American pop singer Britney Spears has urged a judge to end a controversial guardianship that has given her father control of her affairs since 2008 during an emotional court hearing.
"I just want my life back. It's been 13 years and it's enough," Spears said in the 20-minute address via videolink as diehard fans chanted their support outside the courtroom.
The 39-year-old star's finances and personal life have been largely managed by Jamie Spears since her highly public breakdown more than a decade ago, leading some adoring fans to launch a "FreeBritney" online campaign.
In an impassioned speech where Spears barely stopped to catch her breath and swore twice, the star said the legal arrangement had left her "traumatised" and "depressed."
"I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry. It's insane," she said, adding that she cries every day.
Fans and supporters of Britney Spears gather outside the County Courthouse in Los Angeles. Source: Getty Images
"I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive. I want changes, I deserve changes," Spears pleaded to Judge Brenda Penny.
She compared her situation to sex trafficking. "Making anyone work against their will, taking all their possessions away ... and placing them in a home where they work with the people who live with them," she said.
The singer has rarely spoken directly about the guardianship but her lawyer Samuel Ingham said in April that Spears wanted to directly address the court, resulting in Wednesday's hearing.
Spears said she wanted to get married again and have a baby. But she said she has a contraceptive device that she wants removed, but is not allowed to go to the doctor "because they don't want me to have children".
"I have an IUD inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby," she said.
"I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby."
The 39-year-old has two children with her former husband Kevin Federline, who has custody of them.
Spears has long had a difficult relationship with her father Jamie Spears.
Last year, she filed to remove him from the conservatorship and give sole power over her estate to a financial institution. Her court-appointed lawyer said she was "afraid" of her father.
Devoted Spears fans have long scoured her social media accounts for hints about her well-being, and any signs that she may be eager to throw off the guardianship.
Confidential records published on Tuesday by the New York Times say Spears told a court investigator that the conservatorship had "become an oppressive and controlling tool against her" as far back as 2016.
Spears reportedly said the guardianship system had "too much control ... too, too much!" and was prevented from making her own decisions on friendships, dating, spending and even the colour of her kitchen cabinets.
#FreeBritney activists protest at Los Angeles Grand Park during a conservatorship hearing for Britney Spears. Source: Getty Images
According to the report, Spears told the investigator that she wanted the conservatorship terminated as soon as possible and that she is "sick of being taken advantage of."
Spears is currently responsible for footing the legal bills for both sides, including the hefty fees charged by the attorneys opposing her in the case.
The controversy surrounding Spears' legal case exploded ', which chronicled her initial breakdown and her father's ensuing appointment as her guardian.
Under her father's guardianship, Spears swiftly returned to performing. She released three albums, appeared on various television shows and took up a Las Vegas residency.
But in January 2019 she abruptly announced she was suspending her performances until further notice.
Spears said she was "embarrassed" by her portrayal in the documentary, in which fans say she is essentially being held prisoner and claim she has been sending coded pleas for help.
Jamie Spears' lawyers say he has done an excellent job of managing his daughter's finances. In a statement, read out by his lawyer on Wednesday, he was "sorry to see his daughter suffer and in so much pain. Mr Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much".
But a judge ruled in February that both Spears' father and Bessemer Trust would oversee the pop star's finances, denying his bid to keep sole power to delegate investments.
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