Britney Spears is a world-renowned American pop star who reached her peak in the early 2000s. Her quick rise to fame earned her many loyal supporters and, in turn, made her one of the most talked about singers of her time. From her wearing denim on denim on the red carpet (something shunned by the fashion community) to her performing with a live python around her neck, Spears has had her fair share of iconic moments.

Yet, all good things must come to an end. The beloved singer seemingly hit her breaking point and brought national attention when she shaved her head and attacked a paparazzi’s car with an umbrella. This led to Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, petitioning for a “temporary” conservatorship. This conservator ship was unusually lengthy and lasted 12 years, however, we must wonder if this was ever fair.

Before the tabloids became all about Spears, she had already been a natural-born performer, from always seizing at the opportunity to sing and dance when her parents’ had company over to auditioning for a Disney show and immediately getting the part. Spears began her career on a small Disney show, which made her realize she was a natural-born performer. She remained on this show for a few years before she decided to leave and pursue her music career.

Her unique voice earned her a record deal with Jive Records and her first ever single “Baby One More Time. It hit #1 on the album charts and sold a million copies in the first week, which served as a preview of her significance worldwide. She then came out with the single “I’m A Slave 4 U.” This single was the first time she had broken her stereotypical, innocent look of the past, gaining her more attention from the older age groups. She then went on to market herself as an older, more mature artist; she frequented clubs and was always seen at the most extravagant parties.

“I think it’s horrible. Britney has no legal control of her life and her money that she worked hard for. She made her own success but can’t even enjoy it because it doesn’t go to her,” senior Marianpaola Chacon said.

Over time this lifestyle was brought to an end, not by choice, but by law. A court ruling in 2008 gave her father, Jaime Spears, a conservatorship over his daughter. A conservatorship is when a responsible person or organization (called the ‘conservator’) is legally appointed to care for another adult (called the ‘conservatee’) who is deemed unfit to manage his or her own finances. Thus, he gained control over her finances, property and even her social life. When she decided she wanted her IUD removed, she stated she wasn’t allowed to. It has gone so far as her choices about her bodily autonomy are up for others to decide.

Recently, through a string of hidden messages put out by Spears, fans started to suspect something was wrong. These messages originated from her Instagram account and a loyal fan states “[Britney is] leaving us breadcrumbs.” Examples of these cryptic posts included pictures of a scramble board that fans dissected for messages. Another post had an ominous quote in large letters that said ”she who leaves a trail of glitter is never forgotten”, fans guessed that this referred to herself and that she was encouraging her fans to not forget about her and to continue the #freebritney movement. During these times she denied any of these claims and her sister, Jamie Spears, stated that she’s just trying to have fun on Instagram.

This movement had been around since 2013 and the most loyal supporters have been fighting for her freedom ever since, even when Spears refuted these claims. News started spreading about her situation and it attained a mass social media presence that it hasn’t had in the past years. This resulted in protests against her conservatorship and trending #freebritney. Due to mounting social media pressure, Jamie’s attorney has reportedly filed a court stating his resignation as conservator. For the first time in 12 years, Spears will now be able to defend her freedom during a hearing on September 29th.

These events in the past few months have changed Spears’ life, but the hardest is yet to come. In these upcoming hearings, she will have to fight for her freedom. Spears states all she wants is to be able to ride in a car with her boyfriend and not live such a toxic life. It’s upsetting that for so long, our beloved star wasn’t allowed to be happy, but the future is promising for her.