Video by Leslie Katz / CNET
Britney Spears is in the news again, but not for her music. Fans, including celebrities, express their support for the pop princess from the nineties after the release of The New York Times Presents: Framing Britney Spears, which is currently streaming on Hulu. Read on if you’re wondering why you keep seeing the hashtags #FreeBritney and #wearesorrybritney.
The documentary series
An episode focused on Spears from the documentary series The New York Times Presents appears on February 5th. The program, Framing Britney Spears, lasts about an hour and 13 minutes and has “generally favorable” reviews on CNET’s sister site Metacritic. Chicago Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper calls it “a thought-provoking look back at Spears’ life and career, up to and including the conservatory fight, while Spears continues to fight her father in court.”
The filmmakers contacted Spears and her family for interviews, revealed the program’s credits, but no one ended up in the film. However, friends, supporters, former employees and reporters are all talking on camera about Spears’ life, career and the campaign to end or adapt her conservatory. Two contributors to the documentary, Babs Gray and Tess Barker, are launching a podcast series focusing on Spears’ life, including the legal battle with her father, and the birth of the #FreeBritney movement to release her.
The latest news
First, you should know that the battle over Spears’ money and who controls it is still changing daily, with the documentary providing a better spotlight on the battle. On February 11, Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, lost his attempt to retain control of the delegation of her investments, NBC News reported. That does not mean he is completely out of the picture. But that does mean he will have to work with the financial firm Bessemer Trust, which acquired powers with Spears in 2020. Spears and the group are now expected to work together on a budget and investment proposal for the singer’s substantial estate. , Report NBC.
What does #FreeBritney mean?
In 2008, a California court placed a conservatory, which means Jamie Spears then had full control over her assets and business affairs.
Attorney Andrew Wallet resigned from a co-conservator role in 2019, leaving Spears the only conservator until a court appointed the Bessemer Trust to work with him. Some fans support a movement they call #FreeBritney, hoping the pressure on social media will convince the courts to release the now 39-year-old singer from the legal rule. The singer called the conservatory itself “voluntary” in the court documents filed on August 31, but also said that at the time she was “strongly opposed” to her father continuing as the only conservator – a wish granted when the trust was brought. in as co-conservator.
In November, Spears’ lawyer, who was appointed by the court, said she would not act again as long as her father remained in the conservancy, reports The New York Times. “My client told me she was afraid of her father,” the lawyer said.
Britney on Britney
The singer did not address the matter directly, but on February 9, she posted a message on Instagram and Twitter, and many fans believe she hinted at the situation. Spears posted a video and wrote: “can not believe that this performance of Toxic is from three years ago !!! I will always like to be on stage …. but I take the time to learn and being a normal person .. … I like to simply enjoy the basics of everyday life. ‘
And in a follow-up tweet, Spears wrote: “Every person has his story and their own fans of others’ stories !!!! We all have so many different beautiful, beautiful lives! Remember, no matter what we think we ‘of a person’s do not know. life is nothing compared to the real person living behind the lens.’
Each person has their story and their own fans’ stories !!!! We all have so many different beautiful lives 🌹🌸🌷🌼 !!! Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life, it’s nothing compared to the real person living behind the lens 📷✨ !!!!
– Britney Spears (@britneyspears) February 9, 2021
Bette Midler, other stars talk
In addition to Spears’ fans, a few celebrities have considered the singer’s issues since the documentary appeared. Singer Courtney Love was among the many people who tweeted with the hashtag #wearesorrybritney.
Singer Bette Midler also tweeted her support using the #FreeBritney hashtag.
Actor Valerie Bertinelli tweeted that the story of Spears makes me very grateful to my parents and how they protected me as a young girl in this insane business. ‘
makes me very grateful to my parents and how they protected me as a young girl in this crazy business #FreeBritney
– Valerie Bertinelli (@Wolfiesmom) 7 February 2021
Journalist Tamron Hall wrote: “Finally, the ‘Framing of Britney Spears’ looked at Hulu. It’s an understatement to call it heartbreaking.”
Finally, the “Framing of Britney Spears” looked at Hulu. It is an understatement to call it heartbreaking. #VryBritney
– Tamron Hall (@tamronhall) 8 February 2021
Actor Heather Matarazzo delivered a heartbreaking message, writing: “The anger and sadness I felt when I traveled with #FramingBritneySpears with me in my dreams last night. I woke up and wanted to burn everything down and be her friend.”
Diane Sawyer, Justin Timberlake’s setback
Older comments about Spears are also under scrutiny. Some people call out journalist Diane Sawyer for an interview with Spears in 2003 that appears in the documentary, while others do. praises presenter of talk show Craig Ferguson because they said on air that comics should not joke about Spears’ problems. Other fans criticized Spears’ ex-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, and others who were in some way involved with the singer or who once commented on her problems.
I need a public apology from Ed McMahon, Justin Timberlake, Diane Sawyer, Jay Leno and Kendall Ehrlich. #FramingBritneySpears is incredible and shows just how much Britney went through as a young person. Justice for Britney. #FreeBritney
– Meaghan Cunningham (@ MCnumber1) February 9, 2021
Britney Basics
If you have somehow managed to get to 2021 without ever hearing from Britney Spears, this is the shortest overview. Spears was just 11 in 1992 when she was thrown into The Mickey Mouse Club. Her debut album, 1999’s … Baby One More Time, has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide and is one of the best-selling albums of all time. She has won a Grammy Award, six MTV Video Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There is no doubt that she is one of the bestsellers, best earning and most wanted stars of all time.
But her personal life has often surpassed her career success. She married her childhood friend Jason Alexander in 2004 and the marriage was annulled after only 55 hours. She later plays in a reality show, Britney and Kevin: Chaotic, with the ultimate husband Kevin Federline – whose girlfriend was still pregnant with his child when he dated Spears. Spears and Federline had two sons of their own, and she later lost custody of both, while the couple’s various parent fights always made news.
Her mental health and other struggles became disturbingly public: in 2007, Spears shaved her head, apparently saying that she was ‘tired of people touching me’. But public sympathy often seems to favor Spears, who was a restless young woman who found fame and fortune too soon and understandably could not succeed.
How to watch the documentary
The New York Times Presents Framing Britney Spears is now available on FX and FX on Hulu. You can watch it on the Hulu streaming service, on the FX cable channel or on the FX website, as long as you pay for a cable subscription that includes FX, or you can subscribe to a streaming bundle that includes the channel.
The official FX YouTube channel was also extraordinarily free with clips from the program, if you did not mind getting highlights in two minutes of video blocks.