ACLU rallies behind Britney Spears after conservatorship extended to 2021
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesFollowing the news that a judge extended Britney Spears’ conservatorship by six months to February 1, 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union has jumped to the “Toxic” singer’s defense on Sunday. The ACLU has been …
By ABC Audio on August 24, 2020
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty ImagesFollowing the news that a judge extended Britney Spears‘ conservatorship by six months to February 1, 2021, the American Civil Liberties Union has jumped to the “Toxic” singer’s defense on Sunday.
The ACLU has been vocal about their disapproval of the conservatorship, tweeting on Wednesday that “People with disabilities have a right to lead self-directed lives and retain their civil rights” and offered “If Britney Spears wants to regain her civil liberties and get out of her conservatorship, we are here to help her.”
Following reports that Britney lost her bid to renegotiate her conservatorship, the ACLU is staying true to its promise to help the “Stronger” singer, who has until September 18 to file an appeal.
“Conservatorships can result in serious financial, physical, or emotional abuse,” the organization tweeted on Sunday and shared a lengthy article they wrote that breaks down what the legal guardianship entails and of its potential consequences.
“Conservatorship means the court is taking away the civil liberties from one person and giving them to someone else,” Zoe Brennan-Krohn, staff attorney with the ACLU’s Disability Rights Project, explains. She added that “Because it’s such an extreme step to take, it’s really supposed to be a last resort.”
Brennan-Krohn argued that “conservatorships don’t necessarily actually make people safer: They can result in financial, physical, or emotional abuse.”
The article also explained that the only way to end a conservatorship is through the courts and stated, “As a general matter, it’s much easier to get into conservatorships than to get out of them.”
Should Spears file an appeal before the September 18 deadline, she and her legal team will be granted another hearing on October 14, as reported by People.
Britney’s conservatorship has been in place since 2008 following her public mental breakdowns.
By Megan Stone
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