Britney Spears

kwanfan1818

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In an interview with Crooked Media, in which his fellow writer Jia Tolentino partipated, Ronan Farrow said that by reading court transcripts, there seemed to be an inappropriately jokey relationship between the judge and the Spears' lawyer who finally stepped down, and he cites a NYT article that said how they agreed to withhold some information from Spears:
https://youtu.be/MSg3NK1HUvU?t=120

Despite being in the NYT, I don't see any evidence that either the judge or lawyer has experienced an investigation or professional repercussions, aside from the lawyer losing one, however lucrative, client. IMO, if a lawyer tells a judge that they are withholding info from their client and/or a judge knows this and lets it happen, the judge should be removed and both dis-barred, but that's just me.

There was an interview with both Farror and Tolentino in which it was Tolentino, IIRC, who discussed in general the very small world of conservativeship judges and lawyers, and it was :scream:, if not unexpected. I think it was a separate interview.
 
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genevieve

drinky typo pbp, closet hugger (she/her)
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I wasn't justifying anything about the conservatorship or the surveillance.
I know...but one of the things that has bugged me throughout the whole discussion (not aimed any anyone specifically here, more about the whole conservatorship) is the idea that any sort of mental illness would justify this otherwise successful woman from living her own life without her dad spying on her all the time.

I think it's entirely likely that Britney Spears has a mental illness and will make some bad choices if given the opportunity - which may or may not be related to any mental illness she might have. So what? People make bad choices all day long. Why are the people around her so invested in ensuring she doesn't make any choices at all (this is a rhetorical question)?
 

Coco

Rotating while Russian!
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18,538
This all comes down to her being a public figure and performer and having a "brand."

I can't imagine a judge would ever be fine with this level of surveillance for a private citizen with bipolar. But someone probably made the argument that she could destroy her future earnings if left unsupervised with access to social media or the public. Despicable, really, she's been victimized by her own success.

I haven't been following super closely, but my mom is bipolar and it was prescribed lithium so it is definitely used on bipolar people. It has horrible side effects and ruined her teeth. She's not on it anymore.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
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35,799
They want her to make the choices that keep the $$$$ rolling in for them, regardless of whether those choices are healthy for her as a person.

It really bugs me when I read stories that say things like "she did a Las Vegas residency" as proof that she was doing well under the conservatorship. That she could go out every night and repeat the same highly-planned movements that she did every night before doesn't mean that she was happy or creatively fulfilled doing it.

This story gets sadder and sadder.
 

VALuvsMKwan

Codger level achieved
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8,845
They want her to make the choices that keep the $$$$ rolling in for them, regardless of whether those choices are healthy for her as a person.

It really bugs me when I read stories that say things like "she did a Las Vegas residency" as proof that she was doing well under the conservatorship. That she could go out every night and repeat the same highly-planned movements that she did every night before doesn't mean that she was happy or creatively fulfilled doing it.

This story gets sadder and sadder.
Benny and Bjorn were certainly prescient with this song:

 

skatingguy

decently
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18,397
In an interview with Crooked Media, in which his fellow writer Jia Tolentino partipated, Ronan Farrow said that by reading court transcripts, there seemed to be an inappropriately jokey relationship between the judge and the Spears' lawyer who finally stepped down, and he cites a NYT article that said how they agreed to withhold some information from Spears:
https://youtu.be/MSg3NK1HUvU?t=120

Despite being in the NYT, I don't see any evidence that either the judge or lawyer has experienced an investigation or professional repercussions, aside from the lawyer losing one, however lucrative, client. IMO, if a lawyer tells a judge that they are withholding info from their client and/or a judge knows this and lets it happen, the judge should be removed and both dis-barred, but that's just me.

There was an interview with both Farror and Tolentino in which it was Tolentino, IIRC, who discussed in general the very small world of conservativeship judges and lawyers, and it was :scream:, if not unexpected. I think it was a separate interview.
The lawyer in this case though were they representing Britney Spears, or were they representing the conservatorship? If they were representing the conservatorship then it would be up the conservator to determine what information was given to Spears.
 

Vagabond

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I think it's entirely likely that Britney Spears has a mental illness and will make some bad choices if given the opportunity - which may or may not be related to any mental illness she might have. So what? People make bad choices all day long. Why are the people around her so invested in ensuring she doesn't make any choices at all (this is a rhetorical question)?
I have known people with Bipolar Disorder who made bad choices but could manage their own affairs and people with Bipolar Disorder who made bad choices but could not manage their affairs. As far as I can tell, Britney Spears could be of either type.
 

PeterG

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Thank you. I coudn't open it but searched for similar content. Didn't know about the recording before.

I think it might come down to the question how ill she is. Her father could argue she needed monitoring because she was suicidal. I wonder if it's possible that she is not ill at all? Then again, a doctor doesn't prescribe lithium for nothing. It's commonly used for the treatment of schizophrenia. Could it be that she is afraid that a diagnosis such as schizophrenia becomes public because she is ashamed of it? And this was the reason why she didn't speak out?

Do suicidal people headline in a residency in Las Vegas for over a year? And then do a second year in 2015? And a third year in 2016? And then a fourth year in 2017?
 

PeterG

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13,624
Could someone who is suicidal do those things? Yes. Suicidal people do pretty much the same things as someone who is not suicidal accept that on a regular basis they contemplate suicide.

