On August 12, 2021, Jamie Spears filed a legal document with the Los Angeles Superior Court stating that he agreed to vacate the role of conservator of his daughter, singer Britney Spears. This announcement comes shortly after the 39-year-old Princess of Pop filed a petition for her father's removal on the grounds of conservatorship abuse: the singer accused her father of controlling her and using her financial earnings to advance his own personal finances.

A conservatorship is a legal arrangement in which a judge appoints an individual or an organization, known as the "conservator," to care for an adult — known as the "conservatee" — who is unable to care for themselves, known as the "conservatee." A conservatorship is usually permanent.

"Mr. Spears is willing to step down when the time is right, but the transition needs to be orderly and include a resolution of matters pending before the court," wrote Vivian Thoreen — Jamie's attorney — in the legal documents.

Thoreen also noted there were "no actual grounds for suspending or removing" Jamie as conservator and that it was "highly debatable" whether his removal would be in Britney's best interest. Furthermore, Thoreen said Jamie was "the unremitting target of unjustified attacks" and that a public legal battle with his daughter was not in her best interests.

Currently, there is no timeline for Jamie Spears's departure.

On July 26, 2020, the singer's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, filed to have Jamie immediately removed from overseeing her finances after having "profited handsomely." Jamie is accused of paying himself $16k per month—which is $2k more than Britney receives—in addition to another $2k per month for office expenses. He is also accused of taking 1.5% of the gross earnings on her Las Vegas estate and a 2.95% commission for her 2011 "Femme Fatale" tour (approximating $500k), even though he was neither her agent nor her manager.

"We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter's estate, and I look forward to taking Mr. Spears's sworn deposition in the near future," said Rosengart in response to Jamie's decision to step down.

"I don't feel like I can live a full life."
In June of 2021, in front of the L.A. court, Britney spoke out about the conservatorship abuse she has endured at the hands of her father. She brought attention to how, in 2008, she was placed on Lithium—a mood stabilizer that is commonly used to treat bipolar disorder—against her will. Spears has never confirmed having a mental illness.

"I felt drunk. I couldn't even stick up for myself. I couldn't even have a conversation with my mom or dad about anything," said the star.

In addition to being medicated against her will and having her finances controlled, Britney claimed that she was not able to see her friends or ride in her boyfriend's car. She described how the rules of the conservatorship are preventing her from doing what she wants most in life right now: to marry her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, and have a baby with him.

"I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby, but this so-called team won't let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don't want me to have children, any more children," she said.

A look at how it began
February 2006: Britney is photographed driving with her infant son her on lap, stating that she "made a mistake" but that the media was "physically aggressive." Questions such as "Is Britney a bad mom?" start to circulate in the tabloids.

September 2006: Britney gives birth to her second child. The paparazzi flock to the new mom.

November 2006: Britney and husband Kevin Federline file for divorce and both file for sole custody of the children.

February 2007: Britney smashes a photographer's car with an umbrella after begging for privacy. She also walks into a salon where a hairdresser refuses to shave her head; she picks up clippers and shaves it herself.

January 3, 2008: Britney is placed on a psychiatric hold for a mental health evaluation after a child custody disagreement between her and her ex-husband. Britney reportedly refused to give her children to Federline's bodyguard and locked herself in a room with one of her children. An hour later police were called and arrived on the scene.

February 2008: Jamie Spears—who petitioned for temporary conservatorship following the psychiatric hold—is named Britney's conservator. Attorney Andrew Wallet is made co-conservator of her estate.

July 2008: L.A. Judge Reva Goetz extends the conservatorship until the end of the year.

October 2008: Judge Goetz makes the conservatorship permanent due to Britney's "being susceptible to undue influence" and the inability of her to manage her affairs.

November 2008: Britney releases her sixth studio album, Circus, which comes in at number one on the Billboard 200.

March 2011: Britney releases her seventh studio album, Femme Fatale, which hits number one on the Billboard charts.

