1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,680 Speaker 1: From UFOs to psychic powers and government conspiracies. History is 2 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:09,080 Speaker 1: riddled with unexplained events. You can turn back now or 3 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:12,079 Speaker 1: learn the stuff they don't want you to know. A 4 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. Hello, and welcome back to 5 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: the show. My name is Null. Our compatriot Matt is 6 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: on adventures but will be returning soon. They called me Ben. 7 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: We're joined as always with our superproducer Ball Mission Control decond. 8 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,320 Speaker 1: Most importantly, you are you. You are here, and that 9 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:46,120 Speaker 1: makes this stuff they don't want you to know today. 10 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: Maybe the biggest the biggest thing to start off today's 11 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: episode with is the following, celebrities are humans. I think 12 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,520 Speaker 1: maybe we should end with that too. You know, we're 13 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: we're in a culture here in the West where we 14 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: deify celebrities. They are no better and no worse than 15 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: you listening now. It's like we we took those kind 16 00:01:07,520 --> 00:01:11,520 Speaker 1: of regional or town deities of ancient Rome and Greece, 17 00:01:11,640 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: and then just in their place socially, we put a 18 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: lot of musicians and actors and stuff. And that means 19 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: they give more attention than maybe a scientist or a philosopher, 20 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: an activist. And you know whether or not that's just 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: a failure of human hardwiring, or whether that's somehow a 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: way that society is purposely designed. That's something for another day. 23 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: The thing is that celebrities don't always have a rosy existence, 24 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:40,280 Speaker 1: You know what I mean. This is something you and 25 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 1: I have seen before, nol. All too often society will 26 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 1: build up a celebrity in one field or another, only 27 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: like they'll praise them the way that some ancient cultures 28 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:54,720 Speaker 1: would make a sacrifice of a person and give them 29 00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: one amazing year and then kill them at the end 30 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: of it. Like a lot of celebrities rise, and then 31 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: the same people supported them then take great enjoyment in 32 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: their fall, like mocking them, attacking them online. And they're 33 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 1: not They're not different from you. They're human beings. They 34 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: deserved the same rights and freedoms that you yourself deserve 35 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,799 Speaker 1: and should enjoy. So that's why today we are exploring 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 1: a question many many of our fellow listeners, including Shannon 37 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,280 Speaker 1: s in Savannah, have asked us to cover for some 38 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:32,079 Speaker 1: time now, what exactly is happening to pop legend Britney Spears. 39 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: We were, we're we're roughly the same age, Nola. Do 40 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,000 Speaker 1: you remember when Britney Spears hit the air waves. I 41 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: guess we're kids, Yeah, I guess. Um, I don't know. 42 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: I was maybe just coming into my own personal sense 43 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 1: of my my body as a as a young man, 44 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,000 Speaker 1: and that hit me Baby One More Time video really 45 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: started that awakening process. Let me tell you, very uh 46 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: sexually suggestive time, especially with a weird kind of schoolgirl 47 00:03:04,400 --> 00:03:07,720 Speaker 1: crossover thing, and it was like is she a teenager? 48 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: Is she an adult? What is she? It was very 49 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: like she's got this baby voice and this midriff and 50 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: and it was just a lot to take in. Uh. 51 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: And that was sort of like the early days of 52 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: these like Mickey mouse Club Disney stars being turned into 53 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: these like massive pop idols. I think we had in 54 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: sync on the scene a little prior to Brittany. I 55 00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: think maybe she like toured with them and she and 56 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: j T had like been on the Mickey mouse Club together. Um, 57 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 1: but I think that instinct broke first. But to me, 58 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: I was much more aware of Britney Spears than I 59 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: was in Sync and the Backstreet poise even at that point, 60 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,560 Speaker 1: because you couldn't miss it, yeah she Uh. It was 61 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 1: strange to me because the persons seventeen, right when this 62 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:57,119 Speaker 1: comes out, and even when the first video came out, 63 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: I remember think it would have been like what thirteen, 64 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 1: maybe like yeah, something like that, right, Yeah, No, I 65 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: always thinking there's something weirdly, uh weirdly off about this. 66 00:04:09,360 --> 00:04:13,720 Speaker 1: Later I learned that the schoolgirl outfit was indeed Spears 67 00:04:13,840 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 1: his own idea. And I love that you mentioned Mickey 68 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:21,680 Speaker 1: Mouse because the path to today's conspiracy is it's a 69 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: long one. There's a walk we gotta take. So here 70 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: are the facts. Britney Spears is born Brittney Gene Spears 71 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 1: December sewode in a town called McComb, Mississippi. Her parents 72 00:04:34,960 --> 00:04:38,800 Speaker 1: are Lynn Irene Spears and James Spears, better known as 73 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: Jamie will read him cited as Jamie. Uh. They moved. 74 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: She spent most of her childhood in a town called Kentwood, Louisiana. 75 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: She was the middle of three kids. She always wanted 76 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 1: to be a performer, and she's talked about it in 77 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 1: a lot of interviews. Yeah, it's interesting to how like 78 00:04:56,279 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: so many people from kind of the rural South and 79 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: up in this like Mickey Mouse Club kind of like world, 80 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,039 Speaker 1: and it largely has to do with um you know, 81 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 1: Disney World being in Orlando, Florida, which is essentially you know, 82 00:05:11,839 --> 00:05:14,679 Speaker 1: like slap dab in the middle of like the swamp 83 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 1: and very similar and not that far off from from 84 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,359 Speaker 1: Louisiana and Mississippi, and it makes sense. It's like, you know, 85 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: maybe you would go there before you would go to 86 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: l a And it's a place where a lot of 87 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 1: performers got their start as like cast members, you know, 88 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: or like being in the shows and what have you. 89 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,640 Speaker 1: I'm almost positive that's the case with uh, justin Timber, 90 00:05:34,680 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: Like not quite sure about Brittany, but it's just still 91 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,559 Speaker 1: interesting that crossover. But yeah, she was the middle child 92 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: of three and you know, made a point in interviews 93 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: later in life, um when she had gotten famous, that 94 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 1: she always wanted to be a performer. I know she 95 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:50,039 Speaker 1: was on Star Search. You can find footage of her, 96 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: um just singing her butt off. And it actually is 97 00:05:53,520 --> 00:05:57,040 Speaker 1: a part of a little conspiracy theory that we might 98 00:05:57,040 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: not have to delve into today because it's a little silly, 99 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,480 Speaker 1: but the idea, yeah, that that baby voice that she 100 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,120 Speaker 1: does was forced upon her by the record labels and 101 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: the often conspiracy theorists that believe in that point to 102 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: a video of her as like a nine year old 103 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:13,719 Speaker 1: just belting it out on star Starts and that she 104 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 1: has this like really deep, kind of soulful voice. Um 105 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: and that that was all just kind of a put on. 106 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:22,560 Speaker 1: Castrado are real, That's that's a real thing that happened. 107 00:06:22,640 --> 00:06:25,119 Speaker 1: And also I would respond to that one by saying, 108 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: there's twenty seventeen footage of her covering stuff without a 109 00:06:29,600 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 1: baby voice. There was a and R pressure label pressure, 110 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,200 Speaker 1: But I don't think there was a surgery involved. Oh no, 111 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: I wasn't implying that. I think. I think I think 112 00:06:38,120 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: castrado if you want to ruin your day, oh I know, Yeah, 113 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: I know all about it. And that's that's it's it's 114 00:06:42,600 --> 00:06:48,719 Speaker 1: basically forced castration for the purposes of raising the voice 115 00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:53,880 Speaker 1: to sing in in these beautiful, kind of angelic high registers. Um. 116 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: But but yeah, really very uh, very troubled history there 117 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:00,599 Speaker 1: with that, but right. She spoke to the would report 118 00:07:00,600 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: her um in saying that ever since she was seven 119 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: or eight, my mom would have company over, and I 120 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 1: was always performing for everybody in front of the TV. 121 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: Even when I went to school, I was always the 122 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,880 Speaker 1: weird child. I would go outside and instead of playing 123 00:07:13,200 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: I would Uh. I wanted to have Star Search competitions, 124 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: and she got her wish ultimately, But her debut was 125 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:23,160 Speaker 1: not on Star Search. It would have been in when 126 00:07:23,200 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: she performed what Child Is This at her kindergarten graduation. 127 00:07:27,400 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: We received, by the way, clearly a real bravado performance. 128 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 1: So this let's look at her early rise, some of 129 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: which you you alluded to. So uh, she had, like 130 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: many people pursuing her career in the arts, she had 131 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:46,240 Speaker 1: a lot of swings and missus right, It's very rare 132 00:07:46,320 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 1: for someone to immediately become world famous icon and get 133 00:07:51,160 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: the the entertainment machine and infrastructures support. In NT she 134 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: auditions for the Mickey Mouse Club for the first time, 135 00:08:00,400 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: but she's only eight years old, which is apparently the 136 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: cut off for Big Mouse. So they love her, but 137 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: they say, sorry, kid, come back when you're older. Uh. 138 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 1: Two years later, she's nine or ten. In nineteen ninety two, 139 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:16,360 Speaker 1: when she makes her first appearance on Star Search. She 140 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: wins the first round, but I think she doesn't make 141 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: it past the second round. A year after that, she's eleven. 