the documentary, rhetorically.

May 24, 2023

Spears and her mum reunited for the first time in years, since her conservatorship dispute began.

According to TMZ, Lynne Spears flew into Los Angeles’ LAX to see her oldest daughter. The pair, along with Sam Asghari, hung out and chatted for about 30 minutes before Lynne left.

A source told the outlet the mother-daughter duo have been texting, indicating a possible reconciliation between the pair.

June 7, 2023

In an Instagram post that was deleted shortly after being published, Spears claims she’s “quit the business”.

Spears shared a throwback video of herself dancing to 2007’s Get Naked (I Got a Plan), adding that it’s her favourite song in her catalogue. “It was really weird because my dancers took the stage for this song,” she added. “Oh well !!! I listened to this song today and actually realised it for the first time!”

She then alluded to her conservatorship being the thing that stopped her from realising her love of the song. “I guess it was all those rules you know !!!” she wrote. “Guess all those rules and not having a voice for 13 years in what I wanted gave a lot of people a thrill ride !!! Oh well !!! Psss no wonder I quit the business JUST SAYING !!!”

Spears has not released an album since August 2016, and her post triggered speculation 2016’s Glory would be her last.

June 11, 2023

Spears took take to Instagram to shut down rumours after a report was published by the Daily Mail alleging her ex husband Keven Federline and her son Preston were concerned by her alleged ‘drug use’.

The star wrote a lengthy statement to her 40+ million followers. “The fact that people are claiming things that are not true is so sad … This may not even be them saying such things because it doesn’t make any sense to me for them to be saying that …”

The singer addressed her two sons in the post, saying, “I tried so hard to make things nice for you and it was never good enough. So you guys go behind my back and talk about me… hopefully it is just the news being hateful and Kevin nor Preston said any of those things.”

Federline alleged they had “lied” and “fabricated” his quotes in the “distressing” report.

August 17, 2023

News that Sam Asghari filed for divorce from Spears was confirmed by PEOPLE after multiple sources told the outlet that the couple was separated.

TMZ was the first to report the news of their separation, the outlet claiming that the separation was fueled by cheating allegations.

The duo reportedly had an explosive argument that involved claims that Spears had cheated on her husband.

“Sam confronted Britney over rumours she stepped out on him,” a source with direct knowledge told TMZ.

“We do not know if the rumour has any basis in fact, but we’re told Sam believed it, and the two had a huge fight.”

According to the outlet, the confrontation led to Asghari moving out of the house and getting his own place.

Spears had been married for just over a year, tying the knot in June 2022 after a five-year courtship.

October 2023

In October 2023, Spears released her bombshell memoir, titled Britney Spears, The Woman In Me.

It spoke about her relationship with Justin Timberlake, her court-ordered conservatorship and family.

Spears claims she got an abortion after falling pregnant with their child during their relationship.

”It was a surprise, but for me, it wasn’t a tragedy. I loved Justin so much. I always expected us to have a family together one day. This would just be much earlier than I’d anticipated,” she wrote in the book.

“But Justin definitely wasn’t happy about the pregnancy. He said we weren’t ready to have a baby in our lives, that we were way too young,” she alleged.

“To this day, it’s one of the most agonising things I have ever experienced in my life.”

She reportedly received a $US15million advance for her memoir and it was a New York Times bestseller. 

In July 2023, Spears was involved in an incident that made headlines with French NBA star Victor Wembanyama and his team.

She alleged she was she was ”backhanded” by “his security” as she approached him after seeing him in public while in Las Vegas.

“I recognized (sic) an athlete in my hotel lobby as I was heading to dinner,” she said.

“I decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success. It was really loud, so I tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.”

“His security then backhanded me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face,” she alleged.

The sports star said afterwards: “I just know that the security pushed her away. I don’t know with how much force.

“Turns out it was Britney Spears. I didn’t know, because I never saw her face. I kept on walking straight,” he added.

2024

Spears kicked off 2024 on a high note; It was revealed in January that her memoir sold over two million copies in the United States alone.

She also hit back at claims she would be releasing new music in an Instagram post.

“I will never return to the music industry !!! When I write, I write for fun or I write for other people !!!” she wrote.

“For those of you who have read my book, there’s loads that you don’t know about me …,” Britney wrote on Instagram. “I’ve written over 20 songs for other people the past two years !!! I’m a ghostwriter and I honestly enjoy it that way!!!”

It was reported in 2024 that she and Sam had officially divorced and that it had been finalised.

2025

This is the year that Britney’s dancer ex, Kevin Federline, released his memoir, called You Thought You Knew. In it, he discusses their relationship over the years and alleged what she was like as a mother.

Speaking about the kids, he alleged: “They would awaken sometimes at night to find her standing silently in the doorway, watching them sleep – ‘Oh, you’re awake?’ – with a knife in her hand.”

“Then she’d turn around and pad off without explanation.”

He also alleged in the book that the night before their wedding in 2004, she called Justin Timberlake.

“She said she was talking to Justin. She said she needed to call him, to end one chapter of her life before starting a new one,” he reportedly claimed.

A representative for Spears said in a statement about the book: “With news from Kevin’s book breaking, once again he and others are profiting off her and sadly it comes after child support has ended with Kevin.

“All she cares about are her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James, and their well-being during this sensationalism. She detailed her journey in her memoir.”

In November 2025, Spears enjoyed a reported ‘sleepover’ with Kim and Khloé Kardashian, sharing a video of the trio hanging out in a bed with Kim and Khloé by her side.

In the video, Spears sweetly kisses the sisters on the cheek and can’t believe the fancy bed they were sleeping in, which she said vibrates.

“WTF, WTF,” Spears says in the clip as the sisters laugh. 

She added in her post: “Such a warm, beautiful, kind family… Thank you for allowing me to play with your kids and dinner!!!”

“It was an honor (sic) to spend time with you guys!! Happy Holidays.”

She also reactivated her Instagram account late that year.

2026

In January, Britney teased a grand return to music, setting her sights on Australia.

Sharing a throwback picture of herself sitting at a white piano, she said she hopes to play shows in the UK and Australia performing with one of her sons.

“Sending this piano to my son this year!!! Interestingly enough, I dance on IG to heal things in my body that people have no idea about. Yup and it’s embarrassing sometimes… but I walked through the fire to save my life…” she said to her more than 42 million followers.

“I will never perform in the U.S. again because of extremely sensitive reasons but I hope to be sitting on a stool with a red rose in my hair, in a bun, performing with my son… in the UK and AUSTRALIA very soon. He’s a huge star and I’m so humbled to be in his presence!!! God speed, little man!!!”

It was reported in February that the singer sold her entire music catalogue to Primary Wave for a whopping $283million.

In March, after being charged with driving under the influence, the hitmaker spent some quality time with her lookalike son, Jayden, 19.

She made sure to document it for her fans and Instagram followers, sharing a video of their time together.

“Thank you guys for all your support… spending time with family and friends is such a blessing,” she captioned her post.

”Stay kind!”

That same month she also enjoyed a boat trip with her sons.

It was reported just last week, at the start of April, that son Sean Preston, 20, changed his name on Instagram from Federline to “Sean P Spears,” but it remains unclear if that was a legal name change and if he’s still going by the last name, Spears, online. 

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