November 2013: Britney releases her eighth album, Britney Jean.

August 2016: Britney releases her ninth album, Glory, which is number three on the Billboard 200.

March 2019: Wallet resigns. "The conservatorship is engaged in numerous ongoing business activities requiring immediate attention and it therefore is in the best interest of the conservatee that the acceptance of Wallet's resignation and the issuance of amended letters of conservatorship of the estate occur immediately and without delay," read the legal documents.

May 2019: Jamie files to expand the conservatorship to Hawai'i, Florida and Louisiana.

September 2019: Jamie steps down due to health-related issues, and Jodi Montgomery—Britney's care manager—becomes a temporary replacement.

August 2020: L.A. court extends the conservatorship until early 2021.

September 2020: Britney files to have her case made public while objecting to her father's filing to have Wallet return as co-conservator.

November 2020: Britney asks for the removal of her father as co-conservator and expresses that she will not perform if her father remains in charge of her career.

December 2020: Britney's conservatorship is extended through September of 2021.

February 2021: The New York Times releases Framing Britney Spears, a documentary that brings attention to the conservatorship battle while also highlighting Britney's mental health struggles. Britney's boyfriend speaks out about Jamie, calling him "a total dick" and saying that Jamie tries to control their relationship.

June 2021: Britney recounts the horrors she's endured during her father's conservatorship.

July 2021: L.A. Judge Brenda Penny allows Britney to choose her lawyer for the conservatorship abuse case against her father. Rosengart petitions to have Jamie replaced.

#FreeBritney
The #FreeBritney movement got underway at the beginning of her conservatorship when fans became concerned about Jamie's role in her financial and personal affairs. Then momentum spiked in 2019, in response to a single podcast episode.

On the Britney's Gram podcast, co-hosts Tess Barker and Barbara Gray jokingly discuss Britney's Instagram posts. One day in 2019 they received an anonymous phone call stating that Britney had been placed in the mental facility against her will.

In response, Barker and Gray investigated Britney's conservatorship in their favored fashion, by dissecting her Instagram posts—where they thought something seemed off. Why did Britney have so much income yet so little control over it? Furthermore, why was a hard-working pop star still in a conservatorship? And was she sending hidden Instagram messages about wanting to be set free?

The "#FreeBritney" episode blew up on social media. From that point on, casual Britney fans and even the public at large began paying attention.

Why the LGBTQ+ community loves Britney
During the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards, Britney shared a kiss with fellow popstar Madonna, showing everyone how to embrace different sexualities wholeheartedly. From that moment on, Britney has been an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and the admiration has been mutual.

A Britney mega-fan told her that her music had helped him come out of the closet and overcome suicidal thoughts. Britney wrote back to let him know how courageous he was and to "keep smiling."

In July 2016, Interscope Records released the song "Hands," performed by multiple artists, including Britney. The song brought attention to the lives that were lost during the mass shooting at Pulse, a Gay nightclub in Orlando.

In 2017, Britney wrote an open letter opposing two anti-LGBTQ+ bills that targeted trans youth in Texas. That year during Pride Month, she also wrote a letter for Billboard Pride in which she described how the loyalty and acceptance of her LGBTQ+ fans encouraged and inspired her.

Britney was honored at the 2018 GLAAD Media Awards with a Vanguard Award for her LGBTQ+ support and allyship. She was acknowledged for standing up for LGBTQ+ youth and for helping to promote GLAAD's anti-bullying campaign.

Will the legal system finally free Britney?
It's difficult to say whether Britney will be set free. Her next court date is set for September 29. Jamie has announced that he will step down when "the time is right." Even if he does step down, the possibility of another individual taking his place as Britney's conservator remains.

Ask yourself this: Should Britney Spears—a star who has been consistently dropping albums while uplifting the LGBTQ+ community every step of the way—continue to have so little power over every aspect of her life?