Britney Spears asks court to end her father's conservatorship

[BlueStarryHat]

But the difference is that the calm and collected version of you prefers this situation. Plainly the people helping you are decent good people who are advocating for your well being, so you trust them when you are ok to care for you when you are not ok. In a sense you are a participant in your care.

The Britney situation looks different, imagine the people caring for you were detrimental and when the fog would subside and you would try to advocate for yourself and no-one would listen. The fact her father isn't allowed near her young sons is really deeply disturbing.

I think we might be talking about sort of the same thing here in our respective posts. I think in her case someone not connected to her personally (like her father, boyfriend, etc) should be her conservator-or at least in charge of her investments and doling out her money to her. Everyone around her is taking advantage of the conservatorship to control her day-to-day life, not just her money. If you treat someone like they're crazy and fragile, they will usually become crazy and fragile. Where my aunt or my sister might say to me, "do you really think you need that?" or "is that wise?" when I'm asking to spend money and then giving me time to think it over, in Britney's case it looks like they're just telling her what to do as if she were a child, and giving her no choices.

 

[OhMari]

The fact that she is on forced birth control is downright scary.

I read after she had her boys, she had post partum depression, that never got diagnosed. It was when she cut off her hair, lost custody of the boys to her ex-husband. Instead of getting her the help she needed, her dad took control of her, just like he did, when she started out as a teenage. This guy is evil from the beginning. Sure get her help, but get her the right kind of help. And for her mom, speaking out now, that "she is afraid for her" she is just as guilty for doing nothing. Don't tell me her mom had no say in anything. Her 2nd daughter had a teenage pregnancy, nearly lost that daughter in an ATV accident, and she kept her "facilityies together" and grew up fast as an adult. She probably didn't make enough money for her dad to try and take over.

 

[TipsyTraveler]

Conservatorships are the modern way to control an adult woman now that lobotomies have fallen out of fashion.

 

[MrsPete]

Conservatorships typically don't end because the people under the conservatorship generally don't get better. They're usually granted for people with dementia or developmental disabilities to the point where they can't care for themselves. So the situation is unique. Britney lives on her own and works.

A bit off topic: I read an article about how genuinely evil people can "steal" old people through conservatorships /becoming court-appointed legal guardians. It's possible to become a legal guardian for someone you don't even know! The article's narrative talked about a couple who was getting older /having some medical issues, and a doctor "tipped off" a guardian that they could use some help. Apparently some social workers are "on the take" in this scheme too. Back to the article: Without the couple's knowledge, a woman went to court and took over control of their home, their finances, even their health -- even though this couple had involved family! Their daughter dropped by to visit, and strangers were going through her parents' house /throwing away things they valued! The strangers told the daughter it was no one's business where her parents were, and it took her months to find them.

I also saw a movie on Netflix about this ... it was called I Care A Lot and starred Peter Dinkledge.

I have the impression that once guardianship is granted, it's pretty hard to cancel it.

The topic is very scary, and I wonder if it's worthwhile to make a trusted adult child your guardian so no one else can "steal you" as an old person.

 

[AndreaA]

The topic is very scary, and I wonder if it's worthwhile to make a trusted adult child your guardian so no one else can "steal you" as an old person.

My FIL has advanced Alzheimer’s but has kept out of a nursing home thanks to very involved children (6 of them) since his wife passed away a few years ago. One of them has financial oversight (so power of attorney I believe) and another takes care of the day-to-day things (he lives with them half the year and a different child the other 6 months). Happily - or as happily as something like this can be - the kids are all kind, thoughtful, responsible adults in their 40s-50s who have sort of amicably divvied up the various duties according to who has particular skills/time. It‘s definitely NOT always easy! We had him at our house for a week after Christmas (at which time we also had a flooded finished basement to deal with) and even with a home health aid for a few hours during the day, we had our hats tipped to the brother and his wife/family who usually take care of him.

 

[Allison Joy]

I know at least one person was asking about this, and I don't think the question was ever really answered. I, too, thought conservatorship was only over financial matters, while guardianship is over many/all decisions. It look it up. In California, it's divided not by function (financial vs. general life decisions) but by age. Children have guardians if their parents can't care for them, and adults have conservatorships. So what is a guardianship and/or consevatorship in some states (like my state of Missouri), in California, it all falls under the title of conservatorship. I hope that made sense... I would think that would be confusing if someone who had a guardian/conservator had to move from one state to another.