142 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: She does her second audition for Mickey Mouse Club. She's accepted, 143 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: and that's where she meets some of the folks we're 144 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:33,200 Speaker 1: talking about justin timber Lake, Carrie Russell, Christina Aguilera. The 145 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,120 Speaker 1: show was canceled the next year and Spears moves back 146 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,959 Speaker 1: home to kent Wood. There's a weird four year period 147 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: between nineteen to this is where we see the breakout. 148 00:08:46,440 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: She has signed to Jive Records. She travels to Sweden 149 00:08:50,320 --> 00:08:54,319 Speaker 1: and records her debut album, hit Me Baby One More Time. 150 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:58,240 Speaker 1: She's going on concert tours. She's opening for the boy 151 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:02,400 Speaker 1: band in Sync with whom she uh the frontman of that, 152 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: or the guy would become the front man justin timber Lake. 153 00:09:05,440 --> 00:09:08,280 Speaker 1: They're they're carrying on a relationship that goes on for 154 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: about four years, sometimes secret, sometimes an open secret, a 155 00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: lot of speculation in the paparazzi, and by January, her 156 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: single Baby One More Time has debuted at number one 157 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: on the Billboard two hundred and other. If we can 158 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: only imagine other people the same age look around at 159 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: their life and say, dang must be nice. Maybe yeah, 160 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: it's certainly it's something that that that that folks you know, 161 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: will aspire to at an early age until they realized, 162 00:09:38,440 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: like what all goes along with it, and that's certainly 163 00:09:41,440 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: what we're going to talk about today. And again that 164 00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:46,439 Speaker 1: video was inescapable, like we talked about at the top 165 00:09:46,440 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: of the show. I believe it was. Was that TRL 166 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: era or was that pre t R. I think it 167 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:54,239 Speaker 1: was pre but I definitely remember it just being ubiquitous 168 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: and just like inescapable. UM. And and then in May 169 00:09:58,120 --> 00:10:01,120 Speaker 1: of two thousand, she did the thing that all up 170 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: and coming pop stars need to do, and then that's 171 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,600 Speaker 1: host Saturday Night Live. Uh, more than just being like 172 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: the the musical act, actually hosting. That's how you know 173 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: you really arrived. Um. And that same month, on May sixteenth, 174 00:10:14,360 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: she releases her second album, UM, which is Oops, I 175 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: did it again. She played with your heart. She got 176 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:23,920 Speaker 1: lost in the game, you know she did. And she 177 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: also released another massively, massively popular album that sold more 178 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 1: than twenty million copies across the planet, cementing her legacy 179 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 1: and legend as like one of the biggest pop star 180 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: you know on the planet. Um arguably you know, one 181 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,320 Speaker 1: of the biggest pop stars icons of all time. Whether 182 00:10:44,360 --> 00:10:46,160 Speaker 1: you like her music or not, I mean, she was 183 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: just ingrained into you know what. You could argue is 184 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: a little bit more of like a bubble gum kind 185 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,800 Speaker 1: of pop culture to me, didn't have the same heth 186 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:57,559 Speaker 1: does like Madonna or like even like a Paul ab 187 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: Duel or Channa chacksonbod. It was a new era of 188 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:04,960 Speaker 1: this kind of Swedish born, you know, pop by numbers 189 00:11:05,120 --> 00:11:07,640 Speaker 1: kind of world where we know Max Martin who produced 190 00:11:07,640 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: her first two records. Um, you know, we've done an 191 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: episode I believe on that whole thing, the whole Swedish 192 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:17,080 Speaker 1: hit machine factory, where they essentially weaponized psychology to make 193 00:11:17,080 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: sure that every little second of the song is triggering 194 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: your brain in some way to make you continue listening. 195 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,320 Speaker 1: So it's an audible app it's really same thing as 196 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:29,840 Speaker 1: it's brilliant. Yeah, check out the episode on that please. 197 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 1: It is brilliant. But it's also like I would argue 198 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: a new era of like internet kind of driven music, 199 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: algorithm driven music and maybe a little less soul um. 200 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:45,319 Speaker 1: But that's just my hot take. Then on November six, 201 00:11:45,520 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 1: two one, she releases her third album titled Simply Brittany. 202 00:11:49,960 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: That's a popular thing to do, Like it's like it's 203 00:11:52,000 --> 00:11:54,679 Speaker 1: it's just me, y'all, It's Brittany get rid of all 204 00:11:54,679 --> 00:11:57,719 Speaker 1: the pop trappings. And then on November eighth, two three, 205 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: she releases in the Zone or fourth album, and I'm 206 00:12:01,200 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 1: trying to think, like I remember Circus that was a 207 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: pretty big hit. And then there was that song. She 208 00:12:06,280 --> 00:12:09,200 Speaker 1: was in that movie too. She had that movie, um, 209 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:12,240 Speaker 1: like a road trip movie with like her and her 210 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: her girlfriends, and she had Paul was that movie called 211 00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:19,160 Speaker 1: Paul tells us It was called Crossroads. And then she 212 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: had that song that was sort of given a second 213 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 1: life in the movie Spring Breakers. Uh, in the incredible 214 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 1: sequence tore the masks kind of vigilante sort of uh characters, 215 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: you know, with their shotguns and their pink ski masks 216 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,959 Speaker 1: kind of dance weirdly and slow motion to that song. 217 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: It was a song called Paul dance weirdly and slow 218 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: motion to that song called every Time. I think that 219 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 1: was in this period or might have been a little earlier, 220 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: Correct me if I'm wrong, Spears fans. That was a 221 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:54,360 Speaker 1: shout out to Paul had asked, had asked Paul earlier 222 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:58,520 Speaker 1: if you wanted to be on Mike for this one. Uh, Paul, 223 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: I I respect your decisions, but thank you for jumping 224 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 1: in to to give us some guidance, even even if 225 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:10,880 Speaker 1: off Mike. So this is where things start to get rocky. 226 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: As I, as I established before, the problem with the 227 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: deification of celebrity is is in part that it encourages 228 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: this um, this fickle, vindictive thing in humanity. We want 229 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:29,439 Speaker 1: to see people rise, want to see ourselves in them, 230 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: and then we want to see them fall and watch, 231 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 1: uh watch what is sometimes described as a train wreck. 232 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,840 Speaker 1: So people are like, people are staring at at this 233 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: person every moment of her life. She's being followed by paparazzi. 234 00:13:43,160 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: Controversies start to arise, notably on January three of two 235 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:51,720 Speaker 1: thousand and four, Britney Spears marries a childhood friend, guy 236 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: named Jason Allen Alexander. They marry it a little chapel 237 00:13:55,520 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: in Las Vegas. About fifty five hours later they annull 238 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,480 Speaker 1: of the marriage. Uh and and the same year in 239 00:14:03,559 --> 00:14:07,600 Speaker 1: two thousand four, Britney Spears goes on to Mary someone else, 240 00:14:07,640 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: a guy named Kevin Federline, who I think of the 241 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,160 Speaker 1: time was a dancer. But we we continue, we can 242 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: laundry list some of these. On February two thousand five, 243 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: she has banned from the Oscars Uh. This is the 244 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,240 Speaker 1: same year she confirms she's pregnant with her first child. UH. 245 00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,760 Speaker 1: People who follow celebrities who may remember the Oscar band 246 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 1: because Paris Hilton and a couple of other celebrities were involved. 247 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: The tabloids are awash with reports of child Services checking 248 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: in on the Spears Federal Line family. UH, cases where 249 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:43,360 Speaker 1: the baby has fallen out of a high chair or 250 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 1: is or is seen in a vehicle on Britney Spears 251 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: riding in Britney Spears lap rather than a car seat. 252 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: And then the next year things pick up. There's a 253 00:14:52,960 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: whirlwind of these unhinged appearances on television UH Federal Line 254 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:01,880 Speaker 1: and Spears split and then later divorce. Uh. And then 255 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: that that happens two months after the birth of her 256 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: second child with the same guy, and she names her 257 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: child Jaden. We come to two thousand seven, two thousand eight, 258 00:15:12,720 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 1: and I know we're doing kind of a high level 259 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: here because there's other stuff we're getting to, but just 260 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:20,000 Speaker 1: the background is important. In two thousand seven, two thousand 261 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: and eight, we see one of the most infamous periods 262 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:26,760 Speaker 1: of spears career. In early two thousand seven, she checked 263 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 1: into a rehab center rehabilitation and then checked out of 264 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,960 Speaker 1: it quite quickly. She showed up at a beauty shop 265 00:15:33,960 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: in l A. She shaved her head as she attacked 266 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:44,240 Speaker 1: Paparazzo's car with an umbrella, and she too, yeah yeah, yeah, 267 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: And then she went back to a rehabilitation program. She 268 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: did have a performance on the v M A S 269 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:53,280 Speaker 1: that led to a lot of speculation where people were saying, 270 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: is this person? Well, she got booked on hit and 271 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: run charges that were later for the record dropped and 272 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: then uh around that time, she also UH four a 273 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 1: time lost custody of her children to her ex husband. 