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[–]imkingcomfort 2810 points2811 points  (1 child)

We should have let her fade away into obscurity years ago. In another life, she was able to walk away from the fame machine and spend her days on a sprawling ranch raising her two boys in peace.

[–]youllremainanonymousPost of the Year 2020[S] 507 points508 points  (0 children)

I wish I could upvote this 1000 times.

[–]internetornator 1367 points1368 points  (1 child)

I see her at my gym. She looks like she’s always stressed which is sad. I wish her bodyguard would let people approach her just so I can tell her to hang in there.

[–]famouslyreclusive 1346 points1347 points  (0 children)

make a t-shirt that says “hang in there” & wear it every time you work out!

[–][deleted] 798 points799 points  (5 children)

Britney Spears is no longer performing. From a May 2019 Variety article

"Britney Spears’s longtime manager Larry Rudolph says the singer may never perform again.

Speaking to TMZ, Rudolph said, “As the person who guides her career — based on the information I and all of the professionals who work with her are being told on a need-to-know basis — from what I have gathered it’s clear to me she should not be going back to do this Vegas residency, not in the near future and possibly never again.”

Rudolph has managed Spears for most of her career, going back to her first album, “Baby… One More Time,” in 1999.

“I’ve been with her for two-thirds of her life,” he tells Variety. “I look at her almost like I look at my own daughter. It’s very emotional for me … and really rough. Personally, I want for her to just find a peaceful, happy place — whatever that means for her. It’s not about a career anymore — it’s about life.”

[–]Alienatedkid 630 points631 points  (0 children)

Yet this is also the same guy that kept pushing her to work and the most concern about her image as if she’s one of his Barbie dolls.

[–]moosickles 201 points202 points  (0 children)

I hope he genuinely means that last bit. I hope she has people in her life that love her and want her to thrive in a way that helps her the best and not financially support the leeches around her.

[–][deleted] 83 points84 points  (0 children)

Shortly after Larry's statement, Britney said she will perform again. I don't know if you'd count on it considering her situation though.

[–]youllremainanonymousPost of the Year 2020[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Oh they’ll have her back out in no time.

[–]TheCatApologist 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Doesn’t she have a show coming up in LA?

Edit: no, it’s just a pop up show. Carry on.

[–][deleted]  (16 children)

[deleted]

    [–]greenday1822 353 points354 points  (9 children)

    He was a “model” from her Slumber Party music video and they met on set. I definitely get weird vibes, almost like he is getting paid to be her personal security guard or caretaker.

    [–]juneXgloom 196 points197 points  (0 children)

    That is what it seems like. I always thought that her team would approach the guys she seemed to have interest in and set up that kind of arrangement. She's had several boyfriends that seem more like babysitters.

    [–]chordsimple 31 points32 points  (0 children)

    Yes, very weird! That is exactly how he comes across. It's very creepy.

    [–][deleted]  (6 children)

    [deleted]

      [–]greenday1822 26 points27 points  (5 children)

      I definitely believe he is, but do you have a source?

      [–]McGrubbus 206 points207 points  (1 child)

      Her IG in general is disturbing

      [–]FrellingTralk 80 points81 points  (0 children)

      I don’t know about her current boyfriend, but I remember reading that her relationship with Jason Trawick was very shady. He was Britney’s agent originally, and after they got engaged it was planned to hand over the conservatorship to him if anything ever happened to her father

      It’s all super weird when you read more into this poor woman’s life. Britney originally went on a double date that was set up for her with Jason and she had no interest in him, and Britney’s mother then got involved and encouraged him to hit the gym, get a nicer haircut etc so that Britney would date him. I don’t know if Britney was aware that he was being paid, but certainly the whole thing was carefully managed by her family who thought that he would make a good partner for Britney after her previous two disastrous marriages that had been more about rebelling against her mother, particularly the Vegas wedding

      [–]youllremainanonymousPost of the Year 2020[S] 52 points53 points  (0 children)

      I was referring to her ex fiancé who is confirmed to have been on her payroll.

      [–]coocookee 23 points24 points  (1 child)

      I was just about to comment this same thing so thank you for bringing it up!! I’ve been following her Instagram for years, and the weirder her posts have gotten, the more I have wondered about who he is and how genuine their relationship is. It’s so weird.

      [–]techguy1231 14 points15 points  (0 children)

      You should check her tiktok account. That one just creeps me out.

      [–]chapelson88 5006 points5007 points  (539 children)

      Thanks for compiling this all. Her situation has always saddened and interested me.

      [–]youllremainanonymousPost of the Year 2020[S] 2355 points2356 points  (290 children)

      The amount of people on her payroll is almost as shocking as her dad’s history of substance abuse (which is one of the things he was brought in to protect Britney from) and the physical abuse her mom (and now her kids) endured.

      [–]mysuperstition 824 points825 points  (207 children)

      Why would her mom have not been granted the conservatorship? This has always baffled me.

      [–][deleted] 1101 points1102 points  (155 children)

      Her mom sold her out and was involved with that pap she was spending a lot of time with during her breakdown. Lynne Spears brought Dr. Phil to the hospital when Britney was on a 5150 hold. That is when they officially became estranged.

      [–]kakihara0513 754 points755 points  (34 children)

      Lynne Spears brought Dr. Phil to the hospital when Britney was on a 5150 hold.

      Well that's fucked up.

      [–]notnotaginger 1036 points1037 points  (32 children)

      Another reason Dr Phil is an unethical hack

      [–]moviesongquoteguy 443 points444 points  (20 children)

      Yeah I never got that whole thing. “Oh he was on Oprah so he must be amazing!!” Like if being on a mediocre talk show makes you some kind of great doctor. Let’s not forget that he’s basically the whole reason cashmeoutside girl exists.

      [–]notnotaginger 294 points295 points  (11 children)

      Yup. And I assume he was good at his job before (jury psychology) but there’s a reason hes not accredited anymore. The shit he does is so far outside the code of ethics.

      [–]Dizzman1 369 points370 points  (8 children)

      He is Jerry Springer with way better production value.

      Source: me. Spent four months working on the show (built his massive touch screen video wall backdrops)

      [–]bleeeer 49 points50 points  (7 children)

      AMA please.

      [–]TrepanningForAu 32 points33 points  (0 children)

      My parents used to watch his show when I was a kid. He fools a lot of people since he seems "no nonsense" with that texan drawl that makes him seem warmer.

      Years later, a coworker had him playing in her office as background noise and (for context) I had left an abusive relationship not two years prior. The shit he was saying to a victim of abuse was literally everything you shouldn't say. (I remember one point specifically was taking ownership of their contribution to the abuse (!!!) and something to the effect of putting more effort into the relationship when the person needed nothing more than to GTFO.)

      So many people watch his stupid show and I was horrified to think that there were going to be people staying in a relationship because they believed him and really thought trying harder would fix things (spoiler alert: the better you do, the faster they move the goal posts and their behaviour and poor treatment is not your fault or responsibility to stay and fix them).

      Wtf he needs to not have a TV show

      [–]Begraben 18 points19 points  (0 children)

      For example:

      Dr.Phil sending troubled teens and people with addictions to rehabs or "therapy ranches" that turn out to be work farms.

      [–]barto5 17 points18 points  (0 children)

      a mediocre talk show

      You mean the show that made Oprah one of the richest women in the world? A woman worth about 4 Billion dollars. That show?

      Dr. Phil is definitely a hack, but I don’t think you can call Oprah’s show mediocre.

      [–]nxtplz 21 points22 points  (0 children)

      As if we needed another one

      [–]mysuperstition 739 points740 points  (114 children)

      Oh my gosh. That poor girl. If you can't even count on your parents........how sad for her to have no-one.

      [–][deleted] 767 points768 points  (108 children)

      A lot of child actors suffer horrible parents. Linsay Lohan and McCauley Caulkin are the ones that spring to mind quickest.

      [–]rumsoakedham 834 points835 points  (47 children)

      Drew Barrymore is also a classic case. Mom took her partying all the time and she was addicted to cocaine by the time she was around 11 years old.

      [–]FrankieSaysRelax311 633 points634 points  (36 children)

      Drew is one of those celebrities who turned themselves around completely for the better—despite all the odds against her.

      [–]MzOpinion8d 340 points341 points  (22 children)

      She was so funny in Santa Clarita Diet. She and Timothy Olyphant were great together.