But @Husky was wondering if Britney's father was monitoring her because she might have been suicidal. Which, if that were true, would certainly make one question a conservatorship where a suicidal person is kept working in a high-profile job...for over four years.
 

skatingguy

decently
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But @Husky was wondering if Britney's father was monitoring her because she might have been suicidal. Which, if that were true, would certainly make one question a conservatorship where a suicidal person is kept working in a high-profile job...for over four years.
The whole conservatorship is questionable, so I think that makes it possible.
 

Husky

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Do suicidal people headline in a residency in Las Vegas for over a year? And then do a second year in 2015? And a third year in 2016? And then a fourth year in 2017?
Absolutely. There had been elite athletes who commited suicide.
 
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LeafOnTheWind

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I always need to step back and remember there are two parts to this. Conservatorship of Britney and conservatorship of her estate.
Jodi Montgomery is still in charge of Britney's conservatorship and I have a lot of questions about her too. There are things coming out about what she knew and that she was just as involved in monitoring emails, text messages and phone calls.


If you haven't watched New York Times Presents on Hulu it is very interesting. There are several people that had to sign NDA's when working with Britney that came forward for this interview in spite of what could happen for violating the agreement. One is from the security team that monitored Britney. He said he kept a copy of the transcripts monitoring her text messages and phone calls. He also kept a letter from Britney's court appointed attorney at the time that made him question the legality of what was going on. The head of security told everyone that the court knew of the text message monitoring and the attorney's letter indicated the exact opposite. The admin was told to destroy the transcripts and erase the iPad linked to Britney's phone. He did not do it because he didn't want to be part of destroying evidence.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
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58,289
The whole thing stinks and a thorough investigation needs to be undertaken into the whole conservatorship and everyone held accountable including the judges and lawyers involved in it.
I think it's more than conservatorship in CA is a horrible mess. I am pretty sure everything that has happened is legal. But it's unethical and the law needs to change to make unethical behavior illegal.
 

LeafOnTheWind

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I still am trying to wrap my head around the fact that they used the dementia reason to get around a 5 day notification that would have allowed Britney to obtain a lawyer of her own to fight the conservatorship from the beginning. Once they bypassed the 5 day notice and started the conservatorship the courts threw out every lawyer she tried to get on her own. That is a huge loophole that needs to be closed.

I am also trying to understand how they could keep it going with that level of severity. That level of conservatorship pretty much means that someone can't work, can't feed themselves etc. Surely that isn't legal and should result in some kind of sanction and loss of licenses. I don't see how they can pass any real standard of due professional care. Britney's level of ability to continue working pretty much means that particular type of conservatorship was inappropriate. If there is any justice in any of this, there should be people no longer allowed to practice and continue finding more victims.

If they could do this to Britney Spears for over a decade, what are they doing to those with even less of a voice?
 
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attyfan

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9,152
....
If they could do this to Britney Spears for over a decade, what are they doing to those with even less of a voice? ...
In the case of Britney, the people in charge (such as her dad) had a motive, several million strong, to keep control as long as possible -- and fight attempts at removal. That doesn't exist in most cases.
 

MacMadame

Doing all the things
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58,289
In the case of Britney, the people in charge (such as her dad) had a motive, several million strong, to keep control as long as possible -- and fight attempts at removal. That doesn't exist in most cases.
I think you'd be surprised. There are many people who are professional conservators and they rob each person in their care for whatever they can. It's not millions but its enough to motivate them and it adds up.
 

LeafOnTheWind

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Netflix did a dark comedy/satire called I Care A Lot about the nature of conservatorship and it turning into a profit making industry. Obviously they took a lot of liberties but the fact that this is a movie made at all probably has some roots. There was enough based on actual law and someone using all the loopholes they could find. It's not that much of a stretch to say this was based on actual fraud and abuse. I certainly hope we continue to take a look at what laws might need an ethical overhaul.
 
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MacMadame

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There have been documentaries on the conservatorship industry as well. There is a lot of abuse because once you are in one, you are treated as incompetent.
 

AxelAnnie

Like a small boat on the ocean...
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Do suicidal people headline in a residency in Las Vegas for over a year? And then do a second year in 2015? And a third year in 2016? And then a fourth year in 2017?
Yep they do. Bi-Polar is so darn hard to treat. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. That person doesn't want to lose the highs.

Watch " Wishful Drinking" Carrie Fisher's show that she toured the country with. It is on YouTube
 

PeterG

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13,624
Yep they do. Bi-Polar is so darn hard to treat. The highest of highs and the lowest of lows. That person doesn't want to lose the highs.

Watch " Wishful Drinking" Carrie Fisher's show that she toured the country with. It is on YouTube

My post had nothing to do with bi-polar disorder. My point was that I don't believe a woman who can hold down such a high profile job for over four years, a woman who was providing employment for probably 100 people or more, a woman who for four years was creating BIG revenue (a big cut of that stolen from her by others) was not suicidal for such a LONG period of time. Rather, abusers says she was suffering from such extreme mental health issues that they had to control her money and her life and her career...all while taking a big piece of her income she was somehow able to earn...while apparently being such a tortured soul.
 

AxelAnnie

Like a small boat on the ocean...
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My post had nothing to do with bi-polar disorder. My point was that I don't believe a woman who can hold down such a high profile job for over four years, a woman who was providing employment for probably 100 people or more, a woman who for four years was creating BIG revenue (a big cut of that stolen from her by others) was not suicidal for such a LONG period of time. Rather, abusers says she was suffering from such extreme mental health issues that they had to control her money and her life and her career...all while taking a big piece of her income she was somehow able to earn...while apparently being such a tortured soul.
Sure they can. Happens all the time.
 

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