Framing Britney Spears: New documentary to delve into #FreeBritney case
By Jennifer McShane
23rd Jan 2021
23rd Jan 2021
A trailer for a new documentary titled Framing Britney Spears, which addresses the US singer’s conservatorship, has landed online. Made by The New York Times, it promises to chart her rise to pop superstardom, the controversy over her welfare – and the #FreeBritney movement that came with it
The film comes after a US court rejected an attempt by the pop star to have her father removed as a conservator of her estate. Jamie Spears has been his daughter’s legal guardian for 12 years, due to concerns about her mental health.
Multiple reports said Spears’ lawyer said she “afraid” of him, and that she would not perform so long as he remained in the role. A judge said she would consider future appeals for his dismissal or outright removal but it was rejected at this time.
During the hearing, Spears’ lawyer, Samuel Ingham, said she and her father have no “viable working relationship” and have not spoken in a “long while”.
This is the latest turn in a complex case which has seen multiple members of Spears’ family involved in her estate in some form. In a recent court filing, Spears’ sister Jamie-Lynn asked for control of money stored in a trust fund set up for Britney’s children.
The news comes soon after Lynn Spears publically posted messages of support for her sister, who unfairly remains under scrutiny as the #FreeBritney movement continues to gather pace.
Her phenomenal rise to superstardom. A downfall that shocked the world. And now, an ensuing conservatorship battle. #NYTPresents: Framing Britney Spears. Premiering Feb. 5 on @FXNetworks and @Hulu. pic.twitter.com/BZBkec7mMt
— FX Documentaries (@FXDocs) January 21, 2021
The announcement from Red Arrow Studios, said the film would feature interviews with people close to Spears and lawyers involved in her conservatorship, who “now reassess her career as she battles her father in court over who should control her life”.
A conservatorship battle
Related: What is going on with Britney Spears, her conservatorship, the #FreeBritney movement?
To briefly recap: Britney has been in the care of a court-appointed authority, a “conservator” (currently her care manager, Jodi Montgomery, though Spears’ father remains the officially in that role), for over a decade, ostensibly to help manage her mental health (it all began in 2007 when Spears went through a number of public episodes).
Spears herself has formally requested that she now have access to her own life again, though that conservatorship has been extended to 2021. This is despite the singer’s lawyers telling the court earlier this month that she is “strongly opposed” to her father remaining the sole conservator of her personal and financial well-being.
This latest news involving her sister may in fact mean that Spears is asking for a family member of her preference to be involved in her situation, which can only be good for the singer.
The hashtag movement has persisted, despite Britney commenting on the matter directly (she had said all is fine), especially these last few months as some fans believe, as said, she is sending encoded calls for help through her social media channels.
Fans staged a protest outside a court in Los Angeles late August – as supporters continued to use the #FreeBritney hashtag on social media – with many believing the singer has been coerced once again into giving away financial control.
Framing Britney Spears will appear on the US network FX and streaming site Hulu on 5 February and hopefully, our side of the pond soon after
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