274 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: January two thousand eight, she's hauled away at an ambulance 275 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: after a three hour standoff with police because she refused 276 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:17,760 Speaker 1: to give her kids over to her ex's custody multiple 277 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: psychiatric evaluations. Weeks weeks later, she's taken to a hospital 278 00:16:22,240 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: in l A And and a court declares her father 279 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:29,760 Speaker 1: to be head of something called a conservator ship. A 280 00:16:29,800 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: conservatorship is interesting. We'll spend some time on this in 281 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: the show, because it is designed for people who are, 282 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: long story short, somehow unable to take care of themselves right. 283 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: And if I'm not mistaken, there was like a fifty 284 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:44,920 Speaker 1: one fifty hold at one of at one point during 285 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: this period, which is you know, code for a psychiatric 286 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 1: hold where you're going to be a danger to yourself 287 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:54,920 Speaker 1: and others. Um. But yeah, I mean I think you know, 288 00:16:55,080 --> 00:16:58,440 Speaker 1: typically we think of a conservator ship as something that 289 00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: would be a applied to say an elderly parent, where 290 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 1: you would need someone to have power of attorney to 291 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,120 Speaker 1: make you know, important decisions on your behalf because you've 292 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:13,080 Speaker 1: got dementia or uh, they're any other you know, incapacitating 293 00:17:13,520 --> 00:17:16,000 Speaker 1: um conditions that would not allow you to take care 294 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 1: of yourself and you want you know, your caretaker or 295 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,639 Speaker 1: family member or whomever it might be to provide those 296 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 1: legal responses whenever they were needed. So that's you know, 297 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,400 Speaker 1: what I would think of. And it's a big bone 298 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:31,919 Speaker 1: of contention that this conservatorship with Brittany. Uh. There's a 299 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: lot of bonus of contention, But the big one that 300 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:38,480 Speaker 1: comes up is that it's lasted so long, um, because 301 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: it's still in effect today. UM, so you know, people 302 00:17:44,600 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 1: are wondering back then, we've got this oscar band, which 303 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:52,119 Speaker 1: is literally because all everyone knew about these uh, these 304 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: incidents that she had had this hit and run, she 305 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 1: was considered kind of like a liability, and you know, 306 00:17:57,400 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 1: the Oscars don't want to make a scene on the 307 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:01,439 Speaker 1: red carpet, So that's why she was sort of for 308 00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:05,120 Speaker 1: all intents and purposes canceled in Hollywood back in these 309 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:08,360 Speaker 1: early days before that was as much of a thing. 310 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:14,840 Speaker 1: But um, so here's the question. Um, people were wondering 311 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:17,479 Speaker 1: what was going on with her, like is this just 312 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,960 Speaker 1: a run of the mill case of too much pressure 313 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,680 Speaker 1: of a child star kind of spiraling um, after too 314 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:28,320 Speaker 1: much money, too much excess. You know, there's talk of 315 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: substance abuse. I never really got did you see Ben 316 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: Was it a particular substance or was it just alcohol? 317 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:37,240 Speaker 1: Like I've never really seen it, you know, zeroed in 318 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:40,199 Speaker 1: on what the substance was in question, But I imagine 319 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,000 Speaker 1: it was just probably a cocktail of things like alcohol 320 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:46,360 Speaker 1: and likely cocaine and you know all those kinds of things. 321 00:18:46,400 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 1: Either ludes, Um, I'm making that up. No, there's no 322 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: there's no confirmation, no, no, uh, public documents where I 323 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 1: saw Yeah, Like, I did not see anything other than 324 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:07,440 Speaker 1: alcohol and substance abuse. So almost any substance can become 325 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:10,920 Speaker 1: you can have an abusive relationship with almost any substance. 326 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I've had eight cups of coffee today and 327 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: I'm gonna have like four more because I resent sleep. 328 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: But you're you're right. What could one of the world's 329 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:26,520 Speaker 1: most successful living pop stars actually have now fewer legal 330 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:30,000 Speaker 1: rights than a child? Was she being held in some 331 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: way hostage? And how could anyone, even a person's father, 332 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:40,960 Speaker 1: have that much control over another adult? What happened? We'll 333 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,679 Speaker 1: pause for word from our sponsor, and after the break 334 00:19:44,840 --> 00:19:53,600 Speaker 1: we'll try to figure it out with you. Here's where 335 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:59,640 Speaker 1: it gets crazy. Conservatorship, freedom and control. There's a little 336 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:03,880 Speaker 1: bit of semantic uh slide of hand here, because this 337 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:09,880 Speaker 1: might be more familiar to people as like legal guardianship, right, 338 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,440 Speaker 1: you know, like I have to I have to take 339 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:16,840 Speaker 1: care of to your point, and all my my retired 340 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: parents who are ailing not doing that well, something like that, 341 00:20:21,680 --> 00:20:25,840 Speaker 1: or I have somewhat someone in my family has a 342 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: mental issue and therefore they cannot be relied upon to 343 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 1: do things that you have to do as an adult, 344 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 1: like pay your bills, make sure you're going to a doctor, 345 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: make sure you're regularly taking prescribed medic medication, and so on. Uh. 346 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:47,160 Speaker 1: This this is called a conservatorship in California another states. 347 00:20:47,160 --> 00:20:51,080 Speaker 1: You'll hear it called a guardianship maybe, Uh, but what 348 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:54,720 Speaker 1: this means is is pretty explicit. It means that as 349 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 1: soon as this was declared to the present day and 350 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,439 Speaker 1: I've got up, I've got like breaking news as we 351 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,760 Speaker 1: record this, Uh, Britney Spears cannot make personal or financial 352 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: decisions without the oversight of that conservatorship, which is going 353 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: to be the oversight of her father, James or Jamie Spears. 354 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:19,200 Speaker 1: And we don't know to your point about fifty one fifty, 355 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: we don't know. We the public do not know the 356 00:21:23,200 --> 00:21:27,320 Speaker 1: details of what led to this court's decision. It is 357 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: a legal decision, uh, to institute this conservatorship. It hasn't 358 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: been made public. You'll see stuff on like Reddit or 359 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: different fan forms where people purport to have photographs of 360 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:44,439 Speaker 1: the paperwork involved, and I think that's where some of 361 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 1: the fifty one fifty stuff comes from. But there hasn't 362 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:53,080 Speaker 1: been any solid evidence about her mental condition or a diagnosis. 363 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:56,880 Speaker 1: You'll hear people also say that she was diagnosed with 364 00:21:57,320 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: some kind of early onset dementia in her twenties, but again, 365 00:22:01,720 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: none of that is confirmed. Well, she she was, Um, 366 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:09,080 Speaker 1: we were talking about these psychiatric evaluations and she was 367 00:22:09,200 --> 00:22:14,159 Speaker 1: placed on a seventy two hour lockdown for mental evaluation 368 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: at Cedar Sinai Hospital. Uh. And that was back in 369 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: uh two thousand eight. Um. And that was during the 370 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: dispute with with her ex husband. Um and you know, 371 00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,840 Speaker 1: with the with the children. But that you know, it's 372 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:31,680 Speaker 1: it's speculated that that would have been considered a hold 373 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: the medical code of of a person being held essentially 374 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:38,840 Speaker 1: against their will or with the permission of someone close 375 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:41,439 Speaker 1: to them who can vouch for their state. Yeah, she 376 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: was on a psychiatrical that part is true. We just 377 00:22:44,320 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 1: don't have the confirmation that the court said literally because 378 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: of we don't know what they found, you know what 379 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:56,439 Speaker 1: I mean that led them to that decision. But we 380 00:22:56,480 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 1: do know there was a confirmed psychiatric hold. And there's 381 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: a lot of money at steak. This is something Okay, 382 00:23:02,320 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 1: this is something that's going to be important later. So 383 00:23:05,320 --> 00:23:09,840 Speaker 1: how much is the Britney Spears conservator ship controlling? It 384 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: controls the Spears estate? So like, how many times did 385 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:15,960 Speaker 1: you hear hit me baby one more time? Right? How 386 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: many times did you U watch Crossroads Paul, how many 387 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: times did you watch Crossroads times? Well, I was gonna say, 388 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: I think I probably heard hit Me Baby one more time, 389 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,880 Speaker 1: somewhere between sixty million and two hundred and fifty million times. 