      [–]Thisisnowmyname 188 points189 points  (17 children)

      I never really thought she was a great actor (and to be blunt I still don't), but goddamn she's hilarious in Santa Clarita Diet. I don't know if that character was written to explicitly play to the strengths she has or if it was just a fantastic coincidence, but I'm glad it happened either way.

      [–]saintofhate 17 points18 points  (0 children)

      I am very sad Netflix cancelled it. I loved it. Damn Netflix's rule of three.

      [–]5_56_NATO 12 points13 points  (2 children)

      So pissed they ended it and on a cliff hanger at that!!

      [–]garretj84 305 points306 points  (8 children)

      It’s hard to think of anyone beyond her and Robert Downey Jr. that have been so successful at turning their lives around in the public eye. It’s interesting that they’re both from old Hollywood families and started working at around 5 years old, even if Robert didn’t become famous until he was ~20.

      [–]SakurabaArmBar 19 points20 points  (0 children)

      Steve O and a few of the other Jackass guys come to mind

      [–]fishbulb- 38 points39 points  (6 children)

      Rob Lowe had an impressive turnaround, too, even though he didn't start acting until his teen years.

      [–][deleted] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

      Yep. I'm super proud of her.

      [–]2meterrichard 457 points458 points  (5 children)

      Barrymore has got to be a Time Lord. Her career is like watching a train wreck in reverse.

      [–]WeezySan 11 points12 points  (0 children)

      Hillary Duff is another celeb who seems to be ok as well. I’ve followed for years and she seems so down to earth and no major headliners.

      [–]skilledwarman 302 points303 points  (25 children)

      I'm glad at least McCauley Caulkin has been doing alright lately

      [–]TheUmgawa 328 points329 points  (21 children)

      Macaulay Culkin and Wil Wheaton have really managed to weather child-celebrity exceptionally well. Wheaton's achieved some kind of uber-geek status, while Culkin just shows up in random places and YouTube videos, seemingly totally normal (or as normal as any of us are, ourselves).

      [–]pikameta 65 points66 points  (3 children)

      Ive been seeing him in a lot of small parts recently and it's nice to see him still acting.

      [–]Hausgebrauch 78 points79 points  (1 child)

      He said a while ago that he has so much money from his child actor days, that he doesn't HAVE to act anymore, so he only does it if he really wants to.

      [–]ShapeWords 19 points20 points  (0 children)

      One of the sadder parts of the whole child actor thing is that I think a lot of them who genuinely do enjoy acting burn out or are psychologically destroyed by, like, age 12. So they never get to pursue this artform that might have genuinely made them happy.

      [–]Discalced-diapason 22 points23 points  (1 child)

      Wil Wheaton is now no-contact with his parents, and has made several posts on social media about the abuse he endured as a child from them, either actively by his father, or passively by his enabling mother. I’m sad that he has something to speak out about, but I am glad he is sharing his own story and breaking the silence, especially as it helps others to break their own silence about their childhoods.

      [–]AmyXBlue 46 points47 points  (3 children)

      Idk if i would say Macaulay Culkin weathered that experience well. He had a real bad drug addiction. While he's doing good now, he was doing poorly most of the 90s and 2000s.

      [–]adillon808 32 points33 points  (0 children)

      If you're assuming that he had a bad drug addiction from paparazzi or celeb media then I'd have to disagree. The only legal trouble he had was being found with weed, xanax and klonopin. He was on an interview pod I listen to and he was asked about his drug days and he said he never did hard drugs although everyone assumed he did, he did say he sometimes drank to excess. I clearly don't know what's true or not but it seems like that's an assumption the public made about him because of how he looked/dressed.

      [–]TheUmgawa 42 points43 points  (0 children)

      You know what the only difference is between Macaulay Culkin and a bunch of my friends in the 90's and 2000's? He'd do something or look a certain way, and it ended up in a celebrity news rag. My friends only had to hide it from their families. It was the 90's; we all had problems. Some of us still have those problems, some don't, and some are dead. Like I said, Culkin is as normal as the rest of us.

      [–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (3 children)

      Wil Wheaton has clinical depression/MDD, whatever they're calling it now. He's very outspoken about mental health & his struggle with it.

      [–]maldio 10 points11 points  (2 children)

      He was treated terribly by Trek fans when he was a kid. Most redditors are too young to remember, but back in the day alt.wesley.crusher.die.die.die was a famously active Usenet group, people loved to hate on Wil.

      [–]OdeeOh 11 points12 points  (0 children)

      His brother is amazing is Succession on hbo.

      [–]HapticMercury 149 points150 points  (6 children)

      And the Jacksons, and Shia Labeouf as well.

      [–]Kendall_Raine 182 points183 points  (3 children)

      Don't forget Judith Barsi. I think we can safely say her dad takes the cake for "worst parent of a child actor ever"

      [–]TrepanningForAu 40 points41 points  (0 children)

      Even if I don't remember seeing her face on any TV show and only heard her voice on Land Before Time and All Dogs Go to Heaven, knowing Ducky's voice actor changed because she was murdered is just the godawful icing on the shit cake of reading her story. Poor girl :(

      [–]DoneDidThisGirl 25 points26 points  (0 children)

      Saddest Wikipedia page of all time.

      [–]LionsDragon 13 points14 points  (0 children)

      I certainly hope they don’t get worse.

      [–][deleted] 51 points52 points  (1 child)

      Whil Wheaton as well. His stories break my heart.

      [–]Jayohv 25 points26 points  (0 children)

      When his brother Dennis died, his dad was pretty hard on him and Wil even envisioned his dad telling him that "it should have been you". Sad stuff.

      [–]fartypantsmcghee 144 points145 points  (1 child)

      Gary Colman got fucked over royally by both parents.

      [–][deleted] 244 points245 points  (10 children)

      At least for Britney, she was unable to live her own life. Basically, enslaved to be this money making star. Terrible. Explains her shaving her head. Stardom really sucks.

      [–][deleted]  (7 children)

      [deleted]

        [–]jayjay1164 37 points38 points  (3 children)

        I read this in many forums. And at least one book. She was quoted as saying "my mom is going to lose it". And I believe it was amphetamines mentioned. The late nights ,getting naked at clubs and asking the workers for their outfits, no sleeping, redbull, stealing the lighter, fanta fanta no coke, the pink wig, the british accent, the free for all invasiveness at her house at the time with the paps.. sadly, I believe these moments were drug induced. Possibly self medicating. I also remember reading of untreated post partum. Also there was a picture of the hotel her and Howie day trashed together that had drug memorabilia strewn about. I am a huge Britney fan, have been since 98. 2006-2009 (before tcsbs) was a finger biting nerve assault for a Spears fan. I have read in the last 4 years she has bpd2?..

        [–]freeeeels 15 points16 points  (2 children)

        What's the "Fanta fanta no coke" thing? I looked it up but I don't understand the context. It was just something she said at a drive through and it got turned into a song or something?

        [–]musemaker831 41 points42 points  (0 children)

        I think she shaved her head because all the hair extensions she had were causing bald patches. It's ugly, in case you've never seen it.

        [–]nightingale07 82 points83 points  (4 children)

        Yep. And they both have such sad stories. I grew up thinking Linsay was so cool until she got into drugs. Now as adult I just think it's sad.

        [–]That-Blacksmith 42 points43 points  (0 children)

        A couple of years back there were stories in the media and rumors that LL was in escorting and 'yachting'. She was in Dubai for quite some time, and people said that she was doing it there and was a paid mistress.

        [–][deleted] 20 points21 points  (2 children)

        I went to the same pediatrician as Lindsay Lohan, and I went to high school with her cousin. There were a lot of rumors about her passed around town through high school. I assumed most of it was made up by kids wanting to seem cool, but as an adult I think some may have been true. It was mostly stuff about drugs and partying. I heard an interview she did on Howard Stern about a year ago and she seemed to be doing really well, happily living in Dubai where the paparazzi doesn’t exist, as she explained it.

        [–]Roadman2k 25 points26 points  (1 child)

        The other commentor in this thread is suggesting she is an escort in Dubai

        [–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

        I saw that. I don’t keep up with gossip; the Howard Stern interview was the first time I’d heard about her in ages. I suppose she could be doing that, but I’ve never heard that before seeing the others’ comments. Her emphasis on loving life in Dubai because of the absence of paparazzi would certainly help her hide being an escort. IIRC she was living in a very large apartment building and she was one of only a few residents, and she valued the solitude.

