Britney Spears is Publicly Being Held Hostage by Her Abuser and the US Court System

Her latest loss in court will mean that despite global support through the #FreeBritney Campaign, she’s not going to see freedom any time soon. Many of you will remember Britney Spears’ infamous meltdown of 2008, when she walked into a hair salon and, in front of a trove of paparazzi, shaved all of her hair clean off. This public mental and emotional breakdown started an important conversation around how the spotlight damages the mental health of celebrities, and caused a chain reaction in Britney’s life that would change everything. Soon after the Head Shaving incident, it was declared that Britney was not competent enough mentally to make her own decisions, and thus for her safety, conservatorship was given to her father. This meant that any big life decisions, from working to spending to everything in between, would ultimately be decided by her legal guardian/conservator on her behalf — who, in this case, was Spears' father, James Spears.