Britney Spears fans, Matt Gaetz turn out in Los Angeles for conservatorship court hearing

Record ID: 1626832

  • Title: Britney Spears fans, Matt Gaetz turn out in Los Angeles for conservatorship court hearing
  • Date: 14th July 2021
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (JULY 14, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** BRITNEY SPEARS FANS CARRYING BANNER OUTSIDE LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT AHEAD OF HEARING FAN TAKING PHOTO OF BANNER READING: "FREE BRITNEY BITCH" BRITNEY SPEARS FANS WALKING PAST CAMERA PROTEST BANNER READING: "THIS IS TOXIC! FREE BRITNEY BITCH!" (SOUNDBITE) (English) DERRIN STULL, 25-YEAR-OLD BRITNEY SPEARS FAN FROM LOS ANGELES, SAYING: "Well, I think Britney is just such a light in the world, she's done so much for society, for music as a person, and it's really sad that she was allowed to live in this type of situation for 13 years. So I think it's really important that everyone support her, now that there's the visibility, there's no excuse. So that's really of the utmost importance that we just make sure that everyone knows that this is happening, that this is going on and it's not right." BRITNEY SPEARS T-SHIRT BRITNEY FANS HOLDING UP PROTEST BANNERS OUTSIDE COURT BRITNEY FAN BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) LORIN SISCO, 24-YEAR-OLD BRITNEY SPEAR FAN FROM HAWAII, SAYING: "She means more to me than probably any other person in this world right now, like Britney means so much to me. She pretty much raised me with her music. I was two years old when Baby One More Time came out and my mom bought me her album when I was two. So by the time I was three, I was already dancing to Britney. By the time I was six, I was going to her concerts, so she raised me with her music. It's weird how a celebrity could actually feel like family to you. I've never felt like that for anyone else but Britney, but I feel like it's because she's such a humble human being and just so loving and just like so warm hearted." PROTEST BANNER/VARIOUS OF MAN MAKING PRO-BRITNEY SPEARS BANNER (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDGAR PEREZ, 31-YEAR-OLD BRITNEY SPEARS SUPPORTER FROM INLAND EMPIRE, CALIFORNIA, SAYING: "She's supported me since I've been growing up, since I was like seven years old, listening to music, trying to get through my own situations to the LGBT community. I'm gay and I and I, she helped me through a lot of things that I went through in my life to be able to get to. A little bit of support wouldn't hurt, just being here for her today through all the tough times that she's been through and no one deserves to go through any of this stuff that she's going through at the moment." BRITNEY SPEARS SUPPORTERS WITH BANNERS OUTSIDE COURT (SOUNDBITE) (English) TAYLOR COPPAGE, 29-YEAR-OLD BRITNEY SPEARS FAN FROM NEW MEXICO, SAYING: "It's been a long time since I've been able to come out here and support her. I'm from Albuquerque and so I just wanted to be here with everyone as crazy as me who has been trying to fight for Britney for years." (SOUNDBITE) (English) REPUBLICAN U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, MATT GAETZ, SAYING: "Every time, every time there's a hearing in this case that does not result in freedom for Britney Spears and dissolution of this guardianship, it is a black eye on the American justice system. There were grifters in this process that tried to act like they spoke for Britney, that they knew what she wanted. Well, now the whole world knows what Britney Spears wants, and it is the freedom and the liberty that should be offered to every single American. Free Britney" VARIOUS OF "FREE BRITNEY" STICKERS AND OTHER ITEMS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRISTINA GOSWICK, 40-YEAR-OLD BRITNEY SPEARS SUPPORTER, SAYING: "Like she said, I believe she's traumatized. She can't sleep. If you look at her, she looks tired. She just wants her life back and I understand that completely. Like this drains you. It completely drains you." VIEW OF LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT WITH FANS AND MEDIA OUTSIDE
  • Embargoed: 28th July 2021 23:06
  • Keywords: #freebritney Britney Spears Los Angeles conservatorship court
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA001ELTE4P3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Britney Spears fans and supporters gathered outside a Los Angeles court on Wednesday (July 14) as a tearful Spears won the right to choose her own lawyer to help her end the 13-year-long conservatorship that controls her personal and business affairs.
    After the decision, the singer broke down in tears as she again pleaded for her father Jamie Spears to be removed immediately from the legal arrangement.
    "You're allowing my dad to ruin my life," Spears told the Los Angeles judge by phone. "I have to get rid of my dad and charge him with conservatorship abuse." she added.
    It was the second time Spears had addressed the court publicly. Last month she called the legal arrangement abusive and stupid in a 20-minute public address.
    Jamie Spears has been a major player in the conservatorship since it was set up in 2008 when his daughter had a mental health breakdown. He is currently the sole person in charge of her $60 million estate.
    (Production: Alan Devall, Omar Younis)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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