        [–]Retlifon 36 points37 points  (0 children)

        P!nk once said something like "Me, Britney, and Lindsay - who'd have guessed I'd turn out to be the normal one?"

        [–]Kendall_Raine 19 points20 points  (2 children)

        Don't forget Judith Barsi. I think it's safe to say she had the absolute worst. Unless there's another child actor that got raped and murdered by a parent that I don't know about.

        [–]CaptainReginaldLong 15 points16 points  (0 children)

        Aaron Carter, poor kid.

        [–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (1 child)

        OMFG I did not know this.

        [–]claudettespeed 293 points294 points  (49 children)

        Britney is closer to her dad than mom, she severed ties with her mom long ago during her breakdown days. I think they are on speaking terms, but still are not close.

        [–]whatabesson 24 points25 points  (1 child)

        Britney cut out her Dad in her 20's, brought her mother a beautiful estate called Serenity and gave her Dad nothing. She said how she wasn't close to him, and how he was abusive for years to her mother. They had no relationship until HE saw an opportunity for $$ and getting her in a c-ship.

        [–]raginpsycho 138 points139 points  (34 children)

        They recently became closer which must mean something is up.

        [–]whatabesson 11 points12 points  (1 child)

        That's not true AT ALL. Britney Spears has ALWAYS been closer to her mom. In fact, she had no relationship with her father for years until he got the c-ship on her. Lynne did not want a c-ship on her and didn't want to control her daughter. They had a falling out during Britney's breakdown, but she and her mom reconciled.

        [–]jenh6 330 points331 points  (72 children)

        I’ve always been mystified by how he got custody too. Both Jamie Lynn and Britney looked like they suffered at the hands of their dad. He was so money hungry and just didn’t seem like a good guy. I’m not sure about the mom, but she seemed better than the dad. It seemed like she really didn’t have a good support system.

        [–]screamofwheat 168 points169 points  (4 children)

        I'd imagine he wants her to keep making money. He gets $16,000 a month as her conservator. That's over $2 Million dollars from the time the conservatorship began. Yeah. He gets $192K a year but she has to have permission to spend anything.

        [–]jenh6 16 points17 points  (1 child)

        Exactly. No reason to change anything on his part.

        [–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (1 child)

        I'm from the same town as the Spears family and it's generally accepted there that the whole family is off. Ever since I was a kid, their dad was known for being a whack job and a shitty person. Their mom was a teacher at my elementary school and was the most normal member of their extended family.

        [–]masuabie 197 points198 points  (0 children)

        This is my small experience, but I worked at Toys R Us from 2009 - 2012. During those 3 years, I helped Britney and her two boys shop (for mostly Skylanders and video games).

        She was always nice and down to Earth.

        She did always have a man with her who I assumed was her body guard.

        Unfortunately, while I was working there, our local newspaper ran a front page article about how she shopped there often and people began coming just to get a glimpse of her and she stopped coming all together.

        [–]fallenfar1003 253 points254 points  (1 child)

        I was on medical leave from work in 2007 so I saw Brittany's life falling apart on TV nearly every night for awhile. I felt so bad for her. I was angry at MTV that they would be having her perform for the awards show when it was obvious she'd been struggling. I knew she had a paid guardian or sponsor after hospitalization but I had no idea it was still going on after all these years. Thanks for posting about her.

        [–]SoVerySleepy81 135 points136 points  (0 children)

        I was dealing with PPD pretty badly when it was all happening and I honestly cried for her multiple times. All I could think of was paparazzi harassing me while I was dealing with everything and my heart just absolutely broke for her. I really really hope she's able to break away and get some good non biased, non money hungry, non shitty, therapy and friends.

        [–]forensicgirla 878 points879 points  (205 children)

        This. I am not a huge fan of her music, but she has been a prisoner to her family her entire life. It is no surprise that she's unable to live a relatively normal life. And when she's tried, the media or her family takes that away from her. I can't believe that in the U.S. we allow this to happen. I also think this is the reason so many child stars turn to drugs, wind up with mental health issues, or even commit suicide.

        [–]chapelson88 307 points308 points  (199 children)

        Yes. My husband always kind of smirks at me when I rave about how well a child star turned out (Fred Savage comes to mind) when so many of them go off the deep end.

        [–]GrottySamsquanch 339 points340 points  (85 children)

        Neil Patrick Harris and Elijah Wood, too.

        [–]I-choochoochoose-you 125 points126 points  (47 children)

        Jason Bateman too

        [–]nclou 217 points218 points  (21 children)

        Jason Bateman is ok now, but wasn't for a lot of years. Big time substance abuse issues. Great that he pulled his life together, but he was not ok all the way through.

        [–]parkernorwood 159 points160 points  (19 children)

        Yeah, Bateman is very much a comeback story as opposed to a "well-adjusted child actor" story. Which, good for him – – the guy is flourishing as a drama actor and director

        [–]JournalofFailure 152 points153 points  (15 children)

        I knew he was a gifted comic actor, but Ozark was the first time I'd seen him in a dramatic role. He is brilliant on that show - easily holds his own with Oscar nominee Laura Linney.

        Then again, I've always thought comic acting was much harder than drama. As PJ O'Rourke put it, "anyone can get on stage, say 'I have cancer' and get applause. But how many of us can get up there and do five minutes of stand-up comedy?"

        [–]parkernorwood 61 points62 points  (4 children)

        Yeah, I think it's worth noting that in his most famous comedic role (Arrested Development), he played the straight-man. In any case, he also directed the hell out of the first two episodes of The Outsider

        [–]outinthecountry66 43 points44 points  (2 children)

        look at all the great comedians who turned into excellent dramatic actors- tom hanks, jim carrey, robin williams. it takes real chops to be funny. anyone can fake cry, but to be funny takes something else.

        [–]mgov999 15 points16 points  (0 children)

        Steve Carell.

        [–]WaluigiIsTheRealHero 19 points20 points  (0 children)

        FFS, look at Adam Sandler whenever he decides to give a shit and take a serious role. He's surprisingly good in Click and Funny People.

        [–]mickmoney12 10 points11 points  (0 children)

        Watch the outsider on hbo he’s in and directs and produces some if not all episodes.

        [–]Vyzantinist 129 points130 points  (23 children)

        TIL. I had no idea he was a child actor.

        [–]TapewormCasserole 90 points91 points  (1 child)

        He was a regular on Silver Spoons with Rick Schroeder. (So was Alfonso Ribero. )

        [–]USNorsk 9 points10 points  (0 children)

        He was also in Little House on the Prairie.

        [–]nj_crc 36 points37 points  (3 children)

        Also Valerie's Family/The Hogan Family".

        [–]tbia 46 points47 points  (12 children)

        He was in a short lived TV series called It's your Move, which was hilarious, but never caught on.

        [–]ruth_e_ford 10 points11 points  (2 children)

        Ok. I see you, too, are a man (or woman, as the case may be) of good taste; let’s do this. The father in It’s Your Move was played by David Garrison, who also played Steve from Married With Children... The apartment manager, played by Ernie Sabella, was also the resort owner in Saved by the Bell (when they all went off for the summer and worked in a resort). And of course Bateman went on to give his seminal performance in Teen Wolf Too, following in the footsteps of his longtime friend MJF.

        [–]itsacrossnotanx 19 points20 points  (1 child)

        Didn’t Elijah Wood say his parents protected the hell out of him? I have loved the tv shows he has done. Dirk Gently’s first season was awesome.

        [–]missdui 11 points12 points  (0 children)

        Yes he's the one that was promoting the movie "An Open Secret" a documentary about many young male actors that were raped or otherwise assaulted by Hollywood bigwigs. Corey Haim and Todd Bridges being the most notable. Elijah said it was happening around him but he never knew because his parents were always around to protect him.

        [–]TheLuckyWilbury 117 points118 points  (8 children)

        And Danica McKeller went on to get a degree in mathematics at UCLA, graduating summa cum laude. IIRC she is/was a doctoral candidate in math at UCLA as well. Brainy.

        [–][deleted]  (2 children)

        [removed]

          [–]macphile 12 points13 points  (3 children)

          How about Mayim Bialik? I don't know what her younger acting days were like, but she's a neuroscientist/actor now (which is kind of an odd pairing).

          [–]JournalofFailure 206 points207 points  (1 child)

          Most of the Wonder Years kids came out pretty well. Danica MacKellar got a degree in mathematics and Josh Saviano had a successful but controversial music career under the stage name "Marilyn Manson" became a lawyer.