 

[mrodgers]

Imagine a man being forced to have vasectomy against his wishes and not being allowed to get married. How would that go over ?

It wouldn't even be a blip on anyone's radar.

 

[Orion Nebula]

Exactly. If she were to spend all her money... that's her right. The people around her just don't want to risk her having access to it because it could cut them off.

That has always been one of my biggest frustrations. She made a ton of money, acted erratic (like many stars) and the worst case scenario would be her blowing all her money (like many stars). There are countless amounts of celebrities that ran their finances into the ground and ended in bankruptcy. They lost everything and either climbed their way back or faded from public view. So what... and as far as the kid thing, let child services deal with that. If she is found unfit then let her work on herself to get her kid back... that's pretty much how it works for the general public.

In the end people screw up their lives everyday by being irresponsible and it seems like the ONLY people that end up in these positions are the rich. All because other people in their lives want to leech off of them in order to "help" them.

 

[nkereina]

Maybe it's the interpretation of the duty of the system that causes differing opinions. To me it is not the duty of the system to make sure people are taken care of, it is the duty of the system to keep people out of each other's way so each can exercise their own rights as they see fit. To me the duty of the system is to protect our rights, not to allow other humans to swoop in under the cloak of the system to subvert other's rights as an American. It does not seem reckless to return her rights to her in an instant. That's like saying someone who was jailed in error and is let go belongs in a halfway house because they shouldn't be left to their own devices with all that freedom. Should she have a cluster of advocates around her, probably, but this is not the same as not having any rights.

Again, I never said she should not have any rights. But freedom in your example versus millions of dollars are two very different things with different implications. Plus, her bipolar diagnosis adds an additional layer that can't be forgotten - this is why she's under the conservatorship in the first place. Courts will rule in what is in the best interest of the affected party (i.e. family court with children, this is in a similar vein). I don't think its too far-fetched that the court will find Britney competent enough to end the conservatorship, but psychologically unwell enough where she will need some kind of further assistance. This is also likely why Britney hasn't been agreeable to a psych evaluation. But, to my earlier point, I'm not aware of what legal orders could be imposed that are somewhere between full freedom and the conservatorship.

I guess that's for the rich. I know plenty of poor people with mental health issues who are left to their own devices.

I'm sorry to hear that. But I don't think its a rich vs poor thing, I think its a support system thing. Everyone has the right to take steps to help loved ones through programs or the courts. It doesn't always cost money, something I learned when helping a loved one enter rehab.

 

[Hillbeans]

I truly think Britney was well on her way to an early demise many years ago. Kevin Federline and Jason Alexander were both leeches (and I believe she's still paying K-Fed a boatload of money and he has no job). She's made very poor choices and I truly feel, as many others have said, this conservatorship was started with good intentions - but it's well beyond time for her father's control over her money and her body to end. I think there has to be some trustworthy 3rd party who can handle her finances and well being from this point on. I do disagree with Britney's statement that she should have no psychiatric evaluation. She definitely has health issues that will only escalate back out of control if she is thrown back into the world with no plan in place for her mental health.

 

[nkereina]

She definitely has health issues that will only escalate back out of control if she is thrown back into the world with no plan in place for her mental health.

This would also be my concern if she's given full control over hundreds of millions of dollars with no stop gap in place. If she does something regrettable while in a manic state, it could send her into another spiral.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Conservatorships are the modern way to control an adult woman now that lobotomies have fallen out of fashion.

I was thinking the same exact thing. I wonder if there was a count of conservatorships in the US and a full name list how many would be women of means and women who might upset an apple cart. These legal devices should all be dragged into the light of day for public scrutiny, if "Me Too" taught us anything it's that the legal system can be a weapon for females who won't just accept being disposable.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

She probably doesn't trust that any psychiatric evaluation will be fair and unbiased, and I can't blame her. In her situation, who do you trust?

 

[gopher101]

She probably doesn't trust that any psychiatric evaluation will be fair and unbiased, and I can't blame her. In her situation, who do you trust?

This, she has already stated she believes her doctor listens to everyone else before her. That is not good. If she is not trusting her doctor, than she can refuse help she needs.

 

[wenrob]

So in watching a segment about this an additional reason for not wanting the evaluation is that it would be a year long. Also, her father can choose to wave the evaluation.

