1 00:00:00,760 --> 00:00:12,510 Speaker 1: Disgraceland is a production of Double Elvis. Britney Spears, her 2 00:00:12,610 --> 00:00:17,250 Speaker 1: troubling family ties, her reign in tabloid-hungry culture, and her 3 00:00:17,250 --> 00:00:20,489 Speaker 1: 13 years as a conservatee under her father, Jamie, is 4 00:00:20,570 --> 00:00:23,570 Speaker 1: a story that is so complex that we required two 5 00:00:23,650 --> 00:00:26,970 Speaker 1: episodes to properly tell it. If you're just getting hip 6 00:00:26,990 --> 00:00:29,430 Speaker 1: to this now, I suggest you hit pause and go 7 00:00:29,470 --> 00:00:32,550 Speaker 1: back to the previous episode of Disgraceland, part one of 8 00:00:32,570 --> 00:00:36,589 Speaker 1: the Britney Spears saga, where we discuss Britney's unstable childhood 9 00:00:36,630 --> 00:00:41,089 Speaker 1: in Louisiana, her father's reckless drinking and anger issues, and 10 00:00:41,130 --> 00:00:45,550 Speaker 1: the media-fueled meltdown that placed her under his thumb in 2008. 11 00:00:45,550 --> 00:00:49,090 Speaker 1: In this episode, we get into the details of that conservatorship, 12 00:00:49,570 --> 00:00:53,050 Speaker 1: an arrangement so strict and so unfeeling that it left 13 00:00:53,090 --> 00:00:56,760 Speaker 1: her without any control of her career, loopy on lithium. 14 00:00:57,210 --> 00:01:00,250 Speaker 1: and completely silenced for the sake of seeing her sons 15 00:01:00,330 --> 00:01:04,670 Speaker 1: and boyfriend. But even during those 13 years of submission 16 00:01:04,750 --> 00:01:09,580 Speaker 1: and surveillance, Britney Spears refused to stop making great music. 17 00:01:10,420 --> 00:01:12,220 Speaker 1: Unlike that music I played for you at the top 18 00:01:12,260 --> 00:01:15,500 Speaker 1: of the show, which wasn't great music. That was a 19 00:01:15,540 --> 00:01:21,020 Speaker 1: preset loop for my Mellotron called Neon Nightlife MK1. I 20 00:01:21,060 --> 00:01:23,410 Speaker 1: played you that loop because I can't afford the rights 21 00:01:23,470 --> 00:01:27,270 Speaker 1: to Butter by BTS. And why would I play you 22 00:01:27,330 --> 00:01:31,869 Speaker 1: that specific slice of smooth sidestepping cheese? Could I afford it? 23 00:01:32,690 --> 00:01:36,140 Speaker 1: Because that was the number one song in America on 24 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:41,020 Speaker 1: June 23rd, 2021. And that was the day Britney Spears 25 00:01:41,100 --> 00:01:44,459 Speaker 1: was finally allowed to address the court about her conservatorship 26 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:49,420 Speaker 1: after more than a dozen years of suffering in silence. 27 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: In this episode, Lithium Submission. breaking the silence in the 28 00:01:54,260 --> 00:02:00,390 Speaker 1: long-awaited emancipation of Britney Spears. I'm Jake Brennan, and this 29 00:02:01,020 --> 00:02:28,710 Speaker 1: is Disgraceland. Britney Spears knew she would have to be 30 00:02:28,790 --> 00:02:31,829 Speaker 1: fast if she wanted to get away with it. She 31 00:02:31,889 --> 00:02:34,110 Speaker 1: thrust open the door to the local burger joint and 32 00:02:34,169 --> 00:02:38,850 Speaker 1: held it open for her security guard. Not one she hired. No, 33 00:02:38,930 --> 00:02:42,100 Speaker 1: this was a stranger. A stranger hired a trailer at 34 00:02:42,180 --> 00:02:47,180 Speaker 1: all times. Hired by her father, her conservator. Six days 35 00:02:47,220 --> 00:02:53,620 Speaker 1: into this conservator shtick and it was already old. February 6th, 2008. 36 00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:56,580 Speaker 1: Brittany flashed a smile as she held the door. You 37 00:02:56,600 --> 00:03:00,040 Speaker 1: could call it Southern charm, but today was a strategy. 38 00:03:00,930 --> 00:03:03,630 Speaker 1: The guard entered the restaurant in front of her. Brittany 39 00:03:03,730 --> 00:03:07,570 Speaker 1: cautiously followed. The scent of grease and sizzling patties hit 40 00:03:07,590 --> 00:03:11,350 Speaker 1: her nose. Her mouth watered. After days in the hospital, 41 00:03:11,910 --> 00:03:15,430 Speaker 1: all this hearty, real food made her knees weak. And 42 00:03:15,470 --> 00:03:18,010 Speaker 1: then the presence of the guard looming nearby yanked her 43 00:03:18,030 --> 00:03:21,310 Speaker 1: back to reality. Remember what you're here to do. Focus. 44 00:03:22,050 --> 00:03:22,410 Speaker 2: Oh, you're right. 45 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,090 Speaker 1: So Brittany spun on her heel, and she flung the 46 00:03:25,130 --> 00:03:27,490 Speaker 1: door back open and sprinted towards her car in the 47 00:03:27,530 --> 00:03:30,470 Speaker 1: parking lot. She tossed herself into the front seat and 48 00:03:30,490 --> 00:03:32,950 Speaker 1: threw that fucker in reverse, just like a woman caught 49 00:03:32,970 --> 00:03:36,140 Speaker 1: in a paparazzi chase, which of course is inevitably what 50 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:39,340 Speaker 1: this little incident would turn into. She dialed with her 51 00:03:39,400 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: thumb on her clunky cell phone as she peeled off 52 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,200 Speaker 1: towards the highway. Her former business manager, Howard Grossman, answered 53 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:49,010 Speaker 1: her call for help. Meet him at the Beverly Hills Hotel, 54 00:03:49,050 --> 00:03:53,370 Speaker 1: he said, ASAP. Brittany banged a U-turn and steered straight 55 00:03:53,390 --> 00:03:56,390 Speaker 1: for the hotel. So did a handful of paparazzi who 56 00:03:56,430 --> 00:03:59,490 Speaker 1: spotted her flying solo on the road. She could escape 57 00:03:59,530 --> 00:04:03,170 Speaker 1: from her security, but she couldn't escape the onslaught of snapshots. 58 00:04:04,050 --> 00:04:06,330 Speaker 1: A few more paps piled onto the daisy chain behind 59 00:04:06,390 --> 00:04:09,050 Speaker 1: Brittany's black Mercedes Benz, and then another few, and then 60 00:04:09,090 --> 00:04:12,070 Speaker 1: it was a dozen. By the time she turned onto 61 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:16,159 Speaker 1: Sunset Boulevard, between 50 and 75 paparazzi cars were on 62 00:04:16,180 --> 00:04:19,700 Speaker 1: the haunted behind her. Brittany couldn't give a shit. Snap away, 63 00:04:19,779 --> 00:04:22,310 Speaker 1: publish what you want. She had business to tend to. 64 00:04:22,870 --> 00:04:28,770 Speaker 1: Brittany was beyond caring about unflattering photos now. Inside the 65 00:04:28,810 --> 00:04:32,330 Speaker 1: Beverly Hills Hotel, she and Howard reconnected over an urgent 66 00:04:32,370 --> 00:04:34,940 Speaker 1: matter they could barely discuss earlier that week when she 67 00:04:34,980 --> 00:04:37,980 Speaker 1: was confined to a hospital room at the UCLA Medical Center. 68 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: Damn that 5150 hold. Brittany needed a lawyer, a good lawyer. 