          [–]jadegives2rides 52 points53 points  (0 children)

          Wish that theory was actually true.

          [–]jenh6 158 points159 points  (45 children)

          There’s a couple UK ones. Thomas Brodie sangster, Kaya scodelerio, most of the Harry Potter cast. Josh hutcherson and Dakota fanning seem pretty well adjusted to. Justin timber lake and Ryan gosling.

          [–]bugsdoingthings 462 points463 points  (25 children)

          The Harry Potter cast is an interesting case. The director of the first movie was the same guy who directed the Home Alone movies, and basically he auditioned the parents as much as the children to try to weed out any Culkin-esque stage parents. Seems to have worked!

          [–]Am_HERE_for_it 301 points302 points  (16 children)

          I’m not sure about the other two, but Daniel Radcliffe has been quite open about the fact that he had major alcohol abuse issues during filming, to the point where it was disruptive and he’d show up drunk. He even says that he can point to scenes in the films now where he knows he was plastered; “Dead behind the eyes.” He got sober in 2010 after multiple attempts to do so.

          I’m sorry, I’m new here and I don’t know how to link articles!

          [–]bugsdoingthings 177 points178 points  (3 children)

          Sure. It doesn't mean the HP kids had no problems whatsoever. But the fact that he was able to get sober and be open about it speaks to a better sense of resilience and support system than a lot of other child actors are able to manage. And, I think the overall track record is impressive when you consider how many child actors were in the HP movies besides the main three - I know one of the kids who played a henchman of Draco Malfoy had some legal troubles, but one out of however many roles isn't too bad.

          [–]Am_HERE_for_it 51 points52 points  (1 child)

          Oh absolutely, it’s amazing that he was able to get sober, and you’re right in that he probably had a great support system available to him to help him do so! But yes, even the most seemingly stable film environments for child actors can’t protect them from all the pitfalls of the industry.

          [–]OldMaidLibrarian 16 points17 points  (0 children)

          You don't have to be a famous child actor to end up with problems; plenty of "civilians" (as I've heard non-showbiz people called) have those troubles, too. If they have good people (parents, guardians, etc.) looking after them, either group can end up turning things around and being OK in the end; if they don't have a support system, though, that's when all hell can break loose, and--for kids whose families see them as a meal ticket--all too often does.

          [–]Langlie 20 points21 points  (0 children)

          The scene in HBP where Ron is in the hospital wing after being poisoned. I saw it in theaters and remember asking my friend, "what's wrong with Harry?" He does not look right in that scene.

          [–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

          Butterbeer just hits different.

          [–][deleted] 87 points88 points  (7 children)

          Daniel Radcliffe had some issues with alcohol, but I don’t know if it has anything to do with his stardom and he didn’t publicly go off the rails.

          [–][deleted]  (5 children)

          [deleted]

            [–]Hufflepuff-puff-pass 71 points72 points  (3 children)

            Damn. I didn’t know that. I have migraines myself and I can’t imagine having to deal with cluster headaches, they’re considered the most painful. In his shoes I would probably have done just about anything to try and cope.

            [–]screamofwheat 25 points26 points  (0 children)

            Fuck. I have Chronic Migraines and I can't imagine cluster headaches. There's a reason they are nicknamed "Suicide headaches".

            [–]UnspecificGravity 8 points9 points  (0 children)

            I hope someone gave him some shrooms, because that might actually have helped (i had severe cluster headaches too and they were a fucking miracle).

            [–]gorgossia 68 points69 points  (6 children)

            Poor Kaya just keeps getting cast in the most worthless films.

            [–]Bkbirddog 14 points15 points  (0 children)

            I just watched the absolute worst version of Wuthering Heights just because she was the featured star. Except she was only in the last third of the film and there's barely any dialog, I fast forwarded to get to her parts. After Skins, she and Jack O'Connell were the two actors I was most interested in watching how their careers developed. He's hopefully got his act together and done pretty well and I'm happy to see she has some projects coming out soon as well.

            [–]jenh6 19 points20 points  (0 children)

            Right? She’s so talented but she’s not getting good roles.

            [–]Hollybuchanan 94 points95 points  (34 children)

            My son is on a big Boy Meets World kick right now and I grew up with The Wonder Years and I have always liked that the two brothers have seemed to make it through the child star years

            [–]celestialbeing1978 105 points106 points  (1 child)

            Fred Savage has said that his parents took pains to give him and his brother a normal life. He also left acting to attend Stanford and by all accounts had a normal college experience.

            [–]njgreenwood 81 points82 points  (21 children)

            Most of them did, thankfully.

            Will (Eric) ended up with pretty severe anxiety attacks post-BMW and battled that for a long time, only doing voice acting. It wasn't until Girl Meets World that he started to really address it.

            But they all seemed to turn out okay. Unlike members of Full House.

            [–]JoeM3120 32 points33 points  (3 children)

            It seems like the ones that turn out best are the ones that essentially step away from show business and live a relatively normal for a while. Like Danica McKellar.

            [–]a_lefeuvre 17 points18 points  (0 children)

            And the ones who have good parents.

            [–]bugsdoingthings 16 points17 points  (1 child)

            Ethan Hawke did Explorers at age 14, and has stated that movie flopping was probably the best thing that could've happened to him, because that meant he didn't become a child star. I believe it was on Marc Maron's podcast that he went into some detail about the experience.

            [–]please_leave_blank 74 points75 points  (2 children)

            This post is so great. I've mentioned to people in passing that I feel sorry for Britney and more often than not they have follow up questions and I've never had a comprehensive source to give them. This will help!

            [–]Reddits_on_ambien 485 points486 points  (32 children)

            I felt pretty sad when I read about how her singing voice is shot to shit from having to do that "baby" voice her whole career. The girl could actually, beautifully sing, but her producers basically needed something to set her apart.

            [–][deleted]  (19 children)

            [removed]

              [–]Gorilla_In_The_Mist 54 points55 points  (18 children)

              Could you ELI5 how singing in such a way would be damaging?

              [–]kudomevalentine 85 points86 points  (14 children)

              I don't really have that much specific knowledge about singing technique, but I know that singing in any way that is unnatural regularly and for extended periods of time can be incredibly damaging. It's why you see the sort of singers like Adele and Sam Smith, who push their vocal chords to insane lengths to belt out those incredible notes, have to get vocal chord surgery, and on the other end of the spectrum, singers who 'scream' (you know, like you hear in metal/hardcore) have specific techniques for doing it as well, otherwise they can totally destroy their voices. Honestly, any singer can do damage to themselves, because the real damage doesn't just come from the type of singing (e.g. belting or screaming), but from doing it wrong when you're doing hundreds of shows every year.

              Given how different and unnatural Brit's 'baby' voice sounds to the linked videos of her singing in her more natural, comfortable voice, I have no doubt it probably did some damage.

              [–]CrumpetsRCrunk 32 points33 points  (6 children)

              That explains Steven Tyler. The first time I heard Dream On I had no idea it was him singing.

              [–]kudomevalentine 14 points15 points  (4 children)

              Although I have no doubt Tyler's done damage to his voice across his career with the way he sings on top of all the substance abuss, Dream On is a different case if I remember correctly, as I believe he purposefully changed his voice when recording as he was insecure about his normal singing style (which you hear now).

              [–]CrumpetsRCrunk 22 points23 points  (3 children)

              So I just Googled this and it looks like it was the only song on Aerosmith’s first album he used his natural singing voice on. That’s crazy he was so insecure about his real voice that he changed it for every other song.

              Edit: Here is an article/video of him singing Dream On when he was 26.

              [–]kudomevalentine 30 points31 points  (2 children)

              Oh, wow, that's even more interesting. Wonder why it still sounds different then...maybe his singing voice now is a more exaggerrated version of that voice.

              Tomorrow on r/UnresolvedMysteries: What is Steven Tyler's 'Real' Singing Voice? Lol.

              [–]Reddits_on_ambien 18 points19 points  (0 children)

              Also. 2000watts by Michael Jackson sounds 100% nothing like Michael Jackson. The reason he talked 8n that high pitched voice was to be able to maintain that crazy high falsetto he was known for.

              [–]hello_shittyy 15 points16 points  (2 children)

              Ollie Sykes from bring me the horizon, he can no longer scream like he used to. He pretty much just sings now.

