MUMBAI: Britney Spears’ brother, Bryan, has publicly addressed the growing support for the #FreeBritney movement, a social media campaign advocating for the end of her conservatorship.
In the Thursday, July 23 episode of the As Not Seen on TV podcast, the eldest Spears sibling stated that his sister “always wanted to get out of” the conservatorshipwhich went into effect in 2008, because of the perceived limitations it placed on her life. “It’s very frustrating to have. Whether someone’s coming in peace to help or coming in with an attitude, having someone constantly tell you to do something has got to be frustrating,” the 43-year-old explained.
He added that he’s aware people suspect she’s being “held against her will in some capacity,” but described the conservatorship as “a great thing for our family.”
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“We kind of came together and not everybody agreed with it either; everyone had their own opinion like, maybe we should do it this way or that way,” Bryan said of the conservatorship’s origins. “But at the end I think we made the right choice.”
For a majority of the 12 years the pop star has abided by the conservatorship, Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, served as conservator, something that Bryan described as a “sacrifice.”
“In general, he’s done the best he could given the situation he’s in,” Bryan noted.
Britney’s older brother also said his family is “hoping for the best” as the court reevaluates Britney’s legal status this year. According to Bryan, he’s concerned lifting the conservatorship would pose a serious impact on Britney’s life. “She’s been surrounded by a team of people since she was 15, so at what level does everyone just walk away or get reduced?” he said.
He explained that she’s never had to make reservations, drive herself somewhere or conduct simple “everyday tasks” for much of her life. “I’m sure it’s going to be an adjustment,” Brian said.
As for his memory of her public breakdown in 2007, Bryan recalled it being a “scary” time for the Spears family. He shared that the family was living in different cities at the time and were “caught by surprise” by the news of her mental health struggles, which led to the creation of the conservatorship. “Obviously there was a need for it in the beginning that, I assume everyone knows the issues that were going on,” he remarked.
He went on to admit that she’s doing better, after Britney and her team “made some changes.”
At the moment, Jodi Montgomery, a member of Britney’s team, is temporarily serving as her conservator, after her father stepped down in 2019 due to what he described were “personal health reasons.” That year, Britney’s ex, Kevin Federline, filed a criminal complaint against Jamie over alleged abuse incident involving Britney’s son. He was later cleared of any charges due to “insufficient proof,” officials said at the time.
On Wednesday afternoon, there was a routine hearing conducted virtually regarding Britney’s current legal status. A future hearing will determine if her conservatorship will be extended beyond August 22.