390 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: So if they had a dollar for every time you 391 00:23:33,640 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 1: heard that, just you by yourself, that would be a 392 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,880 Speaker 1: very disturbing. And I find a vague estimate of the 393 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:46,560 Speaker 1: conservatorship right now. That estate is estimated to be somewhere 394 00:23:46,600 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: between sixty million dollars. That's the number you'll hear most often, 395 00:23:50,040 --> 00:23:53,080 Speaker 1: But then you'll hear other Wilder claims saying actually it's 396 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:57,280 Speaker 1: worth two hundred and fifty million dollars. Seems low. Sixty 397 00:23:57,320 --> 00:24:00,199 Speaker 1: seems low to me, basically how famous she is and 398 00:24:00,400 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 1: was and how many hits she's had. Um. But again, 399 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: like my whole thing we talked about this off Mike 400 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,359 Speaker 1: is it's interesting to me that this conservator ship is 401 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: used in this way because, like I said, I mean, 402 00:24:13,119 --> 00:24:16,120 Speaker 1: it seems like it's more designed for people who literally 403 00:24:16,160 --> 00:24:19,439 Speaker 1: can't take care of themselves and are potentially either a 404 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:22,920 Speaker 1: danger to themselves and others or just incapable of taking 405 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: care of themselves. Because there's no law in America that 406 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: says you're not allowed to be stupid with your money 407 00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,960 Speaker 1: and squander it and be a bad steward of your 408 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:33,760 Speaker 1: fortune and all of this, so much of this has 409 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: to do with making business decisions on her behalf, you know, 410 00:24:38,119 --> 00:24:42,440 Speaker 1: investing her money, giving accounts of her fortune to the courts. 411 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: All of that seems very financially driven. And I just 412 00:24:46,440 --> 00:24:49,040 Speaker 1: don't know of any law in the books, especially in 413 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:51,760 Speaker 1: a place like Hollywood or we see you know, rags 414 00:24:51,760 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 1: to riches and riches to rags stories all the time. Um, 415 00:24:55,520 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: that part of it makes this really suspect to me. Yeah. Yeah, 416 00:25:00,160 --> 00:25:01,879 Speaker 1: I would also point out, and this is something I 417 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:06,120 Speaker 1: found that that should pique your interest, folks, you're familiar 418 00:25:06,119 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 1: to this story. Another big cost for the estate is 419 00:25:10,760 --> 00:25:15,359 Speaker 1: the maintenance of the conservatorship itself. So think about that, 420 00:25:15,440 --> 00:25:18,120 Speaker 1: you know what I mean? Is this a is this 421 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:23,680 Speaker 1: a fox run henhouse? You know? Uh? Meaning a salary, 422 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:27,119 Speaker 1: right like a salary paid out to the conservators multiple 423 00:25:27,240 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 1: multiple And so there are two people for a very 424 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,520 Speaker 1: long time that worthy what are called the co conservators. 425 00:25:34,600 --> 00:25:38,840 Speaker 1: They they ran this legal arrangement which got quite complex 426 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: with all the money and expenses and opportunities for income involved. 427 00:25:43,680 --> 00:25:46,719 Speaker 1: The first one was her father, Jamie Spears, and for 428 00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,440 Speaker 1: a very long time there was a lawyer in the mix. 429 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: His name was Andrew im Wallet. Go watch the brain 430 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 1: Stuff video about nominative determinism. Wallet is on the case 431 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 1: and they came down hard on her, like, okay, if 432 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: you have ever in the days of more free travel, 433 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: a lot of times people who travel for work are 434 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: familiar with this issue. You go on a work trip, 435 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: right and you maybe you have a per diem or 436 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,680 Speaker 1: maybe they just say, look, you have to take these 437 00:26:17,720 --> 00:26:21,719 Speaker 1: people out, whine them, die in them, transport them places, 438 00:26:21,760 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 1: transport yourself places, and you know, get whatever you want 439 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: within reason, but keep all your receipts. And you have 440 00:26:27,920 --> 00:26:30,000 Speaker 1: to give us your receipts and then send them off 441 00:26:30,160 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 1: to some accounting department or whatever. Britney Spears was having 442 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 1: to do that in her daily life. Like she would 443 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,120 Speaker 1: take her kids places, maybe take them to Six Flags, 444 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,320 Speaker 1: she had to she had to account for those expenses 445 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 1: or like even going to Sonic or something. And because 446 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: the court required this, and so the conservatorship is keeping 447 00:26:51,560 --> 00:26:55,680 Speaker 1: an eye on every nickel and dime. The implicit idea 448 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 1: here should be set out loud. The concept is that 449 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:04,720 Speaker 1: they are saving her fortune from herself. The money that 450 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 1: she has earned, which is her money, should not be 451 00:27:08,960 --> 00:27:15,679 Speaker 1: under her control wallet. Interestingly, enough resigned last year and 452 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: for a long time no one replaced him. In later statements, though, 453 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:22,879 Speaker 1: he said that this conservatorship could last for the rest 454 00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,920 Speaker 1: of spears life. And I hope a lot of people 455 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,679 Speaker 1: are listening to our episode today and popping by conspiracy 456 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:33,840 Speaker 1: stuff on Twitter, popping by our Instagram, etcetera, and hitting 457 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: hitting us up with the old hashtag free Brittany. That's 458 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: something you've seen, even if you're not even if you 459 00:27:39,880 --> 00:27:43,440 Speaker 1: hate pop music, you've heard about this. Uh. It's it's 460 00:27:43,480 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: older than a lot of people might think too, which 461 00:27:46,200 --> 00:27:49,440 Speaker 1: is kind of surprising. It is. Yeah, this is something 462 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 1: that like popped up right around the very beginning of 463 00:27:52,640 --> 00:27:55,919 Speaker 1: the conservatorship, really right on the heels of it. I 464 00:27:55,920 --> 00:27:57,719 Speaker 1: mean in two thousand eight is when she had that 465 00:27:57,840 --> 00:28:00,680 Speaker 1: very public kind of meltdown situation where she was held 466 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:04,680 Speaker 1: uh in the psychiatric unit and evaluated. And then it 467 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,680 Speaker 1: was two thousand nine that the Free Brittany campaign kind 468 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 1: of came into existence through a fan site called Breathe 469 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: Heavy dot com. Assuming that's a reference to Brittany's trademark 470 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: heavy breathing. That is trademark by the way. Um yeah, 471 00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:23,400 Speaker 1: And and this idea that she was somehow being held 472 00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:26,520 Speaker 1: against her will, not just in a psychiatric hold, but 473 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:30,200 Speaker 1: in a much larger, uh and perhaps more nefarious way. 474 00:28:30,320 --> 00:28:33,200 Speaker 1: The website's owner, person by the name of Jordan Miller, 475 00:28:33,480 --> 00:28:36,000 Speaker 1: said at one point that he received an irate call 476 00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,320 Speaker 1: from Jamie Brittany's father, who threatened to have the website 477 00:28:40,360 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: taken down. Ten years later, h Brittany has released three 478 00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: major label albums, appeared quite often on television, including a 479 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:53,680 Speaker 1: period as a judge on the singing show The X Factor, 480 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: and also performed live several times as a as in 481 00:28:58,440 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: a residency gig in Las Vegas that she did famously 482 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:05,560 Speaker 1: kind of abandon um, but that was for health reasons 483 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: right then her father, her father had some serious health 484 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:13,480 Speaker 1: concerns and so she dropped. She dropped the Vegas stuff 485 00:29:13,520 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 1: because you know, when it comes to uh, I hate 486 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: the lazy TV writing trope about this, but family is important. 487 00:29:20,640 --> 00:29:23,240 Speaker 1: So what is that that that comes from? That concept 488 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:26,440 Speaker 1: comes from TV? I love that. No, Like it's okay 489 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: if you see You'll see a lot of fantastic television 490 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:35,959 Speaker 1: shows brought low by a very lazy decision to like 491 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:41,520 Speaker 1: make everybody related or to have characters that cartoonishly are 492 00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: are saying, look, I know we're saving the world, but 493 00:29:45,440 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: I'm real the only thing that matters is forget everybody else. 494 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 1: The only thing that matters is me talking to this 495 00:29:52,840 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: one person I'm related to. UM. I don't mean to 496 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: sounds cynical, but it's like ruined shows like Utopia, which 497 00:29:58,880 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 1: otherwise are fan pastic no spoilers, um, but it is 498 00:30:02,960 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: based in a real thing. What she's doing is very understandable. 499 00:30:05,640 --> 00:30:08,040 Speaker 1: It's not like it's not like it's going to break 500 00:30:08,080 --> 00:30:10,920 Speaker 1: the bank for her not to be at Las Vegas. 501 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,640 Speaker 1: You know. But a lot of times there's contracts involved 502 00:30:13,640 --> 00:30:16,080 Speaker 1: with those things, and you know, maybe there's an escape 503 00:30:16,080 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: clause or something like that, but it would it would 504 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:21,080 Speaker 1: be a great financial cost. I would imagine you'd have 505 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,760 Speaker 1: to like pay out the promoters and uh, and so 506 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:25,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't know. Again, these these are these 507 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:27,920 Speaker 1: kind of these contracts with celebrities of this level are 508 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 1: very complicated, and you go through a lot of negotiations 509 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: and back and forth and both sides making sure they're protected. 510 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: But I can't imagine you could just jump ship. You know, 511 00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:40,160 Speaker 1: it's not like you can have a Britney Spears understudy 512 00:30:40,440 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: like I imagine if you've got like a residency, it's 513 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:47,280 Speaker 1: probably pretty gonna be pretty expensive to get out of it. 514 00:30:47,360 --> 00:30:50,160 Speaker 1: But to your point, Ben, we're talking hundreds of millions 515 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:55,160 Speaker 1: of dollars here potentially. Um. But I would argue, and 516 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: I think you would probably agree and listeners to that 517 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:00,400 Speaker 1: these do not sound like the activity he's of a 518 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:04,160 Speaker 1: person that cannot take care of themselves. I mean, doing 519 00:31:04,200 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 1: a concert performance like that night after night requires lip 520 00:31:08,320 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: syncing or no, which is another discussion, entirely requires stamina, 521 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 1: requires good memory skills to be able to like remember 522 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:21,720 Speaker 1: all that choreography. Um, you know, physical fitness, UM, discipline. 523 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,000 Speaker 1: If you miss the show, you have to make up 524 00:31:24,040 --> 00:31:26,680 Speaker 1: shows like I would love to see one of those contracts. 