69 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:45,040 Speaker 1: Someone who would help her navigate a term she didn't 70 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,100 Speaker 1: even know existed roughly a week ago. Brittany didn't want 71 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:52,770 Speaker 1: to end this new conservatorship. She had already accepted the situation. Instead, 72 00:04:53,350 --> 00:04:55,540 Speaker 1: she just wanted someone other than her father to be 73 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:59,180 Speaker 1: in charge. Does this sound like the idea of someone 74 00:04:59,200 --> 00:05:03,140 Speaker 1: with dementia-like symptoms, as Britney's father, Jamie Spears, had claimed 75 00:05:03,180 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: in his conservatorship paperwork only a few days prior? This 76 00:05:06,620 --> 00:05:10,530 Speaker 1: is a mature, respectful request. Britney wasn't asking for the 77 00:05:10,550 --> 00:05:14,090 Speaker 1: conservatorship to end. She just wanted someone else to be 78 00:05:14,130 --> 00:05:18,089 Speaker 1: her metaphorical boss. Someone she wasn't afraid of. She craved 79 00:05:18,130 --> 00:05:21,160 Speaker 1: a little humanity. She knew at this point, a different 80 00:05:21,180 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: conservator was her last chance at a decent life. The 81 00:05:25,260 --> 00:05:27,730 Speaker 1: timeline for her new legal arrangement had been hurried along 82 00:05:27,810 --> 00:05:30,409 Speaker 1: on purpose, and Brittany never even got the chance to balk. 83 00:05:31,089 --> 00:05:35,570 Speaker 1: Under normal circumstances, potential conservatees had five days' notice before 84 00:05:35,589 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: a conservatorship begins, allowing them time to contest the arrangement 85 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:42,800 Speaker 1: or find their own lawyer. But Brittany hadn't been granted 86 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:47,180 Speaker 1: any such time. Instead, Jamie Spears, her dad, claimed the 87 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: influence of Britney's quote-unquote life coach, Sam Lutfi, was such 88 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:55,740 Speaker 1: a threat that he needed to take over immediately. Jamie 89 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 1: didn't just file for the temporary conservatorship over Britney. He 90 00:05:59,560 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 1: took it one step further. That same day, Jamie requested 91 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,490 Speaker 1: a restraining order against Sam. He didn't want to see 92 00:06:06,500 --> 00:06:09,870 Speaker 1: that creep within 250 yards of Britney, or her homes, 93 00:06:09,950 --> 00:06:14,650 Speaker 1: her children, or her cars, even her parents' homes. Brittany's mother, Lynn, 94 00:06:14,690 --> 00:06:17,589 Speaker 1: laid out the explanation in a lengthy breakdown of Sam's 95 00:06:17,630 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: alleged sins. She claimed he drugged Brittany, cut her home 96 00:06:21,240 --> 00:06:25,060 Speaker 1: phone lines, and disabled her cars, disposed of her phone chargers, 97 00:06:25,540 --> 00:06:29,500 Speaker 1: and basically, Sam Lutfi isolated and gaslit the hell out 98 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:32,240 Speaker 1: of Brittany. And Lynn even stated that Sam had a 99 00:06:32,290 --> 00:06:34,990 Speaker 1: plan to have Brittany slip into a sleep-induced coma so 100 00:06:35,029 --> 00:06:37,650 Speaker 1: a doctor could give her drugs to heal her brain. 101 00:06:37,670 --> 00:06:41,490 Speaker 1: And that's a quote. Heal her brain. For real. Sam 102 00:06:41,529 --> 00:06:44,220 Speaker 1: already had two other strikes against him, too. Prior to 103 00:06:44,260 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: infecting Brittany's life, courts granted two other people restraining orders 104 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,500 Speaker 1: against Sam. One was from an ex-neighbor in 2004 who 105 00:06:51,540 --> 00:06:54,300 Speaker 1: Sam harassed and threatened, and the other came from a 106 00:06:54,339 --> 00:06:57,340 Speaker 1: former business associate who claimed Sam often harassed her with 107 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: offensive faxes and emails, plus 15 to 30 telephone calls 108 00:07:01,140 --> 00:07:04,810 Speaker 1: and hang-ups every day. All the claims suggested that Sam 109 00:07:04,850 --> 00:07:11,090 Speaker 1: was indeed a bad, bad man. The threat to Brittany's sanity, 110 00:07:11,210 --> 00:07:13,620 Speaker 1: even to her life, left from the pages of Jamie's 111 00:07:13,700 --> 00:07:17,250 Speaker 1: court paperwork. The judge granted the restraining order and the 112 00:07:17,290 --> 00:07:21,290 Speaker 1: conservatorship on February 1st, 2008, waiving Britney's right to a 113 00:07:21,330 --> 00:07:25,090 Speaker 1: five-day notice. First, they threw out her warning, and then 114 00:07:25,110 --> 00:07:28,210 Speaker 1: they threw out Britney's legal representative, the one she chose. 115 00:07:28,750 --> 00:07:31,610 Speaker 1: Because once someone becomes a conservatee, they don't have much 116 00:07:31,710 --> 00:07:35,770 Speaker 1: choice in anything, even if you're Britney Spears. And while 117 00:07:35,790 --> 00:07:39,010 Speaker 1: Britney completed her stay at the UCLA Medical Center earlier 118 00:07:39,070 --> 00:07:42,880 Speaker 1: that week, Howard connected her with an attorney named Adam Streisand, 119 00:07:43,280 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: as in cousin of Barbara. Adam spoke with Brittany about 120 00:07:46,550 --> 00:07:49,610 Speaker 1: her estranged relationship with her father and her desire to 121 00:07:49,650 --> 00:07:53,110 Speaker 1: have Jamie removed as conservator of her person and her estate. 122 00:07:53,870 --> 00:07:56,470 Speaker 1: He heard her plea and he understood her. He agreed 123 00:07:56,490 --> 00:08:00,170 Speaker 1: to speak to the court on her behalf. Their conversation 124 00:08:00,250 --> 00:08:03,890 Speaker 1: didn't matter. The court didn't care. Adam tried to explain 125 00:08:03,930 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: he had information demonstrating that Jamie wasn't a healthy fit 126 00:08:06,540 --> 00:08:09,310 Speaker 1: as Brittany's conservator. And the court turned around and told 127 00:08:09,380 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 1: him they possessed special information too. A medical report stating 128 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: that Brittany didn't have the capacity to retain counsel and 129 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 1: have an attorney-client relationship. Instead, incredibly, the court appointed a 130 00:08:21,500 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: lawyer on Brittany's behalf. A man named Sam Ingo. Sam 131 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 1: said that he chatted with Brittany over the weekend too. 132 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,100 Speaker 1: He claimed she didn't understand this conservatorship arrangement one bit. 133 00:08:32,710 --> 00:08:34,809 Speaker 1: And then again, maybe that's because his visit with Brittany 134 00:08:34,850 --> 00:08:37,870 Speaker 1: at the hospital was unannounced and only lasted 15 minutes. 135 00:08:39,150 --> 00:08:42,660 Speaker 1: The court rejected Adam's request and rejected him as Brittany's lawyer. 136 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: Then they ejected him from the courtroom. Adam Streisand never 137 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:52,410 Speaker 1: saw that medical report. If anything, the meeting had the 138 00:08:52,590 --> 00:08:56,090 Speaker 1: opposite effect on Brittany's fate. The judge extended the temporary 139 00:08:56,130 --> 00:09:00,350 Speaker 1: conservatorship for an additional week through February 14th, pending another hearing. 140 00:09:01,220 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 1: Britney's life and her $ 40 million estate remained in Jamie's 141 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:08,260 Speaker 1: control for the indefinite future. She was trapped, caged in 142 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 1: plain sight, 100% on display like a sideshow freak. But 143 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 1: Britney didn't do sideshows. She took center stage. She played 144 00:09:18,340 --> 00:09:21,740 Speaker 1: the role of the ringleader. Jamie might have the power 145 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:24,300 Speaker 1: to approve who she worked with, but Britney still called 146 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:26,740 Speaker 1: the shots as a lyricist, a singer, and a creator. 147 00:09:27,580 --> 00:09:30,250 Speaker 1: The world still wanted a spectacle. then Britney would give 148 00:09:30,270 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 1: them a spectacle, all right. As the tedium of life 149 00:09:33,390 --> 00:09:36,880 Speaker 1: under the conservatorship wore away at her spirit in 2008, 150 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:39,900 Speaker 1: Britney colored her world with dashes of dazzling yellows, blues, 151 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,940 Speaker 1: and reds. She moved her remaining musical freedom into the 152 00:09:42,980 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: big top ballooning inside her head. Britney Spears was about 153 00:09:46,940 --> 00:09:51,660 Speaker 1: to bring the circus to town. Circus, her sixth studio album, 154 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,230 Speaker 1: dropped in late November 2008 and raked in more than 155 00:09:55,290 --> 00:09:58,280 Speaker 1: half a million U.S. album sales in one week. Her 156 00:09:58,380 --> 00:10:01,780 Speaker 1: eye-popping pop bazaar went plump. in just two months. And 157 00:10:01,820 --> 00:10:03,730 Speaker 1: the hype around the record was so huge that the 158 00:10:03,770 --> 00:10:06,910 Speaker 1: lead single, Womanizer, shot from No. 96 to No. 1 159 00:10:06,910 --> 00:10:10,030 Speaker 1: on the Billboard Hot 100 in just one week. And 160 00:10:10,050 --> 00:10:12,310 Speaker 1: maybe Britney was a hot mess at times, but she 161 00:10:12,350 --> 00:10:15,220 Speaker 1: was still Britney. She tipped her top hat to the 162 00:10:15,250 --> 00:10:17,680 Speaker 1: absurdity of her long list of scandals with a dirty 163 00:10:17,700 --> 00:10:21,150 Speaker 1: little ditty called If You Seek Amy. The single casually 164 00:10:21,210 --> 00:10:23,410 Speaker 1: explained how all the boys and girls in the club 165 00:10:23,429 --> 00:10:26,840 Speaker 1: were begging to if you seek Amy. A grammatical nightmare 166 00:10:26,900 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: if you read it literally. A parental nightmare if you 167 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:32,300 Speaker 1: read between the lines and heard Britney spelling fuck me 168 00:10:32,580 --> 00:10:35,660 Speaker 1: on the radio. And when such vulgar verses went to 169 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 and remained on 170 00:10:38,950 --> 00:10:41,610 Speaker 1: the chart for 20 weeks, it was Britney who had 171 00:10:41,670 --> 00:10:46,089 Speaker 1: the lusty last laugh. She transformed tabloid gossip into a 172 00:10:46,190 --> 00:10:51,020 Speaker 1: veritable goldmine. The success of Circus eventually carried Britney from 173 00:10:51,059 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 1: country to country on a world tour, proving not even 174 00:10:53,900 --> 00:10:58,210 Speaker 1: Jamie could suppress her pop prowess. But suppressing Britney's superstardom 175 00:10:58,230 --> 00:11:01,290 Speaker 1: was never what Jamie wanted. Jamie wanted Britney to gain 176 00:11:01,390 --> 00:11:04,910 Speaker 1: all the success in the world. And he wanted his 177 00:11:05,050 --> 00:11:29,210 Speaker 1: cut of it. Britney Spears pressed her palms to either 178 00:11:29,250 --> 00:11:31,630 Speaker 1: side of the road case and hung on for dear life. 179 00:11:32,390 --> 00:11:36,540 Speaker 1: The case tilted, fumbled over bumps and probably cables taped 180 00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: to the floor. The vibration made her stage heels click together. 181 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,079 Speaker 1: There's no place like home, she muttered to herself in 182 00:11:43,100 --> 00:11:47,329 Speaker 1: the darkness. Sometimes Britney reached for the top of the box. 183 00:11:47,970 --> 00:11:50,840 Speaker 1: Other times she gripped the chair her crew provided for her. 184 00:11:51,480 --> 00:11:54,520 Speaker 1: But today, she blindly held her balance with her arms 185 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:56,890 Speaker 1: held out like she was ready to flap her wings 186 00:11:56,990 --> 00:12:02,610 Speaker 1: and rocket out of the case. In 2009, Britney Spears 187 00:12:02,650 --> 00:12:05,670 Speaker 1: remained in high demand. Such high demand that a large 188 00:12:05,750 --> 00:12:08,950 Speaker 1: road case was required to safely escort her from backstage 189 00:12:08,970 --> 00:12:12,090 Speaker 1: to beneath the stage inside arenas during her circus tour. 190 00:12:13,070 --> 00:12:16,630 Speaker 1: Before every show, Britney climbed into the case and perched 191 00:12:16,650 --> 00:12:20,220 Speaker 1: atop the small chair inside. held that pose for however 192 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: long it took to wheel her into the belly of 193 00:12:22,220 --> 00:12:26,140 Speaker 1: the venue. Limber dancer that she was, Britney could stay 194 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:29,210 Speaker 1: in the cramped position for a while. As staff whisked 195 00:12:29,230 --> 00:12:32,270 Speaker 1: her away, the fans that were wired into the road 196 00:12:32,330 --> 00:12:38,610 Speaker 1: case provided some much-needed ventilation. Every night, 40,000 audience members 197 00:12:38,790 --> 00:12:43,210 Speaker 1: never suspected a thing. Britney practiced this awkward act for 198 00:12:43,270 --> 00:12:46,670 Speaker 1: months in a row. She wasn't claustrophobic. She knew that 199 00:12:46,740 --> 00:12:49,339 Speaker 1: showbiz meant frequent discomfort for the sake of a few 200 00:12:49,380 --> 00:12:54,179 Speaker 1: seconds of magic on stage, but tonight was different. Tonight, 201 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: fear seized every nerve in Brittany's body. The air that 202 00:12:57,820 --> 00:13:02,020 Speaker 1: filtered into the case smelled pungent, earthy, trashy even. Like 203 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,460 Speaker 1: a skunk got spooked in the backyard and sprayed the 204 00:13:04,500 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: family dog. Just like pot. The walls of the road 205 00:13:10,640 --> 00:13:14,210 Speaker 1: case closed in on her. Her hands went clammy. Brittany 206 00:13:14,270 --> 00:13:17,189 Speaker 1: exhaled and clamped her mouth shut, pinched her nose between 207 00:13:17,230 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: her fingers for as long as she could. She frantically 208 00:13:20,100 --> 00:13:22,620 Speaker 1: tried to walk fresh air inside of her free hand, 209 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:25,680 Speaker 1: and the case sank deeper under the stage as Brittany's 210 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 1: lungs pleaded for oxygen. The case hit a row of 211 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,660 Speaker 1: cables and shuddered, and Brittany gasped a big ol' inhale 212 00:13:32,700 --> 00:13:37,970 Speaker 1: of fresh air. Shit. Finally, the case halted. Brittany's stylus 213 00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:40,170 Speaker 1: opened the door, and Brittany flew out like a bat 214 00:13:40,230 --> 00:13:43,130 Speaker 1: out of hell. It smells like pot. It smells like pot. 215 00:13:43,410 --> 00:13:47,050 Speaker 1: Brittany repeated herself for emphasis. The stage crew blinked at her. 216 00:13:47,340 --> 00:13:49,760 Speaker 1: Of course it smelled like pot. It was a concert venue. 217 00:13:50,120 --> 00:13:53,000 Speaker 1: And who said pot anyways? It was grass, weed, marijuana. 218 00:13:53,559 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: Fans snuck joints inside every night. In hell, catching a 219 00:13:56,320 --> 00:14:00,939 Speaker 1: secondhand high was part of most traditional concert experiences. Brittany 220 00:14:00,980 --> 00:14:03,870 Speaker 1: paced in a panicked circle. Her mind and heart jittered 221 00:14:03,920 --> 00:14:07,410 Speaker 1: in unison while she contemplated the consequences. She couldn't breathe 222 00:14:07,450 --> 00:14:09,910 Speaker 1: in pot smoke. She'd fail her drug test. And they 223 00:14:09,929 --> 00:14:13,000 Speaker 1: wouldn't let her see her boys. Her fearful voice cracked 224 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: as the tears started spilling. And the smell was down here, too. 225 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:20,820 Speaker 1: It wasn't safe. She wasn't safe. Brittany's face crumpled in despair, 226 00:14:20,900 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: and then she bolted. She tumbled into the innards of 227 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 1: the stage, skidded around corners in her stage heels, raced 228 00:14:28,820 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: towards the sober safety of her dressing room, and her 229 00:14:31,320 --> 00:14:34,460 Speaker 1: stylist followed in hot pursuit. When she caught up to Brittany, 230 00:14:34,740 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: she spun her around and got serious. There are 40,000 231 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: people out there waiting for you, she explained, chanting. her name, 232 00:14:42,380 --> 00:14:44,720 Speaker 1: ready to trip away when she cracked her prop whip, 233 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:48,040 Speaker 1: to see her prance, to see her strut around that stage. 234 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:52,610 Speaker 1: The show had to go on. Brittany didn't care about 235 00:14:52,630 --> 00:14:56,290 Speaker 1: the adoration of those 40,000 people. She cared about two boys, 236 00:14:56,670 --> 00:14:59,810 Speaker 1: Sean and Jaden, her sons. And if Brittany failed a 237 00:14:59,850 --> 00:15:02,510 Speaker 1: drug test from so much as eating a poppy seed 238 00:15:02,550 --> 00:15:05,890 Speaker 1: muffin or inhaling secondhand smoke, her time with her boys 239 00:15:05,910 --> 00:15:09,870 Speaker 1: would be reduced from limited to zero. Then again, if 240 00:15:10,090 --> 00:15:13,190 Speaker 1: Britney didn't quote-unquote behave herself and act like a gracious 241 00:15:13,230 --> 00:15:17,570 Speaker 1: little conservatee, then that caused trouble for her custody arrangement too. 242 00:15:18,390 --> 00:15:21,420 Speaker 1: The public had already forgotten about her conservatorship, let alone 243 00:15:21,500 --> 00:15:24,220 Speaker 1: what that word even meant. That was last year's news. 244 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,860 Speaker 1: But in Britney's world, the conservatorship was nearly all she 245 00:15:27,880 --> 00:15:30,420 Speaker 1: could think about. It ruled her mind because it ruled 246 00:15:30,460 --> 00:15:35,170 Speaker 1: her life, for good. As of October 2008, the conservatorship 247 00:15:35,210 --> 00:15:39,590 Speaker 1: of her person and her estate were legally permanent. Permanent control. 248 00:15:39,870 --> 00:15:45,830 Speaker 1: Permanent paranoia. A permanent nightmare. Brittany wasn't the ringleader of 249 00:15:45,870 --> 00:15:48,930 Speaker 1: this circus after all. She let out a shaky sigh 250 00:15:49,000 --> 00:15:52,300 Speaker 1: and surrendered. Members of her rogue crew escorted Brittany back 251 00:15:52,340 --> 00:15:55,800 Speaker 1: to her designated spot under the stage. Then they dismissed 252 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,380 Speaker 1: her wardrobe assistant. She had seen too much. She always 253 00:15:59,420 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: saw too much. Like the way Brittany bickered like a 254 00:16:02,300 --> 00:16:04,940 Speaker 1: teenager with her father Jamie over how often she could 255 00:16:05,020 --> 00:16:07,740 Speaker 1: use her cellphone. How she couldn't have sushi for dinner 256 00:16:07,780 --> 00:16:10,220 Speaker 1: two nights in a row because it was deemed too expensive. 257 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: How she was denied new shoes at the mall for 258 00:16:12,700 --> 00:16:14,820 Speaker 1: the same reason. For the record, they were a pair 259 00:16:14,860 --> 00:16:19,730 Speaker 1: of Skechers. As Britney's permanent conservator, Jamie now exercised more 260 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,170 Speaker 1: power than ever. The power to cancel all her credit cards, 261 00:16:23,590 --> 00:16:26,690 Speaker 1: to pursue new professional opportunities for Britney as long as 262 00:16:26,750 --> 00:16:30,530 Speaker 1: Britney's medical team approved. Britney, on the other hand, didn't 263 00:16:30,570 --> 00:16:33,270 Speaker 1: have the right to approve Jack if her medical team 264 00:16:33,310 --> 00:16:37,050 Speaker 1: okayed it, considered the contract signed, Brittany never bought Jamie 265 00:16:37,090 --> 00:16:39,330 Speaker 1: that boat, but she did buy him a new car, 266 00:16:39,730 --> 00:16:42,770 Speaker 1: under lease with her money. Against her will, of course, 267 00:16:43,070 --> 00:16:46,090 Speaker 1: because Brittany no longer had any direct access to her finances. 268 00:16:47,270 --> 00:16:52,300 Speaker 1: If Brittany desired anything, it had to be approved first. Clothes, food, anything, everything. 269 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,760 Speaker 1: If she so much as wanted $ 100 to purchase new 270 00:16:54,820 --> 00:16:57,320 Speaker 1: books for her sons, she had to call and ask 271 00:16:57,360 --> 00:16:59,540 Speaker 1: for it. It could be days before she heard back 272 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,700 Speaker 1: with an answer. Days for a mere $ 100. 273 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:01,860 Speaker 2: For books. 274 00:17:05,380 --> 00:17:09,220 Speaker 1: For all this taxing work, Jamie, Brittany's dad, had Brittany 275 00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:13,859 Speaker 1: cut him a $ 16, 000 paycheck every month, straight from Brittany's 276 00:17:13,900 --> 00:17:17,389 Speaker 1: bank account. He named his own price, of course, and 277 00:17:17,430 --> 00:17:21,250 Speaker 1: in return, he limited Brittany's allowance of her own money 278 00:17:21,290 --> 00:17:24,030 Speaker 1: to $ 8, 000 a month, half of what he paid himself. 279 00:17:24,950 --> 00:17:27,530 Speaker 1: If anything was causing the Spears estate to dwindle, it 280 00:17:27,570 --> 00:17:31,129 Speaker 1: was Jamie's pricey paydays, not California rolls two nights in 281 00:17:31,170 --> 00:17:35,040 Speaker 1: a row. But the circus tour kept the cash flow consistent. 282 00:17:35,869 --> 00:17:39,129 Speaker 1: After Jamie milked Britney's stamina for 70 tour dates worldwide, 283 00:17:39,430 --> 00:17:41,990 Speaker 1: she returned home to California for some much-needed R & R, 284 00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:45,340 Speaker 1: which would be easy since Britney was allowed to do 285 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,140 Speaker 1: little more than sing, dance, and earn revenue. No more 286 00:17:49,220 --> 00:17:52,310 Speaker 1: days of Sam Luffy inviting paparazzi inside of the house. 287 00:17:52,920 --> 00:17:56,129 Speaker 1: If anyone visited her home, Jamie knew about it. If 288 00:17:56,190 --> 00:17:58,670 Speaker 1: Britney wanted to take a spin around the gated community 289 00:17:58,730 --> 00:18:01,210 Speaker 1: on a golf cart with her boyfriend, Jamie knew about 290 00:18:01,250 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 1: that too. Even leaving the neighborhood for a quick bite 291 00:18:04,140 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: to eat required a phone call for permission. It could 292 00:18:06,820 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: be minutes until Brittany got a call back. It could 293 00:18:09,080 --> 00:18:12,200 Speaker 1: be hours. And if you were craving that hamburger right now, well, 294 00:18:12,400 --> 00:18:16,250 Speaker 1: tough shit. You probably couldn't afford it anyways, right? Brittany 295 00:18:16,270 --> 00:18:18,750 Speaker 1: was used to life under a microscope. On the street, 296 00:18:18,790 --> 00:18:21,869 Speaker 1: at least. Not in her own house. Her reality had 297 00:18:21,950 --> 00:18:25,290 Speaker 1: flipped inside out. Before the conservatorship, her home was the 298 00:18:25,350 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: only place where she could safely slip under the radar. Now, 299 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,980 Speaker 1: Brittany never left Jamie's radar. He hired a security team 300 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 1: that made sure of it. Brittany knew that when security 301 00:18:35,270 --> 00:18:37,730 Speaker 1: showed up every day with pills in an envelope, she 302 00:18:37,770 --> 00:18:40,310 Speaker 1: had to take them immediately, right then and there, with 303 00:18:40,350 --> 00:18:44,790 Speaker 1: the guard watching. Same routine, every day. What she didn't 304 00:18:44,830 --> 00:18:47,630 Speaker 1: know was that the same guards could view her texts, photos, 305 00:18:47,670 --> 00:18:50,139 Speaker 1: and phone call history. All they had to do was 306 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:52,619 Speaker 1: log into an iPad with the same iCloud name and 307 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:55,660 Speaker 1: password as Brittany's phone, and boom, they had a replica 308 00:18:55,700 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: of her digital life in real time. She didn't know 309 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:00,920 Speaker 1: they were ordered to encrypt certain text messages and pass 310 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:05,369 Speaker 1: them along to Jamie in secret either. The grossest surveillance 311 00:19:05,390 --> 00:19:07,870 Speaker 1: sin of them all came when the security team hid 312 00:19:07,910 --> 00:19:10,490 Speaker 1: a recording device and used it to capture more than 313 00:19:10,490 --> 00:19:15,070 Speaker 1: 180 hours of audio without her knowledge in her bedroom. 314 00:19:15,869 --> 00:19:17,950 Speaker 1: Not all that different from someone asking if you're a 315 00:19:17,990 --> 00:19:22,290 Speaker 1: virgin or if your breasts are real, is it? When 316 00:19:22,310 --> 00:19:24,230 Speaker 1: Brittany was a child and things got rough at home, 317 00:19:24,290 --> 00:19:26,820 Speaker 1: at least she could run to her aunt's trailer. Now, 318 00:19:26,920 --> 00:19:28,920 Speaker 1: she couldn't even leave the house without her father knowing 319 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,109 Speaker 1: precisely where she was headed, with extensive means of keeping 320 00:19:32,170 --> 00:19:37,230 Speaker 1: tabs on her. Circus had enticed the masses once again, 321 00:19:37,650 --> 00:19:41,010 Speaker 1: and so had Femme Fatale, her 2011 album that produced 322 00:19:41,050 --> 00:19:43,929 Speaker 1: Hold It Against Me, Britney's fourth career number one single 323 00:19:43,990 --> 00:19:47,470 Speaker 1: in the Hot 100. It also marked a momentous occasion 324 00:19:47,510 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: in her career. Britney now had number one singles in 325 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:55,260 Speaker 1: three different decades. Her fame was on a rebound, ricocheting 326 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:59,550 Speaker 1: off her tabloid rock bottom era of 2006 to 2008. 327 00:19:59,550 --> 00:20:02,429 Speaker 1: But Britney now dwelled in a different rock bottom, and 328 00:20:02,450 --> 00:20:04,470 Speaker 1: this one didn't allow her any room to mess up, 329 00:20:04,869 --> 00:20:07,030 Speaker 1: so much as inhale a whiff of weed by accident. 330 00:20:07,580 --> 00:20:12,440 Speaker 1: Painfully ironic, considering her dad Jamie's liquor-laden past. But Brittany 331 00:20:12,500 --> 00:20:16,379 Speaker 1: endured it begrudgingly, strictly as a mother who loved her sons. 332 00:20:17,020 --> 00:20:19,580 Speaker 1: She knew they were the only thing still worth fighting for. 333 00:20:20,420 --> 00:20:22,700 Speaker 1: But she also knew that given the choice between living 334 00:20:22,740 --> 00:20:25,330 Speaker 1: like this or a life inside her special road case, 335 00:20:26,150 --> 00:20:33,250 Speaker 1: she'd pick the road case. We'll be right back after 336 00:20:33,290 --> 00:20:42,619 Speaker 1: this word, word, word. Britney Spears couldn't believe what she 337 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:46,330 Speaker 1: was hearing. From her spot on her therapist's plush sofa, 338 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,730 Speaker 1: it sounded like a dream. Like nothing was real. Because 339 00:20:50,770 --> 00:20:54,590 Speaker 1: nothing Dr. Benson was saying was real. It was all lies. 340 00:20:55,230 --> 00:21:00,020 Speaker 1: Rotten bullshit piped in from wildly unreliable sources who loved 341 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,960 Speaker 1: to stack the odds against her. Dr. Benson gobbled it up. 342 00:21:04,980 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 1: He received quite a few calls in the past few days, 343 00:21:07,180 --> 00:21:11,200 Speaker 1: he explained. Agitated ones. Calls from folks claiming that Britney 344 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:14,500 Speaker 1: wasn't taking her medication, that she wasn't cooperating to everyone's 345 00:21:14,540 --> 00:21:19,659 Speaker 1: level of satisfaction during dance rehearsals. Bullshit. She cooperated just fine. 346 00:21:19,980 --> 00:21:24,020 Speaker 1: She led those rehearsals for fuck's sake. Led all 16 dancers, actually. 347 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:26,570 Speaker 1: The dance studio was the one room in her life 348 00:21:26,590 --> 00:21:30,070 Speaker 1: where she could lead. Britney knew what this was really about. 349 00:21:30,670 --> 00:21:33,430 Speaker 1: This was about Las Vegas. About saying no to a 350 00:21:33,510 --> 00:21:38,399 Speaker 1: second residency. Because somehow... 248 shows at the Axis Theater 351 00:21:38,460 --> 00:21:43,140 Speaker 1: just hadn't been enough for Jamie Spears. Britney's famed Piece 352 00:21:43,180 --> 00:21:47,620 Speaker 1: of Me review deposited $ 310, 000 in the bank after each concert, 353 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:52,590 Speaker 1: almost a million dollars a week for five years straight, 354 00:21:52,590 --> 00:21:56,470 Speaker 1: $ 137. 7 million in box office sales total. Jamie took home 1.5% 355 00:21:56,470 --> 00:22:00,369 Speaker 1: of that fortune, along with a cut of Britney's merchandise sales. 356 00:22:00,750 --> 00:22:05,000 Speaker 1: That's $ 2. 1 million a in addition to his monthly salary 357 00:22:05,020 --> 00:22:08,420 Speaker 1: of $ 16, 000. Crunch some numbers, and over those five years, 358 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:12,450 Speaker 1: Jamie Spears raked in more than $ 3 million, skimmed off 359 00:22:12,490 --> 00:22:16,109 Speaker 1: the top of Britney's payday, of course. But Jamie wanted more. 360 00:22:16,530 --> 00:22:19,030 Speaker 1: His entire team wanted more. And they had the legal 361 00:22:19,050 --> 00:22:23,910 Speaker 1: weaponry to insure it. Britney's co-conservator, Andrew Wallet, again, that's 362 00:22:23,950 --> 00:22:27,100 Speaker 1: the guy's real name, submitted a document praising Britney's lucrative 363 00:22:27,160 --> 00:22:30,419 Speaker 1: career under the conservatorship and called their arrangement a quote-unquote 364 00:22:30,500 --> 00:22:34,440 Speaker 1: hybrid business model. In that same paperwork, he also happened 365 00:22:34,480 --> 00:22:38,119 Speaker 1: to sneak in a request for a raise. Convenient. Conservatorships 366 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:41,379 Speaker 1: were supposed to work for the conservatee, for the vulnerable party, 367 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:44,990 Speaker 1: but these days, it seemed like Brittany was working for Jamie. 368 00:22:45,850 --> 00:22:49,010 Speaker 1: And because Jamie could agree to business opportunities on Brittany's behalf, 369 00:22:49,490 --> 00:22:53,409 Speaker 1: he kept that sweet, sweet cash coming in, regardless of 370 00:22:53,450 --> 00:22:55,760 Speaker 1: what Brittany had to say. Not that she ever got 371 00:22:55,800 --> 00:22:58,310 Speaker 1: the chance to say it. No one asked her. If 372 00:22:58,350 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: she needed to rehearse or perform on her birthday, too bad. 373 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 1: If she had a fever of 102 directly before a performance, 374 00:23:05,000 --> 00:23:07,200 Speaker 1: too bad. And if she was forced to perform at 375 00:23:07,220 --> 00:23:11,530 Speaker 1: a mini-tour directly after 248 shows and she was tired, well, 376 00:23:12,030 --> 00:23:17,149 Speaker 1: tough darts, Pop-Tart. You're on it, eh? They called it 377 00:23:17,190 --> 00:23:20,210 Speaker 1: the Peace of Me Tour, a hastily branded extension of 378 00:23:20,270 --> 00:23:23,669 Speaker 1: Britney's residency. The tour was set to jet from the U.S. 379 00:23:23,710 --> 00:23:27,169 Speaker 1: to Europe over 30 dates, bringing some Vegas va-va-voom to 380 00:23:27,190 --> 00:23:30,510 Speaker 1: the fat wallets who couldn't make it to Nevada. Legally, 381 00:23:30,830 --> 00:23:33,970 Speaker 1: Britney couldn't even shoot the dates down. Her current management 382 00:23:34,010 --> 00:23:37,570 Speaker 1: contract locked in her performance obligations. If Britney were to 383 00:23:37,609 --> 00:23:40,730 Speaker 1: back out, her own management team could sue her. So 384 00:23:40,869 --> 00:23:43,450 Speaker 1: she took the piece-a-me residency on the road and performed 385 00:23:43,510 --> 00:23:45,810 Speaker 1: until there were no more pieces of herself left to 386 00:23:45,850 --> 00:23:50,770 Speaker 1: give away. The tour ended on October 21, 2018. The 387 00:23:50,830 --> 00:23:55,189 Speaker 1: second Las Vegas residency was announced October 12th, nine days earlier. 388 00:23:55,630 --> 00:23:57,989 Speaker 1: They literally announced it before Britney could wrap up her 389 00:23:58,010 --> 00:24:01,689 Speaker 1: first set of shows. Zero room for rest in between residencies, 390 00:24:02,030 --> 00:24:05,109 Speaker 1: or family time, or hell, time to grow her family. 391 00:24:05,910 --> 00:24:08,790 Speaker 1: By 2019, Britney was eager to bring more children into 392 00:24:08,810 --> 00:24:11,649 Speaker 1: the Spears household, but Jamie refused to let her see 393 00:24:11,690 --> 00:24:16,090 Speaker 1: a doctor who could remove her IUD. Jamie's control went 394 00:24:16,190 --> 00:24:19,230 Speaker 1: that deep. It spread to the most intimate parts of 395 00:24:19,270 --> 00:24:22,470 Speaker 1: her body, The only thing drowning out the maternal tick-tick 396 00:24:22,530 --> 00:24:24,969 Speaker 1: boom in her mind was the rhythm of her razor-sharp 397 00:24:25,070 --> 00:24:29,580 Speaker 1: dance moves. Britney's body was long past the brink of exhaustion. 398 00:24:30,100 --> 00:24:33,340 Speaker 1: She needed a breather, a fucking break, to get out 399 00:24:33,380 --> 00:24:35,440 Speaker 1: of the zone for a while before her limbs straight 400 00:24:35,480 --> 00:24:39,180 Speaker 1: up fell off her body. But Vegas was heating up again. 401 00:24:39,850 --> 00:24:43,950 Speaker 1: Lady Gaga relocated her ludicrous pop to the strip. Bruno Mars' 402 00:24:43,990 --> 00:24:46,570 Speaker 1: suave singing brought in the big bucks with his residency 403 00:24:46,650 --> 00:24:49,730 Speaker 1: over at the Park Theatre. Calvin Harris and the Chainsmokers 404 00:24:49,790 --> 00:24:53,510 Speaker 1: DJed through evenings of debauchery under million-dollar contracts with nightclubs. 405 00:24:54,290 --> 00:24:57,210 Speaker 1: The Las Vegas residencies weren't just a sad cash grab 406 00:24:57,230 --> 00:24:59,889 Speaker 1: for has-beens who were too old to tour anymore. No 407 00:24:59,950 --> 00:25:04,159 Speaker 1: longer a gig where old stars rot alongside the outdated hotels, 408 00:25:04,260 --> 00:25:07,720 Speaker 1: paint-peeling from their facade of old grandeur, once the gleaming 409 00:25:07,780 --> 00:25:12,780 Speaker 1: highlights of American pop culture, and now unkempt and underwhelming. No, 410 00:25:13,330 --> 00:25:16,590 Speaker 1: Las Vegas was new again, and the desert was hot. 411 00:25:17,410 --> 00:25:20,910 Speaker 1: So Britney's presence there had to stay hot too. News 412 00:25:20,970 --> 00:25:24,489 Speaker 1: of her second residency rocked the pop community. Flashing new 413 00:25:24,510 --> 00:25:27,760 Speaker 1: billboards graced the sleaze of the strip. Another concept came 414 00:25:27,800 --> 00:25:33,940 Speaker 1: into focus. Britney. Domination. Maybe the name was the final straw. Domination. 415 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:38,790 Speaker 1: More like dominated. Britney was sick of the submission. Britney 416 00:25:38,830 --> 00:25:41,369 Speaker 1: said no. To the name. To the residency. To the 417 00:25:41,430 --> 00:25:44,350 Speaker 1: endless work without adequate rest. She said no to all 418 00:25:44,390 --> 00:25:48,930 Speaker 1: of it. One little word. Two little letters. One massive 419 00:25:49,050 --> 00:25:54,500 Speaker 1: source of trouble. Someone or something had to quiet that trouble. 420 00:25:55,160 --> 00:26:00,340 Speaker 1: Brittany's therapist chose lithium. Then things in Brittany's world slowed 421 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:07,689 Speaker 1: to a halt. Her legs hurt like hell. She stretched 422 00:26:07,730 --> 00:26:10,090 Speaker 1: them from the discomfort of the foreign bed she was 423 00:26:10,130 --> 00:26:13,790 Speaker 1: tucked into. She couldn't dance anymore, not here, and they 424 00:26:13,810 --> 00:26:17,250 Speaker 1: wouldn't let her. For Brittany, they once meant her father 425 00:26:17,290 --> 00:26:20,710 Speaker 1: and the legal team behind the conservatorship. But in recent weeks, 426 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: they had swelled to include even more people, specifically the 427 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:26,900 Speaker 1: nurses at the mental health facility where she was currently living. 428 00:26:27,660 --> 00:26:30,640 Speaker 1: But despite their constant presence, no one at the facility 429 00:26:30,660 --> 00:26:34,439 Speaker 1: could adequately explain why she was here. Brittany traced the 430 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,200 Speaker 1: events again in her mind. She said no to the residency. 431 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:39,590 Speaker 1: and the doctor put her on lithium and ripped her 432 00:26:39,609 --> 00:26:42,810 Speaker 1: from the comfort of her regular medications. She devolved into 433 00:26:42,850 --> 00:26:46,370 Speaker 1: a sleepy, slurring mess. She apparently failed a mental health 434 00:26:46,410 --> 00:26:49,490 Speaker 1: test that she didn't even understand. And now she was here, 435 00:26:49,850 --> 00:26:53,750 Speaker 1: in a small facility in Beverly Hills, for rehab. Rehab 436 00:26:53,770 --> 00:26:56,830 Speaker 1: for what, exactly? She was squeaky clean in every way. 437 00:26:57,430 --> 00:26:58,990 Speaker 1: If she looked drunk all the time, it was only 438 00:26:59,030 --> 00:27:01,470 Speaker 1: because they were pumping her full of lithium every day 439 00:27:01,510 --> 00:27:04,200 Speaker 1: that kept her in a stupor. And the only benefit 440 00:27:04,220 --> 00:27:06,210 Speaker 1: of the lithium loopiness was that it took the edge 441 00:27:06,270 --> 00:27:09,850 Speaker 1: off her extreme lack of privacy. Nurses watched Brittany just 442 00:27:09,890 --> 00:27:12,429 Speaker 1: like the paparazzi used to, except they were by her 443 00:27:12,490 --> 00:27:15,209 Speaker 1: side at her new home 24 hours a day. They 444 00:27:15,250 --> 00:27:18,530 Speaker 1: watched her change, buck naked every morning. They peered at 445 00:27:18,570 --> 00:27:20,790 Speaker 1: her from the hallways right through the empty doorframe to 446 00:27:20,830 --> 00:27:24,030 Speaker 1: Brittany's room where a door should have been. Stretching her 447 00:27:24,070 --> 00:27:27,159 Speaker 1: limbs in a rehearsal studio is obviously off the table. 448 00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:31,679 Speaker 1: Brittany couldn't dance, but she could sure work. Long days, 449 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:35,260 Speaker 1: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., every day. No weekends off. 450 00:27:35,820 --> 00:27:38,460 Speaker 1: Brittany didn't even know how that was illegal. She might 451 00:27:38,510 --> 00:27:41,110 Speaker 1: not have been performing anymore, but her body slumped into 452 00:27:41,150 --> 00:27:44,630 Speaker 1: a new kind of exhaustion. Her joints ached from sitting 453 00:27:44,650 --> 00:27:46,990 Speaker 1: through meetings 10 hours a day, 7 days a week. 454 00:27:47,670 --> 00:27:49,690 Speaker 1: Her schedule was new, but her dad Jamie in the 455 00:27:49,750 --> 00:27:53,780 Speaker 1: rehab facility dangled the same damn carrot in front of her. Misbehave, 456 00:27:54,060 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: and you'll be missing your children. And your honky boyfriend, too. 457 00:27:57,859 --> 00:28:01,659 Speaker 1: So Brittany obeyed. Miss American Dream, since she was 17, 458 00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:08,180 Speaker 1: now lived a 9-to-5 nightmare. And for this grand luxury 459 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:12,869 Speaker 1: of working 10-hour days, 7 days a week, Brittany paid 460 00:28:12,869 --> 00:28:17,470 Speaker 1: $ 60, 000 every month. $ 60, 000 to be in a rehabilitation program 461 00:28:17,490 --> 00:28:21,649 Speaker 1: when there was nothing to rehabilitate except perhaps a perceived disobedience. 462 00:28:22,770 --> 00:28:25,760 Speaker 1: As one final blow to Brittany's freedom, Brittany didn't even 463 00:28:25,800 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 1: have a phone. And that's where Jamie Spears and the 464 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:32,980 Speaker 1: rest of the unnecessary team messed up. Because if Britney 465 00:28:33,020 --> 00:28:35,760 Speaker 1: didn't have her phone, she couldn't post to social media. 466 00:28:36,200 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: Her Instagram and Twitter accounts went radio silent for months. 467 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:46,580 Speaker 1: Fans noticed. They talked. Posted. Stirred up new conversations about 468 00:28:46,620 --> 00:28:50,860 Speaker 1: the conservatorship. Relearned what the hell a conservatorship was. They 469 00:28:50,900 --> 00:28:53,500 Speaker 1: learned a little empathy, too. Something that was lacking in 470 00:28:53,540 --> 00:28:59,210 Speaker 1: the ravenous tabloid culture of 2007 and 2008. The news exploded. Wait, 471 00:28:59,590 --> 00:29:03,690 Speaker 1: this conservatorship was still a thing? Fans retweeted every article. 472 00:29:03,890 --> 00:29:08,780 Speaker 1: They theorized, started podcasts, made YouTube videos. They made a hashtag, too. 473 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,360 Speaker 1: Free Britney. And then, they started a movement. 474 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:23,300 Speaker 2: The private investigator was lucky the chant was so simple. 475 00:29:23,340 --> 00:29:27,080 Speaker 2: What do we want? Free Britney. When do we want it? 476 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:35,980 Speaker 1: The private investigator was lucky the chant was so simple. 477 00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:39,890 Speaker 1: What do we want? Free Britney. When do we want it? 478 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:40,700 Speaker 2: Now. 479 00:29:41,630 --> 00:29:44,350 Speaker 1: The PI yelled along with the small circus of fans 480 00:29:44,410 --> 00:29:47,190 Speaker 1: gathered on the street. She marched in step with the 481 00:29:47,270 --> 00:29:50,690 Speaker 1: real protesters who carried signs that read, Britney is not 482 00:29:50,730 --> 00:29:54,390 Speaker 1: your slave and free Britney, bitch. The mole might not 483 00:29:54,410 --> 00:29:56,680 Speaker 1: have had a pithy slogan to parade around, but she 484 00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:00,310 Speaker 1: had the fangirl look down to his science. Pink sunglasses, 485 00:30:00,530 --> 00:30:04,150 Speaker 1: an old circus tour t-shirt, and fishnets layered under short shorts. 486 00:30:05,070 --> 00:30:07,620 Speaker 1: She wasn't there to spread awareness. She was there to 487 00:30:07,670 --> 00:30:10,480 Speaker 1: collect information and chat it up with the fans, hear 488 00:30:10,520 --> 00:30:13,260 Speaker 1: what they were saying, which aspects of the conservatorship they 489 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: were bringing up, ID them. Which was easy if you 490 00:30:16,580 --> 00:30:20,890 Speaker 1: swapped a few Instagram and Twitter follows. She played the 491 00:30:20,930 --> 00:30:23,810 Speaker 1: role of advocate for hours. But when the megaphone finally 492 00:30:23,850 --> 00:30:26,370 Speaker 1: went silent, the PI went home and fed all the 493 00:30:26,430 --> 00:30:30,630 Speaker 1: information directly to Britney Spears' dad, Jamie. Jamie claimed the 494 00:30:30,650 --> 00:30:33,910 Speaker 1: secret research was conducted for Britney's own protection against these 495 00:30:34,010 --> 00:30:37,729 Speaker 1: so-called conspiracy theorists. It was, of course, for his own 496 00:30:37,770 --> 00:30:42,230 Speaker 1: protection instead. What do these people want, anyways? As far 497 00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:45,780 Speaker 1: as Jamie was concerned, fans had won their battle. Jamie 498 00:30:45,820 --> 00:30:49,860 Speaker 1: stepped down as the conservatorship of Britney's person in 2019. 499 00:30:49,860 --> 00:30:54,160 Speaker 1: Problem solved. Except he remained a conservator of her estate. 500 00:30:54,700 --> 00:30:58,440 Speaker 1: Problem not solved. The conspiracy theorists Jamie bitched about weren't 501 00:30:58,460 --> 00:31:01,130 Speaker 1: onto a conspiracy at all. They just cobbled together the 502 00:31:01,190 --> 00:31:05,850 Speaker 1: truth in detail. And Britney's silence on social media in 503 00:31:05,850 --> 00:31:08,450 Speaker 1: 2019 was their tip-off. Just over a year later, a 504 00:31:08,550 --> 00:31:11,330 Speaker 1: petition to release Britney from the conservatorship had netted over 505 00:31:11,330 --> 00:31:16,050 Speaker 1: 134,000 signatures. The media was throwing around the word crazy 506 00:31:16,130 --> 00:31:20,410 Speaker 1: and Britney Spears in the same sentence again. But unlike 2008, 507 00:31:20,410 --> 00:31:22,870 Speaker 1: it wasn't that Britney was crazy. It was that Britney 508 00:31:22,910 --> 00:31:25,430 Speaker 1: had been locked in a troubling situation for more than 509 00:31:25,490 --> 00:31:32,090 Speaker 1: a decade now. And that was bonafide batshit crazy. Jamie 510 00:31:32,130 --> 00:31:35,470 Speaker 1: resorted to costly damage control and hired lawyers to advocate 511 00:31:35,490 --> 00:31:39,150 Speaker 1: for the conservatorship to news channels through on-air interviews. They 512 00:31:39,190 --> 00:31:43,320 Speaker 1: casually told newscasters about the supposedly great help the conservatorship 513 00:31:43,490 --> 00:31:46,640 Speaker 1: offered Brittany. The combined cost of all those lawyers' good 514 00:31:46,700 --> 00:31:50,980 Speaker 1: faith was $ 530, 000. They sent the bill to Brittany, of course. 515 00:31:51,580 --> 00:31:54,380 Speaker 1: She literally forked over half a million dollars for attorneys 516 00:31:54,420 --> 00:31:58,580 Speaker 1: to work against her best interests. Jamie even arranged a 517 00:31:58,620 --> 00:32:02,730 Speaker 1: special natural photo opportunity for the paparazzi. He made Britney 518 00:32:02,780 --> 00:32:05,780 Speaker 1: leave a public building without security alongside her boyfriend to 519 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:09,740 Speaker 1: show just how free and normal her life was. Jamie 520 00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:12,100 Speaker 1: could quell the news, and he could quell the courts. 521 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:15,460 Speaker 1: But for once, what he couldn't control was his daughter's 522 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:19,940 Speaker 1: own voice. Because in 2021, the court granted her permission 523 00:32:19,960 --> 00:32:24,540 Speaker 1: to speak at the next hearing. That's right. Up until 524 00:32:24,580 --> 00:32:27,440 Speaker 1: this point, Britney Spears herself was never a part of 525 00:32:27,620 --> 00:32:30,860 Speaker 1: any of these conversations. An attorney had a request that 526 00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:38,030 Speaker 1: she be able to speak. June 23rd, 2021. Brittany dialed 527 00:32:38,090 --> 00:32:40,490 Speaker 1: in to make the phone call that would change her life. 528 00:32:41,680 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: Everyone in the courtroom held their breath. No papers rustled, 529 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:49,200 Speaker 1: no pens clicked. The news outlets swarming outside impatiently pressed 530 00:32:49,220 --> 00:32:53,240 Speaker 1: their earpieces, waiting for the scoop. Fans gathered around phones, 531 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,370 Speaker 1: waiting for their Twitter update. For once, the world paused 532 00:32:56,380 --> 00:32:58,450 Speaker 1: their pop playlists and listened to what Brittany had to 533 00:32:58,510 --> 00:33:01,630 Speaker 1: say about her well-being. A courtesy offered over a decade 534 00:33:01,670 --> 00:33:05,600 Speaker 1: too late, but better late than never. Brittany found her 535 00:33:05,620 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: written speech, and then she spilled it all. The lithium, 536 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:13,790 Speaker 1: the lack of privacy, the IUD stuck inside her, the 537 00:33:13,810 --> 00:33:16,790 Speaker 1: 10-hour work days, the carrot dangling in front of her 538 00:33:16,870 --> 00:33:19,430 Speaker 1: children and her maternal will to do anything to see 539 00:33:19,470 --> 00:33:23,870 Speaker 1: them used to manipulate her into submission. Every detail sounded 540 00:33:23,930 --> 00:33:27,990 Speaker 1: another alarm, raised another red flag about her arrangement. But 541 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:31,940 Speaker 1: what shocked the court the most was Brittany's polished presentation. 542 00:33:32,580 --> 00:33:34,960 Speaker 1: She was lucid. Just as lucid as she had been 543 00:33:35,000 --> 00:33:38,330 Speaker 1: in 2008, 13 years ago, when she politely requested a 544 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:42,110 Speaker 1: different conservator from her father. On an afternoon when Brittany 545 00:33:42,150 --> 00:33:44,950 Speaker 1: had every right to scream and shout, she calmly stated 546 00:33:44,990 --> 00:33:47,930 Speaker 1: her case. This was a person who was capable of 547 00:33:47,990 --> 00:33:50,830 Speaker 1: speaking for herself, of understanding just what she was being 548 00:33:50,910 --> 00:33:54,450 Speaker 1: subject to. Within a month of the hearing, the court 549 00:33:54,550 --> 00:33:57,690 Speaker 1: finally permitted Brittany to choose her own lawyer. She hired 550 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:02,660 Speaker 1: Matthew Rosengart, Hollywood's litigator of choice for celebrities and major corporations. 551 00:34:03,630 --> 00:34:06,710 Speaker 1: Matthew came to court with guns blazing. He brought a 552 00:34:06,730 --> 00:34:10,160 Speaker 1: petition to remove Jamie from the conservatorship. He brought documented 553 00:34:10,200 --> 00:34:13,020 Speaker 1: proof that Brittany's medical team supported the removal of Jamie. 554 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: The most, or least, surprising of all, he brought paperwork 555 00:34:17,340 --> 00:34:21,300 Speaker 1: accusing Jamie of extortion, claiming Jamie straight up asked Brittany 556 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:24,880 Speaker 1: for an additional $ 2 million for him to leave the conservatorship. 557 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:29,920 Speaker 1: It was over. Jamie raised his white flag and packed 558 00:34:29,940 --> 00:34:33,390 Speaker 1: the last of his monthly $ 16, 000 paychecks into his suitcase. 559 00:34:34,570 --> 00:34:39,500 Speaker 1: On September 29th, 2021, a judge suspended Jamie from the conservatorship. 560 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:46,779 Speaker 1: Two months later, they suspended the conservatorship entirely. On November 12th, 2021, 561 00:34:46,780 --> 00:34:50,790 Speaker 1: the court stated that after 13 years, the conservatorship was 562 00:34:50,850 --> 00:34:55,029 Speaker 1: no longer required. Funny phrasing when you consider that such 563 00:34:55,050 --> 00:34:58,570 Speaker 1: a disgraceful order was probably never required in the first place. 564 00:34:59,230 --> 00:35:00,770 Speaker 2: I'm Jake Brennan. 565 00:35:02,370 --> 00:35:25,820 Speaker 1: And this is Disgraceland. Disgraceland was created by yours truly 566 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:29,000 Speaker 1: and is produced in partnership with Double Elvis. Credits for 567 00:35:29,020 --> 00:35:31,360 Speaker 1: this episode can be found on the show notes page 568 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:36,370 Speaker 1: at disgracelandpod.com. If you're listening as a Disgraceland All Access member, 569 00:35:36,650 --> 00:35:39,040 Speaker 1: thank you for supporting the show. We really appreciate it. 570 00:35:39,489 --> 00:35:41,669 Speaker 1: And if not, you can become a member right now 571 00:35:41,730 --> 00:35:46,600 Speaker 1: by going to disgracelandpod.com slash membership. Members can listen to 572 00:35:46,860 --> 00:35:51,029 Speaker 1: every episode of Disgraceland ad-free. Plus, you'll get one brand 573 00:35:51,070 --> 00:35:55,650 Speaker 1: new exclusive episode every month. Weekly unscripted bonus episodes, special 574 00:35:55,810 --> 00:36:00,030 Speaker 1: audio collections, and early access to merchandise and events. Visit 575 00:36:00,050 --> 00:36:04,730 Speaker 1: DisgracelandPod.com slash membership for details. Rate and review the show 576 00:36:04,790 --> 00:36:08,750 Speaker 1: and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook at DisgracelandPod. 577 00:36:09,110 --> 00:36:14,250 Speaker 1: And on YouTube at YouTube.com slash at DisgracelandPod. Rock and 578 00:36:14,270 --> 00:36:18,820 Speaker 1: roll up. He's a bad, bad man.