It’s so much more than just a hashtag with a pink background.
If you have social media or into anything pop culture, then you most likely have seen the #FreeBritney going around for the past two or three weeks now. Why is it happening? What does it mean? Where is it coming from? And who started it? Everything you need to know + why it’s so important will be answered for you here.
On April 16, 2019- a podcast known as Britney’s Gram released an emergency episode that would soon send the internet into a complete and utter frenzy. A voicemail had been left for the hosts of the podcast, Barbara Gray and Tess Barker, which caused the emergency episode to air in the first place.
The anonymous caller went into great detail about many things and everything you need to know about that day and why #FreeBritney started can be found here. This post is more so for the understanding of why this hashtag is a thing and really why it needs to become a reality.
We all witnessed what happened to Britney Spears in 2007; something that she still can’t seem to live down to this day. A household name and target of the tabloids, Britney suffered a public breakdown that would soon wind her up in a conservatorship. This conservatorship was reportedly supposed to end in 2009, yet here we are ten years later and it’s still in place.
Typically, a conservatorship is put in place to take care of an adult (called the conservatee) who cannot care for himself or herself or manage his or her own finances; not being able to function on the daily without the care of someone else, not being able to pay bills correctly, and basically being unstable to do the daily functions of life.
Britney Army fan, @emailmypussy, created a thread of the disturbing and troubling stories; with proof, that followed when Britney’s conservatorship was put in place. The detailed thread can be read in full here for those who might not have Twitter.
While you might judge Britney on her past of being “unstable” like her team seems to claim, I think we can all related that we as humans grow and develop from our mistakes and hardships. There is no reason whatsoever that Britney shouldn’t be in control of her own life- she is a thirty-seven year old woman who is more than capable of living her daily life without the approval and assistance of others.
One of the many things you have to ask yourself about this disturbing and inhumane situation of Britney’s, is how is it that someone so “unstable” can release four studio albums, go on three tours, be a judge on a TV show, have an almost five year residency, and gear up to do another one when she supposedly is so not well in the head?
Why not have her be at home or in a facility getting severe help if that’s the case? Or could it possibly be that this is still in place because people like Britney’s father make a six-figure pay check off of their daughter a month? That’s just a guess, but hey- who am I to know for sure what’s going on here.
Regardless of what you believe and think about this situation, Britney is ready, and has been ready, to take care of herself. We have seen, read, and heard signs from Britney that she is basically in a cage surrounded by money hungry people. As a matter of fact, two people who worked with Britney just recently came forward regarding their concerns of what goes on behind closed doors and in this case, cages, in Britney’s life.
Iconic art, music video, and film director David LaChapelle shared his thoughts regarding the situation + a leak of one of Britney’s music videos that he supposedly directed on one Instagram user’s post in the comments. In one line David said, “The only direction Britney ever gave me for this video is for me to film her in the cage.”
He continued, “At the time I didn’t understand why would you want to be filmed in a cage? At first I envisioned to film her as a tigress, but she wanted to be filmed more timid, like a kitten. For everyone on my team, at least, we could tell something was off.” In another comment, LaChapelle responded to a troll by saying “I’m sticking up for truth against lies and greed against people like MJ and BS– taking on scary people who’s only concern is greed and could care less about her in my opinion.”
The truth-telling shots didn’t stop there though. David then went onto Larry Rudolph, Britney’s manager. While he didn’t say too much, he made it pretty clear how he feels about Britney’s team as a whole and Larry, by responding to another troll saying “hugo u woke 4 Larry red nose liar ???”
Only a few short hours after LaChapelle shared his thoughts, London based Director Chez Lotfai took to Twitter to share his experience with Britney; and it’s sadder than you’d think. “I’ve been directing @britneyspears In London few years ago. I remember what I felt at that moment: sadness, compassion and the terrible wish to extract her from her handlers. This shooting has been an emotional mess for me,” he said in his first Tweet.
