It’s been almost a year since an LA County judge ruled against Britney Spears and determined that there was no clear reason to bring an end to the conservatorship that has placed the singer’s father in control of her finances.
To say that a lot has happened in the year that followed would be a massive understatement.
Thanks in part to a pair of documentaries about Spears, fans and activists have taken up her cause both online and in the streets, where they’ve rallied for the pop icon outside of buildings in which court proceedings concerning her case were being held.
Some have gone so far as to say that Britney is being held captive, and her conservatorship is a human rights issue.
But despite the best efforts of the #FreeBritney movement, Spears’ legal team is still fighting an uphill battle.
Britney is due back in court on June 23 for an appeal hearing.
Insiders say her father and his team are running scared, and the events of the past two weeks seem to support those claims.
It was recently revealed that Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, filled out a form indicating that Britney has been treated for dementia.
Sources close to the singer deny that she has any such affliction, but the form probably foreshadows a strategy that her father’s attorneys will pursue in court next month.
In the meantime, Britney has essentially decided to hedge her bets.
While she would probably prefer that the conservatorship be brought to an end entirely, she’s no longer asking the court to take action on that front.
Instead, she’s asking that her father be removed as conservator and that a new board of electors be appointed in his place.
There’s a lot riding on the events of June 23, and Britney is well aware that if her team loses in court it could be another year or more before she gets another opportunity to plead her case.
So it should come as no surprise that Ms. Spears is in the process of psyching herself up for what could prove to be the most important performance of her life.
Britney has been less active than usual on Instagram in recent weeks, so fans were overjoyed when she returned over the weekend with a powerful message.
As you can see, Brit decided to dress up — in a cat costume, no less — for the occasion.
Sources say her social media use is closely monitored, so Britney often employs subtlety when sending a message to her supporters.
"Miss pussycat loves to bite… be careful ladies and gentlemen!!!!!" she captioned her latest post.
She may not be able to come right out and say what’s on her mind — but for Britney’s supporters, the message was loud and clear.
"YESS take your life back Britney!! We’re all here for it!!" one person commented.
"JUNE 23. You know what to do Lioness," another added.
The fact is, the odds will be against Britney next month, just as they were last summer.
But this time, she’ll have even more fans in her corner than she had in 2020.
And it seems like all that support has Britney feeling stronger than ever.