              [–]Many_Spoked_Wheel 29 points30 points  (0 children)

              When you make your voice sound unnatural like that, or stretch it to extremes with improper technique you get friction on your vocal chords that can cause calluses to form, just like they would on your hands from using tools. Those calluses make your chords not stretch or line up like they’re supposed to and voila you have fucked your voice and will need surgery to get them removed.

              [–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

              I took voice lessons, years ago. It was best described to me like so: you have two voices- one voice is for singing. Even when you’re sick if you can use it proper it will sound like a proper singing voice- think old timey styles of singing. I think some call it your upper voice - pretend to be an opera singer to find it. The other is your lower “talking voice” If you try to sing exclusively in your lower voice, you’re going to damage your vocal chords quick. It requires more nasal, you cannot use this voice when sick.

              [–]fromthenorth79 180 points181 points  (0 children)

              And when you think about why that baby voice was insisted upon. At the beginning of her career she was brazenly marketed as jailbait, complete with open public discussion about her virginity etc. Even without knowing a single thing about her relationship with her parents you can look back at the very beginning of her fame and strongly suspect someone(s) was not looking out for her.

              [–]less-than-stellar 216 points217 points  (0 children)

              I'm sure the chain smoking she used to do probably didn't help either. Everything about the whole situation with Britney Spears is depressing af.

              [–]Alienatedkid 23 points24 points  (0 children)

              There was gossip that her handlers don’t like her real voice, considers it manly hence why they made her sing so pitchy to match their image they had of an all innocent wholesome girl and reading how an exec just loved how she rolled her eyes back when she sings to Max Martin making her sing one word at a time so he can pick the best takes to compile together. It sucks because she’s a pleaser as it seems and a hard worker so she would try to do the best she can.

              [–]WishIWasYounger 20 points21 points  (0 children)

              I overheard a woman at a restaurant a couple months back bragging about how she bullied Britney in PA Middle school. It wasn't one of those terrible bullying stories but mean girl enough. Just thought I'd share.

              [–]pseudo_meat 216 points217 points  (0 children)

              It'll certainly be one of those Judy Garland-esque Hollywood tragedies they'll make movies about.

              [–]Aero93 10 points11 points  (0 children)

              There is a podcast called what really happened and it covers the story about Britney. It's eye opening.

              [–]Skippylu 2499 points2500 points  (61 children)

              I believe people have used and abused her over the years. Theres a video from the height of her fame where she is running from the paps and trying to get into a car and she asks the person she's with to help her and her friend doesn't and allows the paps to swarm her.

              It later transpires that alot of her trusted people from that time would tip off the media whenever she was out in public. I think its really sad.

              [–][deleted] 618 points619 points  (12 children)

              The videos from her breakdown are so upsetting. There’s one where she’s just sat on the sidewalk crying and begging the paps to leave her alone and they just keep asking her questions. It’s awful

              [–]funsizedaisy 755 points756 points  (8 children)

              The South Park episode about her during that time pretty much nailed it. To anyone who hasnt seen it, "Britney" shoots herself in the head and literally walks around with a half-severed head and the paps/media still swarm her. It's kinda unnerving but it just felt so accurate.

              To quote Chris Crocker, LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

              [–][deleted]  (1 child)

              [deleted]

                [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                Yeah I can’t either it makes me too sad

                [–]e_x_i_t 168 points169 points  (0 children)

                That episode is what really changed my entire perspective on things, like I was soo used to her entire breakdown being treated like a joke and then South Park came along and called everyone out on their bullshit. After that episode I just felt really bad for her and started rooting for her to get better.

                [–]Guns_57 41 points42 points  (1 child)

                IIRC doesn't the episode end with the media finally leaving her alone after they kill her so they can begin the cycle with Miley Cyrus?

                [–]funsizedaisy 18 points19 points  (0 children)

                I think you're right! But it's been awhile since I've seen it.

                [–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

                Sacrifice in March, corn have plenty starch.

                [–]Needyouradvice93 11 points12 points  (1 child)

                I forgot about that guy. I guess he had a point...

                [–]Needyouradvice93 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                That sounds like a nightmare.

                [–]jenh6 415 points416 points  (4 children)

                If you look up her lost album it’s sad too. It’s like she finally got away for a moment and she was shut down again.

                https://www.buzzfeed.com/hunterschwarz/britney-spears-original-doll-secret-history-lost-album

                [–][deleted] 388 points389 points  (1 child)

                Holy... I know a producer who worked with her but I could never find what they did together. I assumed he just didn’t get credit perhaps this is what it was? Timing matches. Anyways he said she was his favorite ever to work with, excellent singer, one of the few who actually knew how to sing and worked well in a studio. He did say that she looked terrified when he pulled his phone out to show her something, she was afraid he was going to take her picture and he said the look of panic she gave showed him just how bad people had messed with her over the years, didn’t trust anyone.

                [–]jenh6 49 points50 points  (0 children)

                Interesting! You should ask him about it!

                [–][deleted] 27 points28 points  (0 children)

                That was interesting, thanks. "Mona Lisa" found its way to youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEecXKUxl1s

                [–]juicyfizz 11 points12 points  (0 children)

                Oh damn, I had no idea about this!

                [–][deleted] 177 points178 points  (10 children)

                I always wondered why Britney was always in the media but Christina and all the rest of that generation of pop singers were able to lay pretty low.

                [–]transemacabre 94 points95 points  (6 children)

                Christina was and has been very active. I think in her case she was marketed as less of a sex kitten than Britney and less prone to irrational behavior, so things mostly went better for her.

                Mandy Moore was trapped in an emotionally abusive marriage to Ryan Adams for a million years.

                Jessica Simpson's dumb schtick got old, she divorced her famous husband, and faded from sight. She was not as beautiful or as talented a singer as the others, to boot.

                [–][deleted] 114 points115 points  (5 children)

                Christina has been able to be very active without the media shitshow that happened to Brittany, though, or much prying into her personal life and I thought she was absolutely marketed as a sex symbol even more than Britney, at least for her 2nd album. Jessica Simpson seemed to beg for attention rather than get hounded by it. I barely even remember Mandy Moore, was she in the paparazzi's eye a lot?

                [–]transemacabre 94 points95 points  (4 children)

                I was tween-mid teenaged during that era, and I remember all the gossip and TRL stuff very well.

                For a year or two, tons of baby blonde bombshells were being pushed. Christina and Britney were the biggest, but there was also Jessica Simpson, Mandy Moore, Willa Ford. Even Jewel tried to do the hotter and sexier thing with "Intuition".

                I get the impression Christina has a more forceful personality than the rest. She did sex it up for Stripped but she wasn't a teen sex kitten the way Britney was (poor thing). Britney was also in a high profile relationship with Justin Timberlake, which got her a lot of attention and solidified the teeny-bopper obsession with her.

                [–]Needyouradvice93 71 points72 points  (1 child)

                I was just a kid during that era but remember Britney being the biggest female pop star by quite a bit. The schoolgirl music video (kinda weird in retrospect) was crazy. Everybody either had a Britney poser on their wall and everybody hated on N'Sync and Backstreet Boys for being 'gay'. I feel like pop stars were on a different level back then since there were fewer outlets. You basically had MTV, magazines, and radio. Versus today where things are a bit more stratified with social media.

                [–]OperationMobocracy 77 points78 points  (0 children)

                A historical anthropologist 500 years from now is going to write a PhD thesis on late 20th/early 21st century civilization and have a field day linking Brittany Spears "Lolita" video with Jeffrey Epstein as part of some analysis of our cultural era.

                It's very weird in retrospect that a major corporate business promoted a 17 year old singer as a schoolgirl sex object in a music video and that the principal cultural response was "wow, she's pretty good" and not "hey, that's kind of weird".

                It would have been one thing if Spears had done the same dance moves and skimpy clothes in a setting other than a school full of minors (basically sexualized as someone older than she really was). Still not right, maybe, but less obviously weird than using an actual minor in a school setting as a sex object.

                [–]alepolait 55 points56 points  (0 children)

                You forgot Pink. She never tried to be a blonde bombshell, but she was up there in terms of leading pop charts (remember the Pepsi commercial?)

                But yeah, Britney was the “princess”, X-Tina was in second place, a dirtier version.

                [–]ankahsilver 1353 points1354 points  (26 children)

                I mean, she wrote Lucky herself and look at the lyrics.

