In the most eagerly awaited memoir of 2023, “The Woman in Me” by pop icon Britney Spears, the star tells all about the behind-the-scenes of her life.
I listened to the audiobook version on my Libby app, which forced me to wait over 20 weeks for a copy to become available after the October release.
Spears is known around the world for songs like “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and “Toxic” but in this book, she focused on her fight for independence and the right to have a family. Money, conservatorships and exploitation lie at the heart of her story.
The only reason I didn’t give the book more stars is because I wish the audio version had been read by Spears herself, but she does write in the foreword that it would have been too emotionally strenuous. Other than that, it was well written in partnership with her ghostwriter, Luke Dempsey.
This celebrity is no stranger to publicity, tabloids and rumors. Some of the most intimate parts of her life were put on public display for entertainment. In a bold act of freedom, she offers her personal perspective of those events and sets some things straight in her memoir.
Her relationship with Justin Timberlake was one of the most shocking parts of the book. Timberlake, often portrayed in the media as a “good guy” or someone to take home to meet the parents, was far from that according to Spears at the end of their relationship.
Mired in infidelity and coercion, their relationship ended when Spears got pregnant and Timberlake insisted on aborting their child. Spears ultimately succumbed to her partner’s pressure and ended the pregnancy. She said that if it had been left up to her, she would have kept the baby.
I’ll admit that in reading this book, I was most interested in her struggle to overturn the conservatorship her father imposed on her after her infamous public meltdown following a decision to shave her head. She addressed that iconic moment when she was photographed smashing an umbrella against a car in full detail in her book.
Spears’ father was able to get a judge to appoint him as her conservator by indicating that she was unfit to care for herself, her children and most importantly, her finances in a legally binding agreement.
Intending to be temporary, the conservatorship lasted from 2008 to 2021.
All of her medical, financial, career and personal choices were under her father’s purview. A large portion of that relationship occurred during her Las Vegas residency and while on many tours.
On the surface, it seemed as though she was doing well. Her Vegas show raked in a whopping $137 million dollars in those four years, ranking it the fourth highest grossing residency of all time. Her tours grossed hundreds of millions of dollars
However, for Spears, it was a very dark period and she wrote that her dance rehearsals and ability to record new music were the only refuge she had.
Her father had her on a very strict diet, schedule and antipsychotics regime aimed at keeping her thin and compliant. She was given a weekly allowance of $2,000 even though she was bringing in millions. She was not allowed to have unsupervised time with her children or have romantic interests.
This control was enforced by an entourage of therapists, managers and lawyers that reported directly to her father and were on his payroll. Explicit rebellion, like refusing to take medication or asking for time off was leveraged against the star as evidence to strengthen the conservatorship. Even her mother, Lynne, and sister, Jamie Lynn, facilitated her exploitation because they benefited from it.
She was isolated, worked to the bone and it was all intentionally curated so that her father could retain control of her multi-million dollar estate and force her to keep earning more. I often paused while reading this book to be able to fully absorb the absurd amount of manipulation coming from practically every person with whom Spears interacted.
Her fame brought this seemingly protective law into the spotlight with the #FreeBritney movement. Typically reserved for the elderly or severely disabled, general conservatorships are intended to allow someone close to the individual, or a conservatorship firm, to make all major decisions on their behalf without any consultation or consent.
This agreement, once effective, is very difficult to appeal and has the potential to have exploitative and damaging effects on the conservatee. Because of Spears’ massive wealth, there was incentive to incapacitate her and keep her that way.
While Spears’ case involves far more money than usual, her circumstances are common for others in conservatorships.
“[The] lack of oversight in conservatorship cases created ‘a perfect storm’ for people who sought to exploit vulnerable adults,” stated a report by the Office for Victims of Crime in 2018.
There is a low chance of criminal conviction for these cases if the abusers are even taken to court in the first place.
This is because the victim has no access to their own money or any decision making power with it. They can not hire a lawyer, let alone a quality lawyer that understands the intricacies of conservatorship.
The medical aspect deepens the inability of a victim to advocate for themselves. As with Spears, conservatees are often coerced into taking medications that subdue their ability to advocate or indicate preferences. Many victims are admitted into long-term care facilities and this separation makes it even more difficult to recognize the abuse is even occurring until their estate has been depleted.
Despite her fame and money, Spears was the victim of persistent abuse throughout her career. It makes me question the enjoyment I get from her music and if I tangentially supported her abuse. However, she makes sure to acknowledge in her memoir that her fans are one of the best parts of her life and they frequently motivate her to keep going.
Her case in 2021 only ended up working out because the judge assigned to it allowed Spears to hire her own attorney. This is not the standard approach for conservatorship appeals. Spears’ father attempted to dispute the abuse claims stating that she was “mentally unwell,” but fearing criminal charges, eventually redirected his case for termination of the conservatorship altogether.
Spears’ victory now serves as precedent for others fighting involuntary conservatorships to regain their independence and autonomy.