525 00:31:26,880 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: You're right, there's probably not an understudy. People who pay 526 00:31:29,640 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 1: for these kind of concerts don't want to watch a 527 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: show with uh Sydney Breers or whoever the person would be. 528 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: But but also at that level, you know, yes, even 529 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,200 Speaker 1: if you can take the financial hit, you are going 530 00:31:42,280 --> 00:31:48,000 Speaker 1: to perhaps irreparably burn some bridges. So this was seen um, 531 00:31:48,120 --> 00:31:50,880 Speaker 1: this was seen as problematic for people who are watching 532 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: this individual's career. But something strange happened recently. People who 533 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:01,760 Speaker 1: are members of the Brittany Army or the the Died 534 00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: in the Wool fans have always been watching this since 535 00:32:05,920 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 1: since that time, but now there's renewed interest in this 536 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:15,440 Speaker 1: strange situation, this conservatorship that never stopped, and we have 537 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,800 Speaker 1: to ask ourselves why. Part of the reason, I would 538 00:32:18,880 --> 00:32:21,800 Speaker 1: argue is the pandemic gave a lot of people a 539 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:24,480 Speaker 1: lot more time and they were stayed. They were glued 540 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:29,120 Speaker 1: to Britney Spears social media presence, especially while they were 541 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 1: in quarantine for months. This was mysteriously inactive. And then 542 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 1: a fan podcast and we're going to mention their name 543 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: because they're they're part of this story. A fan podcast 544 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:47,720 Speaker 1: called Brittany's Graham released a voicemail message from someone claiming 545 00:32:47,760 --> 00:32:52,840 Speaker 1: to be an anonymous paralegal with firsthand involvement in the 546 00:32:52,920 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: actual Spears conservatorship, and the voicemail raised concerns about spears 547 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 1: physical mental well being and her personal agency or autonomy. 548 00:33:04,560 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: So the the host of the podcast started speculating right, 549 00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:14,960 Speaker 1: asking valid questions, what's happening to this performer's Instagram? You know, 550 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: usually it's like a fun slice of life behind the scenes. 551 00:33:18,920 --> 00:33:21,200 Speaker 1: Look at the school stuff I'm doing with my two kids, 552 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. That's a very wholesome Instagram. 553 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 1: But they said, why has it gone dark for a 554 00:33:25,360 --> 00:33:30,880 Speaker 1: few months? Uh? And then she started coming back, dancing 555 00:33:30,920 --> 00:33:34,120 Speaker 1: around her mansion, posting videos on Instagram as well as 556 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:42,800 Speaker 1: TikTok uh, and people started reading into what she was posting, 557 00:33:42,880 --> 00:33:47,080 Speaker 1: which for maybe more skeptical people, seems pretty innocuous, right, 558 00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:50,600 Speaker 1: but maybe for other people there's something deeper there, some 559 00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:55,080 Speaker 1: kind of code or hidden message. That's why you would see. 560 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 1: There was one video in July where Britney Spears is 561 00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:03,160 Speaker 1: dancing to a song from Rihanna called Never Ending. And 562 00:34:03,200 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 1: then if you look at the comments, it's thousands of 563 00:34:05,480 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: people who are just writing free Brittany. They're writing about 564 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 1: that conspiracy theory. And if you're not, if you haven't 565 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:16,560 Speaker 1: read much about this, then you might think, what the 566 00:34:16,560 --> 00:34:18,600 Speaker 1: heck is going on with this Rihanna song? Where are 567 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:22,440 Speaker 1: these people coming from? This leads us to a rabbit 568 00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 1: hole of conspiracies and speculation. Some of them, I would 569 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,839 Speaker 1: argue more plausible than others. But it leads us to 570 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:33,680 Speaker 1: some disturbing stuff. What are we talking about. We'll tell you. 571 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: We'll dive all the way into the deep water. After 572 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: a word from our sponsor. Okay, we're back. We hope 573 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 1: you had a good break. Sometimes during the break through 574 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,719 Speaker 1: the magic of editing, we we kick it for a 575 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 1: second and and just talk to each other. So that's 576 00:34:54,920 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 1: that's our stuff. They don't want you to hear anyway. 577 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,920 Speaker 1: Uh No, you brought up something, uh something fascinating on 578 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:05,840 Speaker 1: the break about this dark period on the Instagram. Yeah, 579 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 1: it's like you said, I mean, and I do want 580 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,719 Speaker 1: to say, like I followed Brittany on Instagram and it's 581 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,439 Speaker 1: it's it's like you said, Ben, very free wheeling, kind 582 00:35:15,480 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: of you know, spirited dancing, practicing, yoga, working out with 583 00:35:20,320 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 1: her like personal trainer, boyfriend and things like that. Um, 584 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:29,040 Speaker 1: and it's but there's a sense of isolation even pre 585 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:32,800 Speaker 1: covid uh in in it. And it's you know, clearly 586 00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:35,359 Speaker 1: a product of this conservator ship. And it's like she's 587 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 1: a prison like the princess, you know, it trapped in 588 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:41,680 Speaker 1: the tower, but it's her own tower, and the tower 589 00:35:41,719 --> 00:35:44,800 Speaker 1: of her own making. You know, it's um, it's sad, 590 00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:48,680 Speaker 1: but but also it's interesting. I I you know, and 591 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:52,080 Speaker 1: and and she's obviously got everything she needs. And she 592 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:56,480 Speaker 1: doesn't openly talk about the conservator Ship. She doesn't openly 593 00:35:56,760 --> 00:35:59,840 Speaker 1: like act as though she is in any way under duress. 594 00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:03,600 Speaker 1: She seems pretty chill and a little bit kind of 595 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:06,640 Speaker 1: you know, goofy and lighthearted. And she's on the beach 596 00:36:06,719 --> 00:36:10,239 Speaker 1: sometimes and doing these amazing time laps yoga videos. But 597 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:12,760 Speaker 1: you're ripe. And when she went dark for that period, 598 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:15,840 Speaker 1: I I should have looked at the full text and 599 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:17,879 Speaker 1: if you want to listen to that episode, or there's 600 00:36:17,880 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: a specific episode of Brittany's graham Um that I listened 601 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:23,160 Speaker 1: to where they play the voice of Mail and they 602 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:25,920 Speaker 1: talked about this too. Um. When she did go dark, 603 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:29,960 Speaker 1: there was she she communicates in a way that her 604 00:36:30,000 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: fans clearly recognize. She uses very specific emojis. She loves 605 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,840 Speaker 1: the rose emoji. She has, you know, just like a 606 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:40,520 Speaker 1: kind of lexicon of the types of little kind of 607 00:36:40,920 --> 00:36:44,000 Speaker 1: Brittany isms that she uses on her Instagram. And when 608 00:36:44,040 --> 00:36:46,440 Speaker 1: she went dark, I would leave it was either before 609 00:36:46,719 --> 00:36:50,239 Speaker 1: or right after, or somewhere in there that a response 610 00:36:50,360 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 1: or a post was made that was very clearly not 611 00:36:53,320 --> 00:36:57,320 Speaker 1: in her voice. Um, didn't have the same emojis, didn't 612 00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: have the same light lighthearted spirit, felt like someone that 613 00:37:00,560 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: didn't know enough trying to pose as her. And I 614 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:07,560 Speaker 1: believe that a million percent. And there was a discussion 615 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 1: that when she was out for this period that she 616 00:37:10,520 --> 00:37:17,359 Speaker 1: was once again forcibly committed and forcibly medicated. Yeah, that's 617 00:37:17,400 --> 00:37:21,360 Speaker 1: a uh well, it's it's not even an open secret 618 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:24,880 Speaker 1: that many celebrities don't actually run their own social media. 619 00:37:25,400 --> 00:37:28,120 Speaker 1: Still this, if you read the message, it does have 620 00:37:28,239 --> 00:37:31,880 Speaker 1: this egregious uh tone that reminds me of that Steve 621 00:37:31,920 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 1: BOUSHEMI meme Hello fellow kids kind of and it is 622 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:40,280 Speaker 1: I Brittany Spears as well, please pay me no mind. 623 00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:45,960 Speaker 1: And by the new Classics collection right whatever it is? Uh. Yes, 624 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:51,040 Speaker 1: So people are understandably weirded out by this. When when 625 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:55,239 Speaker 1: we love, we love something. I do believe that you 626 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:59,160 Speaker 1: can love a a thing or a person that you've 627 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:02,600 Speaker 1: never met. Uh. So people have grown up with this 628 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:05,319 Speaker 1: artist and they feel they feel a kinship with them, 629 00:38:05,320 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 1: and it's understandable and there's nothing wrong with that. So 630 00:38:08,400 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: too many people across the planet. This is like seeing 631 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:15,520 Speaker 1: one of your heroes or someone you consider a loved 632 00:38:15,520 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 1: one in in dire straits. So there's the conspiracy theory 633 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,200 Speaker 1: we've talked about. The Britney Spears is somehow being held 634 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:27,239 Speaker 1: hostage by her father and that a team of handlers 635 00:38:27,320 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: ultimately controls her. Uh. A lot of this comes from 636 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:35,720 Speaker 1: what appeared to be coded responses found in Instagram post 637 00:38:36,120 --> 00:38:39,600 Speaker 1: and comments. On Instagram, comment or wrote on a Britney 638 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,040 Speaker 1: Spears post quote, Brittany, if you're in trouble, wear yellow 639 00:38:43,160 --> 00:38:46,840 Speaker 1: in your next video. And sure enough, in a video 640 00:38:46,880 --> 00:38:49,880 Speaker 1: published afterwards, she wore yellow. So now we have a 641 00:38:49,920 --> 00:38:54,960 Speaker 1: lot of people saying coincidence did did this massively successful 642 00:38:55,000 --> 00:38:58,200 Speaker 1: person really read through hundreds and hundreds of comments that 643 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:03,040 Speaker 1: would you know, like how much? How much time is there? Uh? 644 00:39:04,000 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 1: But you know for people who believed it, they're like, wow, 645 00:39:06,200 --> 00:39:09,200 Speaker 1: she's listening. She's trying to tell us something. And you 646 00:39:09,239 --> 00:39:13,879 Speaker 1: see other examples of this process occurring, like the other 647 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,840 Speaker 1: commentary said, please tell us where you are so we 648 00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:21,440 Speaker 1: can save you. Next video she's dancing around. Uh, it's 649 00:39:21,480 --> 00:39:23,880 Speaker 1: kind of like the real video, you know, improvised dancing, 650 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:28,359 Speaker 1: whole lot of like spin dancing kind of yea, yeah, yeah, 651 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 1: it's wholesome, you know. And uh, but the thing is 652 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:34,880 Speaker 1: the song that is playing in the background is Malibu 653 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:39,000 Speaker 1: and so and at least probably where she lives. That's 654 00:39:39,040 --> 00:39:43,320 Speaker 1: probably where her home is, certainly right. And also wouldn't 655 00:39:43,320 --> 00:39:45,200 Speaker 1: that have all here's my thing? Wouldn't that have also 656 00:39:45,320 --> 00:39:49,279 Speaker 1: already been common knowledge? Of course? Of course? Yeah, I 657 00:39:49,320 --> 00:39:52,360 Speaker 1: mean everybody everywhere, every rich person in Hollywood lives in Malibu. 658 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:54,840 Speaker 1: Maybe not every but like you know, you do a 659 00:39:54,920 --> 00:39:57,760 Speaker 1: certain echelon of rich. You probably got a place in Malibu. 