Britney Spears’ fans are getting the validation they have been seeking for years. The pop star’s supporters have been making noise with the #FreeBritney movement for quite some time, and thanks to Episode 6 of The New York Times Presents docuseries titled “Framing Britney Spears,” the world is finally paying attention. The episode premiered on FX and Hulu on Feb. 5, and it details the pop icon’s career, her hardships, and how it all led to the legal conservatorship she has been under since 2008. Her fans started the movement to advocate for the end of Spears’ conservatorship so that the superstar can regain her autonomy.
In 2007, a series of emotional breakdowns and high-publicized incidents ended with her being involuntarily committed into a hospital. She was put on a 5150 issued California code, which is an involuntary 72-hour psychiatric hold. A judge gave her father Jamie Spears the power to exercise control over his daughter’s wellbeing, decisions regarding her health, and finances. The singer’s dad has been in charge of her estate for the past 12 years, while she continues to ask the court for more freedom and to appoint someone else as her conservator.
Since 2008, the singer has checked into a rehabilitation facility on at least one occasion to treat her mental health. She spent a month in rehab, and later it was reported by TMZ that Spears said in a court hearing that her father committed her to the facility against her will and forced her to take drugs. Fans have been doing the work to bring this to light and get justice for the singer. They believe the pop star has been trying to communicate with them through hidden messages on social media, and some are highly concerned about her well-being and worry that she is being held against her will. Now more people are speaking out thanks to the docuseries, including her fellow celebrities. There is so much to uncover about the situation, but here are some details that stood out from “Framing Britney Spears.”