                This is a story about a girl named Lucky…

                Early morning, she wakes up

                Knock, knock, knock on the door

                It's time for makeup, perfect smile

                It's you they're all waiting for

                They go…

                "Isn't she lovely, this Hollywood girl?" And they say…

                She's so lucky, she's a star

                But she cry, cry, cries in her lonely heart, thinking

                If there's nothing missing in my life

                Then why do these tears come at night?

                Just that alone was a cry for goddamn help!

                [–]PM_ME_A_STRAYCAT 528 points529 points  (13 children)

                She actually didn’t write Lucky. But she did write Everytime!

                [–]Alienatedkid 29 points30 points  (0 children)

                She didn’t physically write words but songwriters in the past have noted how involved she is. She would alter lyrics or give suggestions or ideas but have never asked for credit yet some of them have said it’s almost like she is writing with them. So I believe she helped with the concept, like she had an idea and they just help her put it into paper as look how it mirrors her life.

                [–][deleted] 21 points22 points  (1 child)

                And imo that’s one of her most beautiful songs

                [–]sweetlySALTED 207 points208 points  (5 children)

                Spears composed the music herself, but she developed the lyrics with her friend.

                [–]PM_ME_A_STRAYCAT 99 points100 points  (2 children)

                Edit: It wasn’t clear but I think you’re talking about Everytime and not Lucky. She’s still listed as a songwriter for Everytime, so it’s semantics.

                [–][deleted] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

                The lyrics about not meaning to make it rain were for Justin because of his song “cry me a river” apparently they used to communicate via song

                [–]bdld39 13 points14 points  (1 child)

                That video is so sad.

                [–]FrellingTralk 17 points18 points  (0 children)

                I believe that some of the video concept came from Britney too and that she originally wanted it to end on the image of her slitting her wrists and drowning in the bath, but there was an insistence from those above her that it had to have a happy ending instead with it turning out to just be red string around her wrist.

                Similarly the music director for Make Me has suggested that Britney was the one who was insistent on having the image of her dancing in a cage for that video to reflect how she was feeling, although I’m still not sure why the original video got scrapped in the end

                [–]njgreenwood 207 points208 points  (6 children)

                She didn't write that. These three are listed as the songwriters: Max Martin | Rami Yacoub | Alexander Kronlund

                But I'm sure she took to it quite easily.

                [–][deleted] 210 points211 points  (5 children)

                If it’s a hit song, always assume Max Martin is one of the writers. You’ll be right like 90% of the time

                [–]sweetlySALTED 63 points64 points  (2 children)

                "After meeting with Max Martin and Rami Yacoub in Sweden, Spears recorded several songs for the album,[3]#cite_note-mtvwork-3) including "Lucky", which was co-written and co-produced by Martin and Rami, with additional co-writing from Alexander Kronlund. "

                [–]envydub 10 points11 points  (1 child)

                Semi related because of Max Martin, but it’s always been interesting to me that Jon Bon Jovi idolized Bruce Springsteen so much but he (Bon Jovi) had songwriters write his biggest songs.

                You’ll never write Thunder Road, Jon!!

                [–][deleted]  (94 children)

                [removed]

                  [–]dreamsinfrench 644 points645 points  (27 children)

                  You can claim a cognitive dysfunction from something so benign as turning the faucet on and forgetting about it, or forgetting a pot on the stove. These are actual medical markers of the early signs of dementia.

                  However, "early onset dementia" is described as developing before age 65, so yeah, 30s would be a reach. How many judges are doctors though?

                  [–]GrannyLabby 725 points726 points  (9 children)

                  Today I learned I'm in the early stages of dementia

                  [–][deleted] 163 points164 points  (1 child)

                  Username checks out.

                  [–][deleted] 172 points173 points  (0 children)

                  she's actually learned it sooooo many times before, poor granny...

                  [–]dreamsinfrench 20 points21 points  (0 children)

                  I think at this point, we all are.

                  [–]xenusaves 232 points233 points  (8 children)

                  The judge doesn't diagnose her condition. When they petitioned the court for a conservatorship they brought evidence from the doctors that were treating her. I don't know what the eventual diagnosis was for her but apparently it was compelling enough for the court to grant them the conservatorship.

                  Personally I think that she is dealing with some very serious mental health issues and her current situation isn't in her best interest. If she's not competent enough to take care of herself she shouldn't be paraded around like a show pony and forced to live such a public life.

                  [–]dreamsinfrench 52 points53 points  (6 children)

                  I'm not saying the judge diagnoses her. I'm saying you slip a few thousand in a doctor's pocket, they make a leap like this that's not TOO large of a leap, and the judge can go, "Oh, ok, I see it" when there are actually a few steps missing.

                  [–]prof_talc 24 points25 points  (0 children)

                  that’s not TOO large of a leap

                  It kinda is though. Dementia a la Alzheimer’s at her age is virtually unheard of.. the only really plausible cause would be some kind of TBI, which is possible I suppose.

                  It’s also possible that dementia in this context is something of a “term of art” in the law governing conservatorship in her jurisdiction. From the Mayo Clinic site:

                  Dementia describes a group of symptoms affecting memory, thinking and social abilities severely enough to interfere with your daily life. It isn't a specific disease, but several different diseases may cause dementia.

                  So if she hits 2 of those 3– e.g. she’s experiencing cognitive issues that are bad enough to interfere with her ability to function socially— that may suffice for establishing that she “has dementia” for the purposes of granting a conservatorship

                  I don’t mean to make any value judgment here fwiw. Imo the whole thing stinks to high heaven

                  [–]jenh6 153 points154 points  (8 children)

                  Probably just to continue the conservatorship. Thrown anything and hope it sticks. She’s a cash cow in their eyes and nothing more

                  [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (1 child)

                  It’s probably a mixture of both - she’s not well, AND she’s being used.

                  [–]jenh6 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                  I think she’s probably not well but under that environment it’s being made worse. Plenty of people can live normal lives with different issues (and plenty can’t). I think they are totally using it to their advantage. So yes. Combo.

                  [–]Amkitty3204 139 points140 points  (5 children)

                  Exactly she would literally be going crazy on stage.

                  [–][deleted]  (41 children)

                  [deleted]

                    [–]jenemb 178 points179 points  (28 children)

                    I don't think there's any question she was in the middle of a mental health crisis when that happened. I also think that's pretty understandable when you look at the absolute circus that has been surrounding her since childhood. It's just awful that the people she should be able to count on to support her are more interested in her check book than anything else.

                    [–][deleted] 127 points128 points  (21 children)

                    I don't think there's any question she was in the middle of a mental health crisis when that happened.

                    I don't know about that. If I was sick of being constantly surrounded by a team of people who dressed me and slathered goop on my face and brushed and styled my hair and basically treated me like a doll, I might shave my head too. If I don't have any hair no one can force me to sit there and let them touch it and sew in extensions and blow dry it and curl it and dye it etc etc. I suppose the question is where we draw the line between "getting fed up and standing up for yourself" and "mental health crisis".

                    [–]jenemb 111 points112 points  (8 children)

                    Agreed, but it's also worth pointing out the head shaving didn't happen in a vacuum. There was a lot of reckless and risk-taking behaviour also going on at the time. The head shaving just happens to be the thing people still remember the most.

                    [–]darth_tiffany 48 points49 points  (3 children)

                    Yeah, I'm reading this thread all, you guys really don't remember what it was like? Maybe I'm just old but the head-shaving thing was the least of Britney's concerns during that period.

                    [–]spacefink 13 points14 points  (1 child)

                    I had just graduated high school and I remember the upskirt shots and how Paris Hilton really encouraged the worst behavior in her. I also remember her driving with her kid in the car and all these other little stunts she was pulling. The paparazzi was definitely not helping though. It was also a really different time. The kind of culture that exists today just wasn't savvy or quick enough to critique the etiquette of the press back then.

                    [–][deleted]  (7 children)

                    [deleted]

                      [–][deleted] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

                      She was definitely in a manic state.

                      [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                      [deleted]

                        [–]FrellingTralk 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                        I’ve always been a little confused by that too, there’s no denying that Britney was acting out and seemed to have substance abuse problems when she was in her early 20’s, but I would have thought a lot of that could be chalked up to delayed teenage rebellion after spending most of her childhood working? The shaving her head as some kind of statement was an impulsive and crazy decision yes, but it was only such huge news because it was Britney Spears. And the attacking the car with the umbrella came about because of paps constantly flashing lights in her face at a time when she was already upset and on the edge, heck you often hear of male celebs lashing out and smashing cameras and they don’t get their mental health scrutinised in anything like the same way. It always seemed to me that all she needed was to go to rehab and get clean, and then take some time out of the spotlight. Not be held under a 24-7 conservatorship for the rest of her life

                        It just worries me that there seems to be such a difference when you look at her now and how anxious and just off she comes across as, it’s like night and day when you look back at younger Britney. Even during the For The Record documentary after her breakdown, she still seemed recognisably her old self, and then compare it to say how out of it she looked during the Femme Fatale album for example, or the pictures of her from last year with the thousand yard stare.