660 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:00,279 Speaker 1: It's beautiful out there. Um. But the share if as 661 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:03,919 Speaker 1: a real pill. If you've seen The Big Lebowski never mind, um, 662 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:09,759 Speaker 1: and and you remember and probably know this on your own. Um. 663 00:40:09,960 --> 00:40:12,480 Speaker 1: We talked about how conservator ships are sort of more 664 00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:16,640 Speaker 1: designed for folks that are genuinely unable to take care 665 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:20,640 Speaker 1: of themselves, use the bathroom, get the food nourishment they 666 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:23,080 Speaker 1: need just to live. It's like a it's a humane 667 00:40:23,120 --> 00:40:26,600 Speaker 1: act to to to grant someone a conservatorship so they 668 00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:29,920 Speaker 1: don't just die, you know, alone, without any care, I mean, 669 00:40:29,960 --> 00:40:31,920 Speaker 1: and it's something that you would think of with the elderly. 670 00:40:32,200 --> 00:40:36,640 Speaker 1: And there is, you know, a claim that her father 671 00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:40,600 Speaker 1: is using this idea that her his daughter has early 672 00:40:40,640 --> 00:40:43,680 Speaker 1: onset dementia. You'll recall early in the episode we talked 673 00:40:43,680 --> 00:40:45,319 Speaker 1: about that how that kind of came up that she 674 00:40:45,320 --> 00:40:48,200 Speaker 1: had been tested for that I believe UM in her 675 00:40:48,239 --> 00:40:52,520 Speaker 1: early twenties. And you know, dementia would be a case 676 00:40:52,640 --> 00:40:56,120 Speaker 1: where a conservatorship could be required. But this isn't proven, 677 00:40:56,120 --> 00:40:59,319 Speaker 1: and there's a lot of screenshotting and you know, hubbub 678 00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,600 Speaker 1: on red It discussing these kinds of things, but we 679 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 1: really don't have any proof UM. And they claim that 680 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:09,120 Speaker 1: she's not allowed to leave her home to do any 681 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,000 Speaker 1: of these things, to go shopping to buy you know, 682 00:41:12,400 --> 00:41:14,439 Speaker 1: stuff for her kids, or take her kids to six 683 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:18,480 Speaker 1: Flags like we mentioned earlier that she definitely does UM 684 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:20,080 Speaker 1: and then she has to wear like or that she 685 00:41:20,080 --> 00:41:22,400 Speaker 1: has to have her fault phone calls monitored. There's no 686 00:41:22,440 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 1: evidence to support these things either, but we do know 687 00:41:25,760 --> 00:41:28,239 Speaker 1: that she doesn't have control over these financial decisions or 688 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:30,560 Speaker 1: business decisions, and I would argue that in and of 689 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:34,319 Speaker 1: itself is deficiest part of all of this, Yeah you 690 00:41:34,360 --> 00:41:38,560 Speaker 1: have like if you have sixty million dollars and uh, 691 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:41,960 Speaker 1: you wanna do so. I have a list of just 692 00:41:42,160 --> 00:41:45,480 Speaker 1: billionaire pranks that have shared the past. I think are funny. 693 00:41:45,680 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 1: If you want to do like a prank somewhere and 694 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: you want to hire a skywriter to go over a 695 00:41:51,560 --> 00:41:57,040 Speaker 1: metropolis and write something like, uh, tacos are just okay, 696 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:00,440 Speaker 1: just just a weird out people in the city. You 697 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:02,560 Speaker 1: should be able to spend that money. If Britney Spears 698 00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:05,560 Speaker 1: wants to do that under these terms, legally she has 699 00:42:05,560 --> 00:42:08,920 Speaker 1: to go to someone and ask them if she can 700 00:42:08,960 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 1: do that, right, ask them almost for kind of an 701 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:16,560 Speaker 1: allowance to do this if they if if the conservatorship 702 00:42:16,680 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 1: wants to change the setup for investment portfolios, she doesn't 703 00:42:22,000 --> 00:42:25,080 Speaker 1: control that. She can't really veto that. She can make 704 00:42:25,120 --> 00:42:27,000 Speaker 1: her voice known if they talk to her about it, 705 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:28,960 Speaker 1: but when the rubber hits the road, it's up to them. 706 00:42:29,080 --> 00:42:31,640 Speaker 1: It's not her. And again it's all her money. And 707 00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:34,439 Speaker 1: the lack of transparency and all of this is also 708 00:42:34,520 --> 00:42:38,440 Speaker 1: pretty striking, and I believe her attorney has petitioned the 709 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,200 Speaker 1: courts to at the very least make the nature of 710 00:42:41,239 --> 00:42:44,840 Speaker 1: this conservatorship more transparent because that's in the best interest 711 00:42:44,920 --> 00:42:48,520 Speaker 1: of his client, of of Brittany um and I would 712 00:42:48,520 --> 00:42:51,719 Speaker 1: completely agree with that. All of the shadowiness behind all 713 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:54,239 Speaker 1: of this is what makes it super sketch. And the 714 00:42:54,280 --> 00:42:57,920 Speaker 1: fact that she has openly and her father is acknowledged 715 00:42:58,000 --> 00:43:00,520 Speaker 1: that they do not have a good relationship. He is 716 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:04,440 Speaker 1: not a lawyer. He is just a dude. And what 717 00:43:04,680 --> 00:43:07,080 Speaker 1: right does he have to her to any of this. 718 00:43:07,760 --> 00:43:10,280 Speaker 1: Doesn't have a finance degree, doesn't have a finance degree, 719 00:43:10,320 --> 00:43:13,439 Speaker 1: doesn't have a law degree, doesn't have any qualifications other 720 00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:18,839 Speaker 1: than being her biological father who she is openly estranged from. Uh. 721 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:21,959 Speaker 1: And we can get into more of the restraining order 722 00:43:21,960 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 1: stuff in a minute. But like, I'm just fascinating to 723 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:26,960 Speaker 1: hear Ben, what what do you think? Like? What how 724 00:43:26,960 --> 00:43:28,920 Speaker 1: does that? How do you how do you have that 725 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:33,000 Speaker 1: much you know, bravado that you can make that happen 726 00:43:33,040 --> 00:43:35,239 Speaker 1: when with zero, Like, how do you petition the court 727 00:43:35,280 --> 00:43:38,320 Speaker 1: for this when you have no claim? She's an adult, 728 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:42,640 Speaker 1: she is a legal adult. I have a fantastic theory 729 00:43:42,680 --> 00:43:47,160 Speaker 1: about this towards the end, it's interesting. So I have 730 00:43:47,239 --> 00:43:50,239 Speaker 1: to decide I've I've built this out to like, save 731 00:43:50,320 --> 00:43:52,040 Speaker 1: that for the because the most important part of the 732 00:43:52,080 --> 00:43:53,920 Speaker 1: show is you. Folks want to hear from you, and 733 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:56,120 Speaker 1: I'm sure we'll hear from a lot of people about this. 734 00:43:56,960 --> 00:43:59,320 Speaker 1: There are other Instagram things, there are things on TikTok 735 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:03,920 Speaker 1: as well. Right, uh, we believe we both saw the 736 00:44:04,200 --> 00:44:07,840 Speaker 1: Spears account where there's like a flower, maybe a white rose, 737 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:10,560 Speaker 1: with the quote she wore flowers in her hair and 738 00:44:10,640 --> 00:44:13,680 Speaker 1: carried magic secrets in her eyes. A quote comes from 739 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:17,359 Speaker 1: a novel called The God of Small Things by Rundhati Roy. 740 00:44:17,480 --> 00:44:20,480 Speaker 1: And I didn't quite understand this when well, maybe you 741 00:44:20,520 --> 00:44:23,000 Speaker 1: can explained it to me. It explores the story the 742 00:44:23,080 --> 00:44:26,480 Speaker 1: novel of these twins laboring under what are called love laws, 743 00:44:26,560 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 1: and these love laws decree how a person can be 744 00:44:29,160 --> 00:44:33,319 Speaker 1: loved and win and etcetera, etcetera. And I have yet 745 00:44:33,360 --> 00:44:36,360 Speaker 1: to read The God of Small Things, but some fans 746 00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:39,080 Speaker 1: seem to interpret this as a metaphor for the men 747 00:44:39,280 --> 00:44:42,440 Speaker 1: in Brittaney Spears life and and the you know, the 748 00:44:42,440 --> 00:44:45,319 Speaker 1: balancing act of love versus control. I don't know, it 749 00:44:45,320 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 1: feels like a stretch. What do you think, Yeah, it 750 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:49,319 Speaker 1: feels like a stretch in that respect, But I do 751 00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:51,759 Speaker 1: still feel like it's a good metaphor for being kind 752 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:55,000 Speaker 1: of a kept woman because you know, whether you look 753 00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:59,400 Speaker 1: at this as like she's forced to love a certain person, 754 00:44:59,719 --> 00:45:02,920 Speaker 1: I don't that's accurate. But she certainly is not able 755 00:45:02,960 --> 00:45:06,319 Speaker 1: to be a full human as is the case if 756 00:45:06,360 --> 00:45:08,360 Speaker 1: you are forced to love somebody or if you're in 757 00:45:08,400 --> 00:45:11,800 Speaker 1: an arranged marriage or whatever. And you know, there's something 758 00:45:11,840 --> 00:45:14,200 Speaker 1: to be said of the agency that it takes to 759 00:45:14,320 --> 00:45:16,920 Speaker 1: be able to love who you want. Uh, And I 760 00:45:16,920 --> 00:45:19,400 Speaker 1: think you can maybe apply that same agency to just 761 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:23,960 Speaker 1: the agency of being a fully free human. Um. So 762 00:45:24,080 --> 00:45:26,360 Speaker 1: maybe that's part of it. But you know, we we 763 00:45:26,440 --> 00:45:29,080 Speaker 1: do get a sense that she is able to love 764 00:45:29,120 --> 00:45:32,120 Speaker 1: who she wants. You know, her her boyfriend, twenty five 765 00:45:32,200 --> 00:45:34,600 Speaker 1: year old Uh. Yeah, this is this is from this 766 00:45:34,680 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: year Iranian bodybuilder and trainer named Sam Ascari. Um. You 767 00:45:40,040 --> 00:45:43,640 Speaker 1: see her kind of a lot, uh, and she cold 768 00:45:43,840 --> 00:45:47,200 Speaker 1: appears to lean on him for you know, everything from 769 00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:50,399 Speaker 1: from working out together. She's always posting about how much 770 00:45:50,440 --> 00:45:52,719 Speaker 1: she loves him and and seems very happy with them, 771 00:45:52,719 --> 00:45:55,120 Speaker 1: and he seems to certainly be there for her. Um. 772 00:45:55,400 --> 00:46:00,680 Speaker 1: We don't know a whole lot about how they wait. 773 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:03,360 Speaker 1: Actually we do kind of let's see, well, there's a 774 00:46:03,400 --> 00:46:08,400 Speaker 1: free Britney claim that says, uh, that said that alleges 775 00:46:08,520 --> 00:46:13,680 Speaker 1: Jamie Spears pays various has paid various guys to be 776 00:46:13,920 --> 00:46:17,279 Speaker 1: Britney Spears boyfriend. But I didn't find I didn't find 777 00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:20,960 Speaker 1: hard evidence of that either. I did find previous boyfriend's 778 00:46:21,000 --> 00:46:25,200 Speaker 1: ex boyfriends who said that wasn't true, and they also said, uh, 779 00:46:25,320 --> 00:46:31,520 Speaker 1: Britney Spears has control of her faculties. Um, kind of 780 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:34,920 Speaker 1: implying that this has been overblown. But you know, if 781 00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:37,400 Speaker 1: people are on TikTok looking at a video of someone 782 00:46:37,480 --> 00:46:39,960 Speaker 1: dancing with a hat and saying, if you zoom in 783 00:46:40,040 --> 00:46:42,720 Speaker 1: far enough, you can see uh, one of the fingers 784 00:46:42,719 --> 00:46:45,919 Speaker 1: holding the hat pointing to a tiny message that may 785 00:46:45,960 --> 00:46:49,239 Speaker 1: read help. People who believe that aren't going to be 786 00:46:49,280 --> 00:46:52,520 Speaker 1: persuaded by someone's ex boyfriend saying something, and certainly not 787 00:46:52,640 --> 00:46:55,960 Speaker 1: by the father who is. You know, if it isn't 788 00:46:55,960 --> 00:46:59,800 Speaker 1: clear already, often the antagonist or portrayed as such in 789 00:46:59,840 --> 00:47:04,200 Speaker 1: the narrative for reasons I understand. Yeah, he's been super 790 00:47:05,000 --> 00:47:09,040 Speaker 1: open in the media as well about their relationship and 791 00:47:09,239 --> 00:47:12,400 Speaker 1: talked to him to Entertainment tonight about how he would 792 00:47:12,440 --> 00:47:16,120 Speaker 1: marry her and that they are genuinely in love. UM 793 00:47:16,200 --> 00:47:19,640 Speaker 1: and the boyfriend the boyfriend, that's right. And he they 794 00:47:19,800 --> 00:47:24,440 Speaker 1: met on a music video shoot for her song slumber Party, 795 00:47:24,719 --> 00:47:28,279 Speaker 1: where he played her love interests um and that that 796 00:47:28,480 --> 00:47:32,520 Speaker 1: video has reached ninety million views on YouTube as of 797 00:47:33,160 --> 00:47:37,800 Speaker 1: earlier this year. Um. But he is uh, thirteen years 798 00:47:37,840 --> 00:47:40,719 Speaker 1: younger than her. Not not that that matters, who cares. 