Everyone keeps mentioning her being Bipolar but I have looked and looked and have not found anything but speculation. Does anyone have a link?

This whole thing was supposed to be temporary and it’s quite scary how it’s turned into what it is. I think putting someone who had a vested interest in her money and her career was a huge mistake.

 

[gopher101]

Also another thing, if she did not go along with what they told her to, they would with hold visits from her boys.

I hope they only did that when she was spiraling down, and would have been for the boys to see her. Not using it as a bargaining chip to get her to keep working. Because if they did the latter that is horrific.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I truly think Britney was well on her way to an early demise many years ago. Kevin Federline and Jason Alexander were both leeches (and I believe she's still paying K-Fed a boatload of money and he has no job). She's made very poor choices and I truly feel, as many others have said, this conservatorship was started with good intentions - but it's well beyond time for her father's control over her money and her body to end. I think there has to be some trustworthy 3rd party who can handle her finances and well being from this point on. I do disagree with Britney's statement that she should have no psychiatric evaluation. She definitely has health issues that will only escalate back out of control if she is thrown back into the world with no plan in place for her mental health.

There is a third party in co conservatorship with her father. Many details as to why this is in place hasn’t been disclosed to the public. Hard to make a judgment without that info. Some believe Brittany’s testimony did her no favors in the court room.

 

[AndreaA]

There is a third party in co conservatorship with her father. Many details as to why this is in place hasn’t been disclosed to the public. Hard to make a judgment without that info. Some believe Brittany’s testimony did her no favors in the court room.

Yes, I read an article where someone said that the fact she said she was depressed and cried and couldn’t sleep all pointed to mental illness. Really?! THAT’S what some people are focused on? How chipper would YOU be if your whole life was controlled by others? If she’d just read off her statement with no elaboration those same people would probably be saying that she had a flat affect and was clearly not mentally stable. Sheeeeesh.

 

[robinb]

That has always been one of my biggest frustrations. She made a ton of money, acted erratic (like many stars) and the worst case scenario would be her blowing all her money (like many stars). There are countless amounts of celebrities that ran their finances into the ground and ended in bankruptcy. They lost everything and either climbed their way back or faded from public view. So what... and as far as the kid thing, let child services deal with that. If she is found unfit then let her work on herself to get her kid back... that's pretty much how it works for the general public.

In the end people screw up their lives everyday by being irresponsible and it seems like the ONLY people that end up in these positions are the rich. All because other people in their lives want to leech off of them in order to "help" them.

Her father stepped in to stop her decline into all that you mentioned that happened other celebrities. Do you really feel like she should have been allowed to self destruct? She's LUCKY that she had someone to care for her. Her father and the other conservator(s) may be grifters, but they are grifters who saved her when she needed to be saved. Frankly, I don't really have an opinion if her conservatorship should end because I do not know her current mental state of affairs. That is for the court and the doctors to figure out. I am glad that she is challenging it, but that doesn't mean that it's not really the best thing for her and her kids.

 

[MrsPete]

My FIL has advanced Alzheimer’s but has kept out of a nursing home thanks to very involved children (6 of them) since his wife passed away a few years ago. One of them has financial oversight (so power of attorney I believe) and another takes care of the day-to-day things (he lives with them half the year and a different child the other 6 months). Happily - or as happily as something like this can be - the kids are all kind, thoughtful, responsible adults in their 40s-50s who have sort of amicably divvied up the various duties according to who has particular skills/time. It‘s definitely NOT always easy! We had him at our house for a week after Christmas (at which time we also had a flooded finished basement to deal with) and even with a home health aid for a few hours during the day, we had our hats tipped to the brother and his wife/family who usually take care of him.

How fortunate your FIL is to have a group of involved children -- it's a testament to how he raised them. So often we hear the opposite story: a brother who says, "My sister refuses do anything!"

That has always been one of my biggest frustrations. She made a ton of money, acted erratic (like many stars) and the worst case scenario would be her blowing all her money (like many stars). There are countless amounts of celebrities that ran their finances into the ground and ended in bankruptcy. They lost everything and either climbed their way back or faded from public view. So what...

Back when she was in the limelight, she was looking at "acted erratic" in the rear view mirror. Without help, she could easily have run through everything she'd earned -- do you think that now, some 15-20 years later -- she'd be happier if she'd been allowed to do that?

It's a lose-lose thing.