Continuing onto second and third tweets, he said I had to tell an already controlled human being what to do, she was so fragile. Both alone on the green screen, each one of our moves were analyzed by her handlers. I still remember my heart broke when she tried to whisper something to me and suddenly her bodyguard appeared just in front of us: “Is there a problem?”. Britney answered with a ‘timid’ voice “No, we’re ok” looking at her feet. She was over the top stressed, nervously pinching her fingers. I can’t stop thinking that she wanted to tell me something.”
Wrapping up his expereince with Britney some years back, Chez said “The only thing I wished at that moment was to extract her from there… In vain. All my prayers go to you Britney, I’ve been helpless and I’m deeply sorry . #FreeBritney”
You most likely haven’t seen these stories published online in the US, or really any stories that have to due with the entire #FreeBritney movement. Many fans and other people speculate that Britney’s team is paying news outlets off, especially TMZ, to keep quiet on the viral hashtag and to make it seem like her fans are basket cases that don’t know what we’re talking about.
The only time media outlets reported on the viral movement was when we got an incredibly forced and sad to watch video from Britney that was posted to her Instagram; the first post since her team posted the meme that soon became the news she’d checked herself into a facility. While many outlets report Britney is doing well, fans can tell something serious is going on.
Many fans have started to investigate the many faces of Britney’s team; including her father, past lawyer that left abruptly, and her business manager Lou Taylor. Finding that all three apparently had donated to an anti-gay organization called the “Calvary Chapel,” one fan took to Twitter to show screenshots and add a link of proof where it shows the multiple donations and names.
Another fan took to Twitter to make a thread on Lou Taylor, Britney’s business manager who has been blocking fans after messaging them, deleting comments, and going private. The entire thread can be found and read here.
Back to the case in point- Britney has a newly scheduled hearing regarding the conservatorship, with a new judge, on May 10th in Los Angeles. While details surrounding the hearing are obviously being under tight lock, many believe that this could be the start to ending Britney’s long and unfair conservatorship.
This post is kind of all over the place for someone who might not be familiar with Britney, her history, or her story- but I am hoping that people will come together and support the ending of this conservatorship once and for all. Some of the media and people online have stirred the general public in the wrong direction with what the intent behind this hashtag and movement is even for, but all we want is for Britney to live her life for her and nobody else.
If Britney is capable of bringing in the millions of dollars that she does and paying/staffing the people she does while going on the road or doing shows, she should be able to live without the say of others. Driving her car, spending her well and hard earned money, going out to dinner, going shopping, going for a walk, taking a vacation with her children, or putting out music how she wants are all the things that she should be able to do.
Britney’s team and a lot of the media have made it out to seem that Britney can’t take care of herself, but you have to ask yourself that main question again; how can this woman do all the work she does if she’s so unstable? Why not go get help or stop working as a whole? Why? Because without this conservatorship and unrealistic set of rules in place for this grown woman, they wouldn’t be making the amounts of money that they do.
Britney Spears saved my life and now I want to try and help her save hers. She can post a million forced videos telling me and other fans that she’s “okay,” but I won’t believe it until she gets to truly speak and live for herself. I’m asking my friends, fans, followers, and fellow Britney Army fans to PLEASE spread the word regarding what has been going on the past ten to eleven years and help Britney be freed.
This hashtag is more than just that- it’s a movement that is happening to help a beautiful, wise, strong, inspiring, and brave woman get out of what appears to be a “cage” and let her live her life how she wants. I’m no doctor or expert, but I’ve been a fan of this woman since I was three years old and most of us have been following her throughout her entire twenty-year career; we know when something isn’t right.
Britney, I don’t know if you’ll see this or any of the other posts by us fans… but please know that we love you and want nothing more for you to be able to live your life freely without answering to other people. You have worked your entire life and now it’s time you get to do what YOU want for YOURSELF.
You are more than an object and public figure to us Britney, you are a person- our person who is a hero. You have come so far and we will not let you fall again or go down without a fight. You deserve nothing but eternal happiness, health, and everlasting joy. You saved and helped so many of us when we couldn’t save our help ourselves, now it’s our turn to do the same for you.
We love you Britney Jean Spears. #FreeBritney
XO DIVA D 