Britney Spears, the “Princess of Pop,” has been dominating the music industry since 1998. Her songs have brought her national fame, but beneath her successful public presence the singer has been fighting hidden obstacles over the past 12 years.

An episode of the podcast “Britney’s Gram” was uploaded on April 16, 2019 and this episode, titled “#FreeBritney,” contained claims that Spears was forced by her father into a mental health institution because she refused to take medication. These allegations caused many of her fans to create awareness on social media through the hashtag “FreeBritney.” 

“I think the hashtag #FreeBritney definitely brought her case to the media’s attention,” freshman Katherine Linforth said.

Spears’ father, after being placed as a conservator over Spears in 2008 due to a series of breakdowns, still has the right, 12 years later, to manage all of Spears’ finances, assets and daily life. In the summer of 2020, Spears began to go to court to remove her father as her sole conservator, according to Business Insider. 

On Sept. 3, Spears objected to her father sealing a court filing and said the public deserves to see what he and the conservatorship are doing to her, according to the BBC. With this, many believed that Spears was showing support for the #FreeBritney movement.

“Britney should be free from her father and the conservatorship.” Linforth said. “She’s a grown adult and should be able to control her own life.”

Under the control of her father, Spears cannot make decisions about her career without his approval, nor does she have control over her financial assets, meaning she cannot use the money that she makes.

“Britney should be independent from her conservatorship because she’s an adult and she is responsible for her own success.” junior Julia Rodrigues said.

According to the Associated Press, on Nov. 11, Spears’ lawyer attended a court hearing to ask a judge to remove Spears’ father as her conservator. He claimed that since Spears is “afraid of her father,” she will not perform again as long as her father is still her conservator, leaving the future of Spears’ career uncertain. Spears’ fans are waiting anxiously but still stand by Spears’ side through the uncertainty.

“She is a 40-year-old woman almost being treated as a prisoner, and it cannot and must not be that way for any longer,” sophomore Siddarth Dhadi said. “I will always support Britney.”