                        It doesn’t seem like the conservatorship has done anything whatsoever to improve her mental health imo. It was originally introduced as a temporary solution to get her back on track, and then it seemed to gradually switch into her being severely mentally impaired in the long term and unable to function. Just seems odd to me, especially when you look at how much money her team are making off signing her to perform in Vegas and record albums, and she apparently gets no say in her life at all any more. In which case she should not be working surely?

                        [–]blumster 873 points874 points  (10 children)

                        Naming the father the conservator in the first place was a horrible idea. If she needed to have one she should have fought to be able to hire a top 20 national lawfirm to handle it.

                        [–]Fluffybottoms 246 points247 points  (0 children)

                        She tried. She retained Adam Streisand as her lawyer, but Samuel Ingham the court appointed attorney that was supposed to advocate for her claimed she was "too incapacitated" to retain council, and a restraining order was put on Streisand. The whole thing is illegal as fuck.

                        Samuel Ingham was also involved in Casey Casem's sad ending.

                        [–][deleted] 407 points408 points  (1 child)

                        100% agree. The first mistake people make is letting their family members handle their money.

                        [–]alepolait 48 points49 points  (0 children)

                        In Britney’s case? She didn’t have a chance. Remember she started in the Mickey Mouse Show when she was a minor. She has been exploited her whole life.

                        [–]9987777655433333 124 points125 points  (0 children)

                        i’m glad the relationship to jason trawick ended. it was creepy that he was going to be taking over the conservatorship as her husband from her father.

                        [–]MzOpinion8d 23 points24 points  (2 children)

                        That’s the problem, though...Britney wasn’t well enough to handle anything like that at the time, and once he was in place as conservator he has maintained control.

                        [–]OperationMobocracy 24 points25 points  (0 children)

                        That ends badly, too. We had a minor scandal here in my state involving abusive conservatorships by non-family court appointed conservators who bilked their clients assets, actively worked to deny their release from conservatorship even after the people involved were cured or no longer in the circumstances that created them.

                        It's like you almost need two conservators who are in an adversarial relationship, an auditor-type conservator who gets a bonus when they discover abusive conservatorship behavior but otherwise has no other responsibilities and gets paid from some source of funding distinct from the conservatorship. And then the acting conservator who has control over finances, assets, the conservatee's life choices, etc.

                        The only other thing that would be a fail safe would be a fixed limit on any single conservator's control over a specific person before the court reviewed the situation and assigned some other unconnected individual to be conservator. This has loads of problems, though, related to continuity of care and the use of family members as conservators.

                        The big problem is that any unitary conservator has a major incentive to maintain their conservatorship, especially if the person in question has real assets, and can pretty easily manipulate the courts to accept their narrative as right and true to keep it going. The courts seem to lack the resources and motivation to know when they have become abusive or self-serving.

                        [–]Starry24 1429 points1430 points  (28 children)

                        I heard on another podcast that as part of her conservatorship Britney isn't even allowed to vote. How is that constitutional?? The fact that she is supposedly well enough to have a Las Vegas residency but not well enough to exercise her civil rights is pretty disturbing.

                        She clearly has mental health issues and needs guidance. However, the people who have the conservatorship over her are profiting off it. Why hasnt the court appointed an advocate for her? An independent party who isnt making money off of her?

                        [–]celestialbeing1978 430 points431 points  (0 children)

                        Especially since she has more than once in Instagram videos expressed her interest in politics and current events.

                        [–]CaseyStevens 109 points110 points  (1 child)

                        The New Yorker wrote a big expose a few years ago about how people are abusing conservator laws to rip off particularly the elderly. There's a whole industry where they take over all their money and stick them in crappy nursing homes. I believe Nevada was one of the state's where the laws are really open to abuse,

                        https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/09/how-the-elderly-lose-their-rights

                        [–]dualsplit 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                        This was an incredible piece of journalism that I think everyone should read.

                        [–]QLE814 349 points350 points  (6 children)

                        even allowed to vote. How is that constitutional??

                        For what it's worth, the law has recently been changed in California:

                        https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/voting-info/conservatorship/

                        As for why- traditionally, it has been assumed that people under a conservatorship lack the basic competence to vote because of an inability to adequately communicate their desires in the political process.

                        [–]360Saturn 148 points149 points  (4 children)

                        She's not allowed to own a cellphone either or iirc to drive herself places.

                        [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                        This is what blows my mind. How can someone need a conservatorship, let alone have dementia, but still be allowed to enter into any agreements, let alone demanding, service contracts like this? They are treating her like a trained monkey and banking all the money. I bet an audit of all of her finances and investments would be illuminating.

                        [–]huskyholms 905 points906 points  (40 children)

                        Okay first of all, this is my favorite post on this sub. Ever. I can talk about 90's pop stars all day and rarely get the opportunity, so thank you again OP for this wonderful post.

                        Disclaimer, I am not Britney, I do not know Britney, I do not know anyone in her immediate circle. I'm a few degrees of separation from her.

                        I first heard the dementia rumors in the fall of 2017. I don't think it's true - I take care of people who are in various stages of Alzheimer's and dementia. I'm pretty okay at spotting the signs, I guess, and I just don't see it with her.

                        Her life has been a trainwreck from toddlerhood. As soon as her parents started putting the pieces together and realized they might be able to profit from her, it was pretty much over for Britney. That entire Mickey Mouse Club crew was definitely marketed to the wrong kind of adult. Her solo career was tailor made and that crossed over into her entire life - her relationship with JT was arranged and ended terribly for her and he still can't let it go.

                        Sometime in 2007, before the head shaving incident, there was a legit breakdown. Sort of a combo of some homegrown mental illness, stress from her entire life imploding, a terrible childhood, more drugs than anyone has any business doing, and add on heaps of postpartum depression. We're lucky we didn't lose her and I honestly believe the only reason she's still here is because she can't be unsupervised.

                        She has 24/7 caregivers. She can't be unsupervised. Everything she does is tightly monitored and controlled - no alone time, no reading her own mail, no making any decisions for herself.

                        Because she can't. Whatever happened during that big episode has rendered her unable to care for herself. The best, kindest thing for her would be to put her in a home she lives in by herself far away from the spotlight, but her shitass family knows they can still make some money so that's not happening.

                        Her family is GROSS. Stage parents are gross. They set her up for failure from the start. That's such a rabbit hole to go down because her sister is also a hot mess and her brother got into some weird trouble years back.

                        As far as the Free Britney movement goes, I think her friends pushed for it until they realized how dire her situation was and they realized shouting it from the mountaintops wouldn't really help Britney.

                        [–][deleted] 473 points474 points  (5 children)

                        I think your assessment that she is actually severely mentally ill is likely correct, sadly. And your points about her parents and childhood are likely correct, as well.

                        Britney has been "off" for years. I was a huge fans of hers as a kid (I was born in 93 and by the time I was like 10-12 I was confused by her and what she was turning into - she got sooo sexualized and I was too young for that shit - but loved her in her earliest days). I will always have a soft spot for Britney as she was the first singer/performer I ever really knew and really enjoyed. So sometimes I fall down the "what happened to Britney rabbit hole" and rather recently watched some documentaries she was in or videos/compliations of interviews she did through the years, from late 90s/early 2000s to breakdown days and since. She is a different person, and has been for years now. Her affect is off, she is dead in the eyes. She's like a shell, a robot. It's hard to see. Idk if it's her medication or her illness(es) or a combo of both, but she is not right. And her instagram also suggests something is off with her. She is very childlike, to the point it makes me uncomfortable in her instagram videos.

                        I really do think your assessment is correct but part of me thinks the conspiracy theories about her and her whole situation aren't crazy. Because if she really is that ill, I don't see how her performing helps anyone but those profiting off her. She lives a sad life and she's always been such a sweet girl who wanted happiness and loved life and was full of life, this is obvious when watching old videos and documentaries of her from her early days in her pop career. I hope she gets it some day.