799 00:47:40,760 --> 00:47:43,839 Speaker 1: I'm just it's just a it's just a thing, um, 800 00:47:43,880 --> 00:47:46,120 Speaker 1: just just in terms of like what we know about him. 801 00:47:46,320 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 1: But that's really about it. Yeah, I want to see 802 00:47:50,680 --> 00:47:53,560 Speaker 1: and she's had multiple like boyfriend, she's got a love life. 803 00:47:53,640 --> 00:47:57,800 Speaker 1: Everybody does. Uh. You can read statements from these ex is, 804 00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:03,560 Speaker 1: most of them, which most of which seem to not 805 00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:06,400 Speaker 1: really take some of the accusations in the Free Brittany 806 00:48:06,440 --> 00:48:11,520 Speaker 1: movement seriously. But there there is one contingent that the 807 00:48:12,160 --> 00:48:15,320 Speaker 1: that people are definitely paying close attention to. As we 808 00:48:15,360 --> 00:48:18,200 Speaker 1: said in the beginning, this is, for some reason a 809 00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:24,200 Speaker 1: celebrity worshiping society, So any other celebrity commenting on this 810 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:29,280 Speaker 1: situation is going to be, for no real objective reason, 811 00:48:29,600 --> 00:48:32,280 Speaker 1: considered an expert. And that's not a ding on these people. 812 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:35,919 Speaker 1: Let's just saying again, this is what happens when society 813 00:48:36,160 --> 00:48:43,160 Speaker 1: just worships celebrities. Rose McGowan, for example, tremendous actor had 814 00:48:43,200 --> 00:48:46,799 Speaker 1: a tribute post on Instagram to a deceased actor named 815 00:48:46,800 --> 00:48:51,239 Speaker 1: Brittany Murphy. Were recognized from multiple films. Uh. She caught 816 00:48:51,280 --> 00:48:53,640 Speaker 1: the attention in the movement because in the caption, if 817 00:48:53,680 --> 00:48:56,760 Speaker 1: you scroll down to the bottom, she writes, there's another 818 00:48:56,800 --> 00:48:59,760 Speaker 1: Brittany on my mind today, to one that is alive 819 00:49:00,120 --> 00:49:02,200 Speaker 1: when they can be saved from the leeches that are 820 00:49:02,239 --> 00:49:06,879 Speaker 1: controlling and trafficking her. Free all the Brittany's and all 821 00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:09,800 Speaker 1: those who get hurt by the trauma of Hollywood values 822 00:49:09,880 --> 00:49:13,640 Speaker 1: and toxic rules. So people were saying, look, this is 823 00:49:14,239 --> 00:49:16,400 Speaker 1: in our minds. A lot of people are saying this 824 00:49:16,480 --> 00:49:20,200 Speaker 1: is confirmation right that something really mess up is happening. 825 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:25,480 Speaker 1: And other celebrities came forward and said similar things. But 826 00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:27,440 Speaker 1: as is the want of this show, we have to 827 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:31,360 Speaker 1: There are some issues you can raise with some of 828 00:49:31,400 --> 00:49:34,880 Speaker 1: these claims, like why the coy cryptid replies. Some of 829 00:49:34,880 --> 00:49:37,520 Speaker 1: the skeptics and the audience may be asking if this 830 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:41,320 Speaker 1: singer there was a multimillionaire needs help, then why hasn't 831 00:49:41,360 --> 00:49:44,160 Speaker 1: she made more explicit statements. Why isn't she come out 832 00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:47,680 Speaker 1: and said this conservatorship sucks, so and rescue me. I'm 833 00:49:47,760 --> 00:49:49,799 Speaker 1: thirty eight years old. I should be able to do 834 00:49:49,840 --> 00:49:51,879 Speaker 1: what I want. You know what I mean? Oh yeah, 835 00:49:51,920 --> 00:49:54,600 Speaker 1: but I mean the implication there is what feeds the conspiracy, 836 00:49:54,840 --> 00:49:57,000 Speaker 1: is that there's something even more nefarious at play that 837 00:49:57,040 --> 00:49:59,319 Speaker 1: would not allow her to even speak her mind. That 838 00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:02,040 Speaker 1: she's under duress in some way, or like you know, 839 00:50:02,480 --> 00:50:05,000 Speaker 1: under fear for her life or the life of her 840 00:50:05,080 --> 00:50:07,760 Speaker 1: loved ones. Perhaps one of her children is being held hostage. 841 00:50:07,920 --> 00:50:11,879 Speaker 1: These are just my like baseless kind of like possibilities, right, 842 00:50:12,200 --> 00:50:14,239 Speaker 1: But that would be the implication, wouldn't it. If she 843 00:50:14,239 --> 00:50:16,520 Speaker 1: she can't, she has to do it secretly, so no, 844 00:50:16,719 --> 00:50:20,919 Speaker 1: so the bad men won't notice, and then maybe someone 845 00:50:20,960 --> 00:50:23,839 Speaker 1: will come to her rescue. UM there has to be 846 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:26,400 Speaker 1: some leverage over her in order for her not to 847 00:50:26,520 --> 00:50:29,720 Speaker 1: just like outright go on Instagram to her like millions 848 00:50:29,719 --> 00:50:33,640 Speaker 1: of followers and say, hey, I am being taken advantage 849 00:50:33,640 --> 00:50:37,160 Speaker 1: of UM, or I am being threatened, or I am 850 00:50:37,200 --> 00:50:39,280 Speaker 1: being this. I mean, the law is on her side. 851 00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:42,680 Speaker 1: You would enjoy enjoin me at the courthouse and hold 852 00:50:42,680 --> 00:50:46,840 Speaker 1: a protest or something like that, mobilizing the Brittany Army. Yeah. 853 00:50:46,960 --> 00:50:49,920 Speaker 1: When I was thinking through this, I said, I found 854 00:50:50,000 --> 00:50:53,240 Speaker 1: three possibilities that would use to respond to that question 855 00:50:53,280 --> 00:50:57,240 Speaker 1: from skeptics. Those three possibilities would include stuff like someone 856 00:50:57,280 --> 00:51:00,440 Speaker 1: else's running or curating the social media, and so she 857 00:51:00,480 --> 00:51:04,000 Speaker 1: does something too out of pocket, maybe that filter won't 858 00:51:04,000 --> 00:51:07,719 Speaker 1: allow it to reach the public. And then like you 859 00:51:07,760 --> 00:51:11,719 Speaker 1: had just mentioned, a threat over custody or custody of 860 00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:15,160 Speaker 1: the children or contact with the children, because that will 861 00:51:15,160 --> 00:51:19,680 Speaker 1: give you control over person very very quickly. Or some 862 00:51:19,719 --> 00:51:24,200 Speaker 1: cynical observers noted this. They said, well, it's possible that 863 00:51:24,239 --> 00:51:29,719 Speaker 1: this is just a means of garnering interest for and 864 00:51:29,920 --> 00:51:34,760 Speaker 1: focus from fans, which I find a little too cynical 865 00:51:34,840 --> 00:51:36,840 Speaker 1: for me, you know what I mean that that feels 866 00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:39,279 Speaker 1: like a lot to do because it it's it's it's 867 00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:42,560 Speaker 1: an actual court battle, and again there's an actual human being, 868 00:51:42,760 --> 00:51:47,000 Speaker 1: which I think a lot of people are forgetting in 869 00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:51,000 Speaker 1: in these stories. But we do have the latest news, 870 00:51:51,200 --> 00:51:53,359 Speaker 1: uh that a lot of stuff happened is we were 871 00:51:53,440 --> 00:51:58,440 Speaker 1: coming in to record today. Uh, As you said, Jamie 872 00:51:58,520 --> 00:52:02,480 Speaker 1: Spears had temporarily up down from the conservatorship in September 873 00:52:02,960 --> 00:52:07,279 Speaker 1: nineteen due to health reasons. In the interim, Brittany what's 874 00:52:07,280 --> 00:52:11,640 Speaker 1: called Brittany's care manager when Jodie Montgomery stepped up, and 875 00:52:11,680 --> 00:52:16,120 Speaker 1: now Jamie Spears is back running the operation against his 876 00:52:16,239 --> 00:52:23,960 Speaker 1: daughter's explicit wishes. She has repeatedly said, I involved. This 877 00:52:24,400 --> 00:52:27,439 Speaker 1: conservatorship is voluntary, but I just don't want this guy 878 00:52:27,520 --> 00:52:30,319 Speaker 1: running it. I will not do anything. I will not 879 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:34,040 Speaker 1: do any work ever again if this guy is still 880 00:52:34,520 --> 00:52:36,920 Speaker 1: the cat in charge, that's right. And she's even gone 881 00:52:36,920 --> 00:52:39,680 Speaker 1: too far to say that she's afraid of him, you know. 882 00:52:40,320 --> 00:52:45,640 Speaker 1: And um, so there was a petition to get rid 883 00:52:45,800 --> 00:52:50,120 Speaker 1: to dissolve that relationship. Um, and the judge overseeing that 884 00:52:50,320 --> 00:52:54,880 Speaker 1: legal you know, dispute between her and her father shot 885 00:52:54,920 --> 00:53:00,680 Speaker 1: it down. So it's gonna stand. He and I don't 886 00:53:00,760 --> 00:53:04,799 Speaker 1: understand that. I just don't understand what what is it? 887 00:53:04,880 --> 00:53:07,319 Speaker 1: That's the thing with the with the transparency, It's like, 888 00:53:07,719 --> 00:53:10,440 Speaker 1: why what entitles him to this position? Why can't they 889 00:53:10,440 --> 00:53:14,880 Speaker 1: just install another Mr Wallet, you know, or Mr Buckett Watch, 890 00:53:15,000 --> 00:53:17,000 Speaker 1: you know, just some other guy whose job it is 891 00:53:17,080 --> 00:53:22,200 Speaker 1: to manage people's finances and who potentially would be doing 892 00:53:22,360 --> 00:53:26,200 Speaker 1: her more of a service by investing better. You know, 893 00:53:26,840 --> 00:53:29,919 Speaker 1: be more objective, Be more objective, because you know, I 894 00:53:29,920 --> 00:53:33,880 Speaker 1: I can. I have no qualms saying that I'm pretty 895 00:53:33,920 --> 00:53:38,000 Speaker 1: sure he is in some way fleecing this estate. Oh, 896 00:53:38,080 --> 00:53:40,920 Speaker 1: I've got I've got a I've got I've got a 897 00:53:40,960 --> 00:53:46,560 Speaker 1: petis Sylvia moment. But okay, So Jamie Spears made some 898 00:53:46,640 --> 00:53:51,400 Speaker 1: statements on August one of this year, the conservatorship renewal 899 00:53:51,480 --> 00:53:55,520 Speaker 1: hearing was like August twenty two, that's when it was going. 900 00:53:55,800 --> 00:53:57,959 Speaker 1: That's when they were gonna be back in court again 901 00:53:58,040 --> 00:54:02,840 Speaker 1: for something. Uh. He called conspiracy theories surrounding this legal 902 00:54:02,920 --> 00:54:06,400 Speaker 1: arrangement a joke, and he said, quote, all these conspiracy 903 00:54:06,440 --> 00:54:09,200 Speaker 1: theorists don't know anything. The world don't have a clue. 904 00:54:09,400 --> 00:54:11,759 Speaker 1: It's up to the Court of California to decide what's 905 00:54:11,760 --> 00:54:14,440 Speaker 1: best for my daughter. It's no one else's business. He 906 00:54:14,520 --> 00:54:18,640 Speaker 1: denies here anybody else is embeziling skimming money from the estate, 907 00:54:18,760 --> 00:54:22,239 Speaker 1: saying this is interesting to me. He says, I have 908 00:54:22,320 --> 00:54:25,200 Speaker 1: to report every nickel and dime spent to the court 909 00:54:25,320 --> 00:54:28,680 Speaker 1: every year. How the hell would I steal something that's 910 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:33,719 Speaker 1: very much not a charismatic denial. That sounds like like 911 00:54:33,800 --> 00:54:37,040 Speaker 1: the implication they're purposeful or not to be fair, the 912 00:54:37,040 --> 00:54:41,880 Speaker 1: implication there is, uh, I can't steal because they're watching me. 913 00:54:42,560 --> 00:54:44,960 Speaker 1: That's way different from saying I love my kid, I'm 914 00:54:45,000 --> 00:54:46,759 Speaker 1: not going to steal from them. But then you've got 915 00:54:46,760 --> 00:54:50,000 Speaker 1: the wide swath of like this differential between what the 916 00:54:50,160 --> 00:54:53,439 Speaker 1: estate's actually worth. I don't know. Surely there's a real 917 00:54:53,560 --> 00:54:55,759 Speaker 1: number on the books, you know that the courts are 918 00:54:55,760 --> 00:55:01,480 Speaker 1: aware of, but the sixties of the financial the financial statement. 919 00:55:01,520 --> 00:55:05,120 Speaker 1: But how look, the more money you get, the easier 920 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:08,000 Speaker 1: it is to hide the money. It's counterintuitive, but that 921 00:55:08,200 --> 00:55:11,400 Speaker 1: is a truth. That's why things like the Panama papers 922 00:55:11,480 --> 00:55:15,000 Speaker 1: are important because you have the wherewithal the hide stuff. 923 00:55:15,520 --> 00:55:20,240 Speaker 1: Britney Spears just last month was got a small winning court. 924 00:55:20,480 --> 00:55:23,759 Speaker 1: She was allowed to expand her legal team despite her 925 00:55:23,760 --> 00:55:27,120 Speaker 1: father's objections. Do you know why he objected in court? 926 00:55:27,560 --> 00:55:30,880 Speaker 1: He said it would there was too much of a 927 00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:36,719 Speaker 1: cost to add more lawyers. Uh. And still the court said, okay, look, 928 00:55:37,120 --> 00:55:40,040 Speaker 1: she's only working with a court appointed attorney up to this, 929 00:55:40,360 --> 00:55:44,080 Speaker 1: up to this juncture, right, and the other side, her 930 00:55:44,120 --> 00:55:48,799 Speaker 1: father is working with people that she is paying. If 931 00:55:48,840 --> 00:55:53,600 Speaker 1: you think about it through the conservatorship. That's right. That's 932 00:55:54,120 --> 00:55:57,120 Speaker 1: that's what like when um, oh what what is it? 933 00:55:57,160 --> 00:56:01,839 Speaker 1: Credence Clearwater Revival guy John Folkerty. Yeah, that's like when 934 00:56:01,840 --> 00:56:06,360 Speaker 1: he had to defend himself against plagiarizing himself in court. 935 00:56:07,160 --> 00:56:10,200 Speaker 1: It's like, I'm my own grandpa territory right there. But no, 936 00:56:10,320 --> 00:56:13,279 Speaker 1: it's it's it's bonkers because she's not even allowed to 937 00:56:13,320 --> 00:56:18,640 Speaker 1: have to choose her own lawyer. It wasn't for some time. Yeah, okay, 938 00:56:18,760 --> 00:56:21,680 Speaker 1: so now okay, and you know there there there was 939 00:56:21,880 --> 00:56:27,360 Speaker 1: some concern uh you know in even in she claimed 940 00:56:27,440 --> 00:56:30,840 Speaker 1: to have burned down her own gym um, but that 941 00:56:30,960 --> 00:56:34,080 Speaker 1: was because of like a couple of candles that were unattended. 942 00:56:34,400 --> 00:56:36,799 Speaker 1: So I mean, I'm sure that was maybe part of 943 00:56:36,840 --> 00:56:42,640 Speaker 1: the calculus behind not allowing her to be free of 944 00:56:42,680 --> 00:56:45,520 Speaker 1: this arrangement. What do you think? Yeah, that's the thing. 945 00:56:45,640 --> 00:56:50,920 Speaker 1: You know, if you look back through history, society finds 946 00:56:51,040 --> 00:56:58,160 Speaker 1: the strangest, most arbitrary reasons to uh persecute women. Really. 