Control of her financial affairs was taken out of her hands, with her father, Jamie, placed in charge.
Some of the events leading to the legal order that played out in public, as photographers followed her every move, have been well-publicized – Spears shaved her head, went after a paparazzi photographer with an umbrella, was seen being taken to hospital, and went through a custody battle for her two sons. But most details of any potential health conditions have rightly remained private.
However, in the last few years questions have been raised about whether, some 13 years later, Spears really still needs help – and after months of legal hearings, the star has now spoken in court to give her side of the story.
In a speech lasting more than 20 minutes, Spears asked for the conservatorship to be ended, saying it is “abusive”.
“I want my life back,” she told the court.
Under California law, the burden is on Spears to prove that she is capable of managing her own affairs – which means the matter will need to be investigated before the ruling can potentially come to an end.
So what was supposed to be a temporary order is still in place, with many aspects of the singer’s life and finances – she is reported to be worth more than $50m (about £36m) – seemingly out of her hands.
While the conservatorship was an unusual step for a young woman – experts say they are usually sanctioned for older people suffering from dementia or similar conditions, who are incapable of making their own decisions.
It appeared at first to be working; Spears went on to release four more albums and held a multimillion-dollar residency in Las Vegas under the order, also known as guardianship.
But in August 2020, a Los Angeles court heard Spears was requesting to end her father’s strict control. At another hearing in November 2020, her lawyer told the court the star is scared of her father and will never resume her singing career while he has power over it.
Several hearings have taken place since then but Spears, who last performed live in 2018 and has not released an album of new material since 2016’s Glory, has largely remained silent until finally speaking in open court for the first time on 23 June 2021.
Before this, she had previously said that it is not the conservatorship itself she is unhappy with, but specifically her father’s control.
As Spears fights the case in the courts, fans are supporting her on the outside. There is a growing movement to #FreeBritney by those who think she is being controlled and manipulated; fans who argue that a woman who can hold down a Las Vegas residency, performing on stage night after night, is a woman who knows her own mind.
Lawyers for Jamie Spears dismiss criticism of his performance as conservator and say he loves his daughter, and that his canny management of the estate has saved her from financial ruin.
The case has led to renewed media attention on the star, with two high-profile documentaries released about the court battle earlier in 2021.
While Spears, through her lawyer, has previously alluded to her fans not being wildly off-track – describing their support as “informed” in a statement during one hearing and saying the scrutiny is “reasonable” – she has also criticised the media attention, describing the documentaries as “hypocritical” in a post on Instagram.
Spears was, at the height of her fame, the biggest pop star in the world. Her fans want to see her back on stage again.
One of the most scrutinized women on the planet, her every move has been followed, from her music career and her relationships to her breakdowns and now her incredibly complex legal battle.
Here’s what legal experts and her fans have to say about the case, as well as what Spears’ team and her father have said so far.