Britney Spears's Conservatorship Has Finally Come to an End After 13 Years

After 13 long years, Britney Spears’s conservatorship is finally over. On Nov. 12, Judge Brenda J. Penny ruled to end the conservatorship, which has majorly controlled the singer’s life since its establishment in 2008. “The court finds and determines that the conservatorship of the person and the estate is no longer required therefore effective today . . . it’s hereby terminated,” Judge Penny announced during the Los Angeles court hearing.

The long-awaited ruling comes a little over a month after Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, was officially suspended as the singer’s conservator. “[This decision is] in the best interest of the conservatee, which is my goal,” Judge Penny declared at the time. Accountant John Zabel temporarily replaced Jamie and assumed control of Britney’s financial decisions, while Jodi Montgomery remained part of the conservatorship.

The decision also comes amid the renewed media attention on Britney’s conservatorship, including the ongoing #FreeBritney movement, various documentaries about her life and legal battle, and Britney’s harrowing June 23 court testimony. In that testimony, Britney pleaded for an end to the conservatorship. “I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” she said. “I don’t feel like I can live a full life.” She also detailed how she was forced to go on tour in 2018 and change her medication, among several other grievances.

The pop star seemingly addressed the recent docs about her life in an Instagram post in September. “I must say I scratched my head a couple of times,” the post read. “I really try to disassociate myself from the drama !!! Number one … that’s the past !!! Number two … can the dialogue get any classier ??‍♀️?? ??? Number three … wow they used the most beautiful footage of me in the world ? !!!” The account initially featured a similar post that stated that the events in the doc were false, but that post was later deleted. It’s unclear whether or not Britney wrote the post herself, given the rumors that others run her social media. However, as of today, Britney is finally free.