947 00:56:58,400 --> 00:57:01,359 Speaker 1: I mean, you don't have to read the Yellow wallpaper 948 00:57:02,360 --> 00:57:05,680 Speaker 1: or history textbook to know that. I I think they 949 00:57:05,719 --> 00:57:09,360 Speaker 1: are hinging on some stuff. But again, the most frustrating 950 00:57:09,400 --> 00:57:11,440 Speaker 1: thing about this is we don't know, we don't know 951 00:57:11,520 --> 00:57:15,080 Speaker 1: the specifics. The arguments for increasing transparency have not been 952 00:57:15,120 --> 00:57:19,440 Speaker 1: accepted by the court. We're recording this on November eleven, 953 00:57:20,240 --> 00:57:27,240 Speaker 1: just before we came into the proverbial studio. November, an 954 00:57:27,400 --> 00:57:32,280 Speaker 1: l A judge overseeing the conservatorship declined to remove Jamie 955 00:57:32,360 --> 00:57:36,040 Speaker 1: Spears as the head of the estate. And this is 956 00:57:36,080 --> 00:57:40,120 Speaker 1: despite all the stuff that Britney Spears lawyer Samuel d 957 00:57:40,440 --> 00:57:43,680 Speaker 1: Ingram the third was saying, she's afraid of him, she 958 00:57:43,720 --> 00:57:47,760 Speaker 1: can't work with him. Uh in charge. The lawyer called 959 00:57:47,800 --> 00:57:52,640 Speaker 1: Spears a high functioning Kirk conservative and said that just 960 00:57:52,760 --> 00:57:55,560 Speaker 1: like you said, they've been as strange and this uh 961 00:57:55,640 --> 00:57:59,360 Speaker 1: this Judge Brenda Penny, out of the l A Superior 962 00:57:59,440 --> 00:58:03,800 Speaker 1: Court said she might consider further petitions for the removal 963 00:58:03,840 --> 00:58:07,720 Speaker 1: of the father down the road whatever that is, because 964 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:11,960 Speaker 1: that's not an agreement. Lawyer for Brittany's mother said some 965 00:58:12,440 --> 00:58:15,600 Speaker 1: was also there. The mother is not considered, by the way, 966 00:58:16,280 --> 00:58:20,880 Speaker 1: a member of the conservatorship arrangement, but she's thought of 967 00:58:20,920 --> 00:58:25,080 Speaker 1: as an interested party. And her lawyer said something that 968 00:58:25,640 --> 00:58:27,440 Speaker 1: maybe it's here say, I don't know, I want to 969 00:58:27,480 --> 00:58:30,720 Speaker 1: hear what you think. She said that the father, Jamie Spears, 970 00:58:30,800 --> 00:58:34,720 Speaker 1: had referred to his daughter as quote a racehorse who 971 00:58:34,760 --> 00:58:40,480 Speaker 1: has to be handled like one pretty It makes me 972 00:58:40,520 --> 00:58:43,720 Speaker 1: think of that episode of Black Mirror with Miley Cyrus 973 00:58:43,800 --> 00:58:45,760 Speaker 1: Or It's like, what is she like, Ashley? Oh, and 974 00:58:45,800 --> 00:58:47,800 Speaker 1: she's sort of under the thumb of this sort of 975 00:58:47,840 --> 00:58:52,320 Speaker 1: like wicked stepmother type figure, um, who you know, only 976 00:58:52,360 --> 00:58:55,600 Speaker 1: wants her to do the pop stuff, but she's actually 977 00:58:55,600 --> 00:58:58,040 Speaker 1: secretly like writing all this more brooding kind of like 978 00:58:58,080 --> 00:59:01,600 Speaker 1: stuff that's more her. I mean, this isn't want to 979 00:59:01,640 --> 00:59:03,680 Speaker 1: win that, but it's certainly the kind of things you 980 00:59:03,720 --> 00:59:06,760 Speaker 1: think about with like these kept kind of pop stars 981 00:59:06,800 --> 00:59:11,680 Speaker 1: who become cash cows or prize race horses for a 982 00:59:11,720 --> 00:59:14,280 Speaker 1: whole lot of stakeholders. But at the end of the day, 983 00:59:14,320 --> 00:59:15,560 Speaker 1: like you said at the top of the show, Ben, 984 00:59:15,640 --> 00:59:18,439 Speaker 1: they are human beings who just want to live their 985 00:59:18,440 --> 00:59:22,040 Speaker 1: lives and just you know, be normal. And they're already 986 00:59:22,080 --> 00:59:25,480 Speaker 1: kind of prevented from living normal lives by how bloody 987 00:59:25,480 --> 00:59:28,240 Speaker 1: famous they are. Um, And then you have stuff like 988 00:59:28,280 --> 00:59:30,200 Speaker 1: this to deal with the i mean, the idea that 989 00:59:30,240 --> 00:59:33,600 Speaker 1: she is being subjected to this by her own father. 990 00:59:33,680 --> 00:59:36,800 Speaker 1: Can you imagine how difficult and traumatic that must feel. 991 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:42,160 Speaker 1: M yeah, uh, this this is best up. Uh. The 992 00:59:42,240 --> 00:59:45,439 Speaker 1: latest update is this, as of now, the conservatorship has 993 00:59:45,440 --> 00:59:50,760 Speaker 1: been extended until February of next year, February one, which 994 00:59:50,800 --> 00:59:54,280 Speaker 1: I know seems like a long, long, long way aways, 995 00:59:54,400 --> 00:59:57,440 Speaker 1: but it's not really. You know, we're almost at the 996 00:59:57,520 --> 01:00:01,680 Speaker 1: end of There's been a new Coke conservator appointed. It's 997 01:00:01,720 --> 01:00:06,160 Speaker 1: an outfit called Bessemer Trust. Because the Spears Britney Spears 998 01:00:06,160 --> 01:00:09,240 Speaker 1: side was asking for a court a qualified corporate fudciary. 999 01:00:09,560 --> 01:00:13,040 Speaker 1: They also pointed out that old man Spears does not 1000 01:00:13,120 --> 01:00:18,640 Speaker 1: have financial training. Bessemer Trust is interesting. They're very they're 1001 01:00:18,720 --> 01:00:21,920 Speaker 1: very odd. They date back to the days of Carnegie 1002 01:00:21,960 --> 01:00:24,960 Speaker 1: Steele in a way. So here's my theory. Now keep 1003 01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:28,200 Speaker 1: it brief. Now here's my what every So we know 1004 01:00:28,320 --> 01:00:31,920 Speaker 1: that according to the documents that are available, the father, 1005 01:00:32,120 --> 01:00:36,480 Speaker 1: Jamie Spears, gets about a hundred and thirty thousand dollars 1006 01:00:36,520 --> 01:00:40,600 Speaker 1: each year to oversee the conservators ship, and that that 1007 01:00:40,800 --> 01:00:44,400 Speaker 1: according to the documents in the court, that conservatorship is 1008 01:00:44,440 --> 01:00:47,360 Speaker 1: somewhere between fifty nine and sixty million. That's what they're 1009 01:00:47,360 --> 01:00:52,840 Speaker 1: talking about. But according to the court documents obtained by 1010 01:00:53,120 --> 01:00:58,680 Speaker 1: entertainment tonight. There is one expense that is the largest 1011 01:00:58,760 --> 01:01:06,000 Speaker 1: expense of all of the Britney Spears estate in that 1012 01:01:06,160 --> 01:01:12,200 Speaker 1: was the fees for her conservatorship and the legal cost 1013 01:01:12,720 --> 01:01:18,520 Speaker 1: maintaining that. In total, those equal more than one point 1014 01:01:18,640 --> 01:01:23,600 Speaker 1: one million dollars. So my question is how much does 1015 01:01:23,760 --> 01:01:28,120 Speaker 1: Andrew Wallet make when he was supervising this? And is 1016 01:01:28,160 --> 01:01:32,040 Speaker 1: it possible? Right, is it possible that Jamie Spears it's 1017 01:01:32,080 --> 01:01:36,360 Speaker 1: only making thirty k but this other guy and its 1018 01:01:36,400 --> 01:01:38,640 Speaker 1: non accusation of mass I'm thinking out loud, is it 1019 01:01:38,680 --> 01:01:41,960 Speaker 1: possible this other guy and these other legal beagles in 1020 01:01:41,960 --> 01:01:48,320 Speaker 1: the crew were drawing massive amounts of hourly pay or 1021 01:01:48,880 --> 01:01:53,320 Speaker 1: an annual retainer and then Jamie Spears is getting a 1022 01:01:53,360 --> 01:01:55,640 Speaker 1: piece of that. Is it possible that could happen? That 1023 01:01:55,680 --> 01:01:57,560 Speaker 1: could be totally off the books because once the money 1024 01:01:57,600 --> 01:02:02,520 Speaker 1: goes to the lawyer, the conservators ship cannot do any 1025 01:02:03,160 --> 01:02:06,120 Speaker 1: cannot have any visibility on what that lawyer is a 1026 01:02:06,160 --> 01:02:11,040 Speaker 1: private individual gets to do with the money they've earned. Well, 1027 01:02:11,080 --> 01:02:14,000 Speaker 1: it's also it's like one of those uh construction scammed 1028 01:02:14,080 --> 01:02:17,280 Speaker 1: the mafia runs right where they like charge you a 1029 01:02:17,280 --> 01:02:19,600 Speaker 1: bunch of money for like a chair or or like 1030 01:02:19,680 --> 01:02:21,640 Speaker 1: some piece of furniture, or they like do all these 1031 01:02:21,680 --> 01:02:24,760 Speaker 1: overages and you hide. You know, no one says you've 1032 01:02:24,760 --> 01:02:27,760 Speaker 1: got to get a good deal on your employees. No 1033 01:02:27,800 --> 01:02:30,200 Speaker 1: one says you have to like, you know, get the 1034 01:02:30,280 --> 01:02:34,640 Speaker 1: cheapest chair um or the cheapest like office worker or whatever. Again, 1035 01:02:34,680 --> 01:02:38,440 Speaker 1: these are all just ideas. But I do the Defense department. 1036 01:02:38,880 --> 01:02:42,840 Speaker 1: It's very very interesting. It's very very interesting, Ben, the 1037 01:02:42,880 --> 01:02:47,760 Speaker 1: Defense Department for a hammer or comci whatever, like this 1038 01:02:47,800 --> 01:02:51,240 Speaker 1: stuff happens. I love that you're bringing up construction scams 1039 01:02:51,400 --> 01:02:55,680 Speaker 1: because there's the possibility that this could exist. I'd also 1040 01:02:55,800 --> 01:02:59,200 Speaker 1: like to point out that I'd also like to point 1041 01:02:59,200 --> 01:03:03,400 Speaker 1: out the Jamie spear Is attempted to rehire Andrew Wallet 1042 01:03:03,400 --> 01:03:07,920 Speaker 1: after his resignation, but later withdrew that and Britney Spears 1043 01:03:07,960 --> 01:03:11,720 Speaker 1: was against the guy being rehired because, according to her, 1044 01:03:11,920 --> 01:03:17,080 Speaker 1: she said he was singularly unsuited to the position. And 1045 01:03:17,160 --> 01:03:20,440 Speaker 1: she also said they couldn't hire him back because they 1046 01:03:20,480 --> 01:03:25,320 Speaker 1: were facing hard choices about budgetary constraints. So how much 1047 01:03:25,360 --> 01:03:31,440 Speaker 1: are they paying that dude? And where's that money going? Yeah, no, 1048 01:03:31,600 --> 01:03:33,840 Speaker 1: it's it's it's uh, it's interesting there's a lot to 1049 01:03:34,000 --> 01:03:36,600 Speaker 1: consider here. And I don't think we've heard the last 1050 01:03:36,640 --> 01:03:39,840 Speaker 1: of this, man, I really don't. I mean, they're gonna 1051 01:03:39,960 --> 01:03:42,959 Speaker 1: keep fighting for it, fighting for her to be free 1052 01:03:42,960 --> 01:03:45,720 Speaker 1: of it. I I don't do we have a copy 1053 01:03:45,800 --> 01:03:49,240 Speaker 1: of the ruling? Is that public? Is that public information? 1054 01:03:49,360 --> 01:03:51,760 Speaker 1: Surely it is right? Like, I mean, don't have to 1055 01:03:51,760 --> 01:03:53,680 Speaker 1: give a reason, or maybe they don't really they just 1056 01:03:53,760 --> 01:03:56,240 Speaker 1: say no, denied. It's like it's like they don't have 1057 01:03:56,240 --> 01:03:58,120 Speaker 1: to give you a reason when your parole is denied. 1058 01:03:58,920 --> 01:04:01,840 Speaker 1: They just say denied. They don't. I don't think they 1059 01:04:01,840 --> 01:04:04,200 Speaker 1: have to give you a reason why your parole is denied. 1060 01:04:04,240 --> 01:04:05,560 Speaker 1: I think you make your case and then that he 1061 01:04:05,600 --> 01:04:08,480 Speaker 1: has accepted or deny it. I believe they said that she. 1062 01:04:08,720 --> 01:04:11,680 Speaker 1: I believe they said that she could petition it again 1063 01:04:12,680 --> 01:04:16,240 Speaker 1: in the same way that you can, you know, apply 1064 01:04:16,480 --> 01:04:19,600 Speaker 1: apply for parole or uh make a petition to for 1065 01:04:19,640 --> 01:04:23,920 Speaker 1: early release again or whatever. But it's similar to me um, 1066 01:04:24,000 --> 01:04:26,280 Speaker 1: and I think it's really messed up that there's no 1067 01:04:26,480 --> 01:04:31,560 Speaker 1: like data pointing to like, what is it about this 1068 01:04:31,680 --> 01:04:35,760 Speaker 1: situation that A causes it to be your father and 1069 01:04:35,800 --> 01:04:40,880 Speaker 1: be that that is that makes this this necessary? Yeah, agreed. 1070 01:04:41,160 --> 01:04:43,480 Speaker 1: This reminds me of a comic book. I want to 1071 01:04:43,480 --> 01:04:46,240 Speaker 1: give a shout out to UH. The friend of the show, 1072 01:04:46,360 --> 01:04:50,520 Speaker 1: Lauren Vogelbaum introduced me to UH the Wicked End the Divine. 1073 01:04:50,920 --> 01:04:53,040 Speaker 1: Check it out if you love graphic novels and the 1074 01:04:53,160 --> 01:04:57,400 Speaker 1: dangers of UH. What happens to the people behind the 1075 01:04:57,480 --> 01:05:02,840 Speaker 1: label of celebrity primary remain celebrities are human beings. Something 1076 01:05:02,880 --> 01:05:05,880 Speaker 1: weird is a foot here. A court has decided to 1077 01:05:06,080 --> 01:05:11,040 Speaker 1: apply uh, something that's generally reserved from the ill or 1078 01:05:11,080 --> 01:05:16,080 Speaker 1: the infirm to human being to Brittney Spears, who has 1079 01:05:16,480 --> 01:05:20,720 Speaker 1: said who has been fighting unsuccessfully against various aspects of this, 1080 01:05:21,160 --> 01:05:25,040 Speaker 1: namely her father. Uh So, how did a court decide 1081 01:05:25,400 --> 01:05:30,760 Speaker 1: that a conservatorship was necessary? We don't have that information, unless, 1082 01:05:30,800 --> 01:05:34,240 Speaker 1: of course, the court was somehow compromise. But that's very 1083 01:05:34,280 --> 01:05:40,000 Speaker 1: deep conspiracy theory territory. So we want to hear from you. 1084 01:05:40,880 --> 01:05:43,439 Speaker 1: We hope you enjoyed this episode. It's an overall look 1085 01:05:43,520 --> 01:05:46,640 Speaker 1: at what, as Neal said, is a continuing case. We're 1086 01:05:46,680 --> 01:05:48,240 Speaker 1: not going to hear the last of it. It will 1087 01:05:48,280 --> 01:05:50,440 Speaker 1: probably heck, it will probably end up in a strange 1088 01:05:50,480 --> 01:05:54,439 Speaker 1: news segment at some point. Uh, but what's your take? 1089 01:05:54,600 --> 01:05:57,480 Speaker 1: Do you think people are reading tea leaves here? Do 1090 01:05:57,520 --> 01:05:59,760 Speaker 1: you think there's much more to this story? And if 1091 01:06:00,000 --> 01:06:02,560 Speaker 1: know what, let us know. You can find us on 1092 01:06:02,600 --> 01:06:06,640 Speaker 1: the internet, uh, because we're a podcast. Uh. You can 1093 01:06:06,640 --> 01:06:11,000 Speaker 1: also find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etcetera, all the hits. Yeah, 1094 01:06:11,120 --> 01:06:13,520 Speaker 1: you can find us as a show or conspiracy stuff 1095 01:06:13,560 --> 01:06:15,960 Speaker 1: or conspiracy stuff show, or as individuals. I am on 1096 01:06:16,000 --> 01:06:18,880 Speaker 1: Instagram at how now Noel Brown? How about you, my friend? 1097 01:06:19,120 --> 01:06:22,040 Speaker 1: You can find me should the spirit move you to 1098 01:06:22,200 --> 01:06:25,240 Speaker 1: do so on Instagram as at Ben Boland. We're on 1099 01:06:25,280 --> 01:06:28,600 Speaker 1: Twitter as app Ben Bolland hs W. If you hate 1100 01:06:28,640 --> 01:06:31,360 Speaker 1: social media, you can call us on the phone. We're 1101 01:06:31,400 --> 01:06:35,520 Speaker 1: one eight three three st d w y t K. Literally, 1102 01:06:35,560 --> 01:06:37,160 Speaker 1: all you have to do is let us know if 1103 01:06:37,200 --> 01:06:39,840 Speaker 1: it's okay to use your voice and name on the air. 1104 01:06:40,920 --> 01:06:42,680 Speaker 1: And if you hate doing all of that, we have 1105 01:06:42,800 --> 01:06:45,120 Speaker 1: one more way. You can always contact us our good 1106 01:06:45,120 --> 01:06:48,640 Speaker 1: old fashioned email address. We are conspiracy at iHeart radio 1107 01:06:48,720 --> 01:07:09,280 Speaker 1: dot com. M Stuff they Don't want you to know 1108 01:07:09,520 --> 01:07:12,480 Speaker 1: is a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts 1109 01:07:12,480 --> 01:07:14,720 Speaker 1: from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, 1110 01:07:14,800 --> 01:07:17,680 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows,