Pop-singer Britney Spears went before a Los Angeles probate judge yesterday to beg the court to lift the conservatorship she’s been under for nearly 13 years.
Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, has controlled her $60 million estate since 2008 — a year that saw the star have a public mental breakdown that resulted in hospitalization.
Characterizing her father’s rule over her life as “abusive,” Spears said during the hearing that while she may outwardly seem to be functioning well, she is miserable.
“I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy. It’s a lie,” she said. “I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatized. Fake it ’til you make it, but now I’m telling you the truth, OK? I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m depressed. I cry every day.”
One of the key revelations Spears shared with Judge Brenda Penny is that her father’s team has prevented her from marrying her longtime boyfriend Sam Ashgari and has mandated she stay on birth control to prevent her from having any additional children.