Britney Spears sported a #FreeBritney T-shirt in the lead up to the latest court hearing that could finally end her controversial conservatorship.
Independence from the legal arrangement that has controlled her personal and professional life since 2008 could be imminent, as a judge will decide whether or not to terminate it at a Los Angeles court on Friday.
Britney appeared hopeful in a post shared on her fiancé Sam Asghari’s Instagram in the hours ahead of the hearing.
He simply captioned the video of Britney wearing the #FreeBritney T-shirt with: “Loading….”
Britney’s lawyer, the court appointees who currently control the conservatorship, and her father Jamie, who previously controlled the arrangement, all publicly support termination.
With no significant opposition from anyone involved, it appears likely Judge Brenda Penny will dissolve the conservatorship.
Judge Penny sided decisively with Britney and her attorney Mathew Rosengart at the last hearing in September, when she suspended the singer’s father from the conservatorship, which he first sought 14 years ago after Britney suffered a public breakdown.
The judge made no finding of wrongdoing against James Spears, saying only that the “toxic environment” made the move necessary.
Prior to that hearing, Jamie reversed course and supported terminating the conservatorship.
As recently as six months ago, it appeared the conservatorship would continue indefinitely. It has since unravelled with surprising speed.
Key was a speech Britney made at a June hearing, in which she passionately detailed restrictions and scrutiny of her life that she called “abusive”.
She demanded that the conservatorship end without any prying evaluation of her mental state.
It is not clear whether Britney will take part in the hearing on Friday.
Jodi Montgomery, the conservator who oversees the singer’s life and medical decisions, has developed a care plan with her therapists and doctors to guide her through the end of the conservatorship and its aftermath.
But Judge Penny has not given overt signals to what she will decide on Friday, although legal or bureaucratic hurdles, or lingering concerns over Britney’s medical care or finances, could still slow down what might seem like the inevitable end to the conservatorship.
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