                        I'd also like to know what you know about Jamie Lynn and her brother as well.

                        [–]FrellingTralk 170 points171 points  (0 children)

                        That’s what stands out to me as well, she is so dead behind the eyes now that she seems like a completely different person. I always remember the first time I watched the Till The World Ends music video which is supposed to be about Britney dancing the night away in an underground club, and it was so disturbing to me how she seemed to have no life about her at all, and her only ‘dancing’ consisted of standing in one spot and jerking her body. It’s hard to explain, but it just really stood out to me with the Femme Fatale music video’s especially that she so plainly did want to be there. I would say the same of many of her public performances at that time as well in fact when she seems so stiff and terrified, and your mind then wonders why she is therefore being signed up to do these albums and performances when she is supposedly so impaired that she cannot make any decisions for herself, clearly someone is making these decisions for her

                        It’s also interesting to me that it rarely seems to get brought up that she only really came across in this dead behind the eyes kind of way after she was put under the lifelong conversationship that was supposed to help her. She was still recognisable as her old self to me during the For The Record documentary that was recorded during circus, and even her breakdown seemed at the time to be very treatable as it was mostly a result of substance abuse and lashing out at the heavy pressure and restrictions that she was under, especially the shaving her head incident. Heck attacking the paparazzi is something that male celebs have been known to do when it comes to smashing up theirs cameras, even punching them out of frustration! Britney took a swing at the car window with an umbrella and told them to go fuck yourself at a bad time for her when they were putting her under even more stress by following her and constantly flashing cameras in her face, and it’s treated as indisputable proof that she was out of her mind??

                        People talk now as if she was completely delusional during that time and letting her father take control was the only solution, but even of the worst of the incidents (being sectioned after locking herself in the bathroom out of fear that her kids were going to be taken away by Kevin’s lawyer) can be explained by Sam Lufti apparently drugging and gaslighting her. She never threatened to kill her kids or anyone else, it always seemed like all she really needed back then was rehab and some time away from the spotlight, it’s just sad now to to look at current Britney under her fathers care

                        [–][deleted] 62 points63 points  (0 children)

                        Same here! Born in 93, and I think most American girls our age share the experience of watching Britney, to an extent the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, Justin Timberlake’s solo career, etc really explode. I remember doing karaoke to her first album and getting really sad when I heard the lyrics to Lucky. That was when I kind of first understood that celebrities are people too even though they’re essentially manufactured for us to consume.

                        I agree that she seems to be both severely distressed and under a shady amount of control. If she’s ill enough to warrant conservatorship she shouldn’t have a fucking grueling Vegas residency, and if she’s well enough to manage that crazy hectic life she’s not ill enough to be under conservatorship! Either way absolutely sucks — whether she’s ill or not she’s being exploited and it’s disgusting.

                        [–]littlepinkumbrellas 84 points85 points  (1 child)

                        Childlike and robotic/dead behind the eyes. Michael Jackson, anyone?

                        [–]sagwithavag 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                        He was the first one I thought of, too.

                        [–]misfitx 57 points58 points  (0 children)

                        The dead behind the eyes is likely from strong psych meds. Gods, I just want to give her a big supportive hug. Never been a fan but child stars deserve all the healthy support.

                        [–]sagwithavag 238 points239 points  (8 children)

                        She is a different person, and has been for years now. Her affect is off, she is dead in the eyes. She's like a shell, a robot. It's hard to see. Idk if it's her medication or her illness(es) or a combo of both, but she is not right. And her instagram also suggests something is off with her. She is very childlike, to the point it makes me uncomfortable in her instagram videos.

                        THIS.

                        I grew up with Britney, too, but I haven't kept much track of her since. I just went to her Instagram for the first time, and I was legitimately creeped out by everything you mentioned (flat affect, dead eyes, robotic, childlike). This poor girl never had a chance.

                        [–]picklecellanemia 41 points42 points  (0 children)

                        When I read this I thought you were just exaggerating. I looked at her IG for the first time and I was truly shocked. The video post about her Christmas tree and the weird poses she’s doing paired with the caption around being bullied incessantly by strangers... god that broke my cold heart.

                        [–]SakuraTacos 332 points333 points  (0 children)

                        Before her breakdown in the barber shop, Britney was on a slow and steady decline. It started sometime shortly after In The Zone released. Britney hurt her knee around that time, one of her singles got canceled because she couldn’t film the music video, and her dancing never recovered. Her moves were mainly arms and upper body, super robotic, and the fans started to notice her decline in showmanship around then.

                        Then she met Kevin and started becoming more “down to earth” vs the pampered princess persona. Walking around in dirty clothes, barefoot in public, messy hair. Her reality show about her early days with Kevin just bombed. Her and Kevin just seemed stoned and messy 24/7. And the public REALLY REALLY started turning on her.

                        She started appearing more and more unkempt in paparazzi pictures. Constantly dying and changing her hair, damaging it SOOO much that her extension tracks were visible constantly. She started hanging out with Paris, Nicole, and Lindsay when they were notorious for abusing drugs and being unstable and reckless. Britney and Lindsay were going around flashing the paparazzi constantly for some reason.

                        Anyway, back to Britney’s extension tracks: they were a M E S S. A matted, greasy, stringy mess. I mean: she was using drugs, exhausted, had post partum, harassed, driving around with babies in her lap, getting Coffee Bean and Frapps every day. Her hair suffered the most for it. Anyone with clinical depression can take one look at her hair and recognize right away that Britney was DEEEEEP in an episode after a slow decline over the span of 2-3 years.

                        I imagine she was too tired and couldn’t be bothered anymore by her hair and everyone’s opinions on it and it was too much for her right then. One less thing to worry about.

                        The older I get, the more I understand that era of Britney lmao

                        [–]ernzo 72 points73 points  (1 child)

                        While I agree with all of this, I do get the impression that Britney does genuinely enjoy performing. I think that is the one joy she does have, sing, dancing and performing do make her happy. So, while it would be ideal for her to be able to step away, but like you said her family is so gross and are profiting off her, the fact that she can work, in my opinion, gives her a shred of purpose because it is something she loves.

                        [–]darkhorse715 23 points24 points  (0 children)

                        I’ve been thinking this the whole time. Yes, it does keep money coming in, but I agree that Britney enjoys and wants to perform, and it gives her something to do every day.

                        [–]Laprasnomore 25 points26 points  (0 children)

                        About the dementia claims: I work as an elderly care specialist, where I meet dementia cases constantly. I can say it's highly, highly unlikely that someone suffering from it would be able to sing and dance onstage coherently, much less go on tour.

                        [–][deleted] 43 points44 points  (0 children)

                        I wouldn’t say Jamie Lynn is a hot mess??? She seems to have her life together. She’s married has 2 kids and seems to have a happy life. The only news from her was that she got pregnant at 16 and a few years ago her daughter crashed a golf cart into a lake (she’s fine) but accidents happen

                        [–]spacefink 44 points45 points  (1 child)

                        I too genuinely think she's sick. What irks me is why is she well enough to perform then? When you start to question her conservatorship, it makes no sense how someone so ill is capable of work. By all means, Britney should be on disability (she obviously doesn't qualify because of her estate), but then she should also just not be working at all. It's such a shame.

                        I also agree with you that the movement didn't really do much to change her situation. But the videos she posted on Instagram were proof she definitely has something. I'm not at liberty to assume what because I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to medicine.

                        [–][deleted] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

                        If she is requiring constant 24/7 care then that is a lot of money. Add on the astronomical child support, and having 2 kids, and her properties, etc. I mean, that has to be paid for somehow. Money eventually runs out even if you have a lot. I think she should he moved somewhere quiet where no one knows her and she can downsize, however, she has two sons. That isnt a feasible option. It might hurt her more to be away from them, and she also needs security, etc. I dont understand HOW she performs, but being stationed in Las Vegas with a set routine, a set work schedule...I dont see that as a horrible idea. It keeps her busy, gives her purpose, and it's all she knows. It would possibly be much worse for her NOT to work, have nothing to do, and have mo routine.

                        [–]darth_tiffany 34 points35 points  (1 child)

                        I think this is a good blending of the two sides. Her parents did a shitty job protecting her; she also needs the conservatorship. Both things can be true.

                        [–]spacefink 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                        Yep exactly, I don't know why this is so complicated. Just like it could also be true her parents are 100% exploiting the conservatorship for greed. But it doesn't necessarily mean she doesn't need it.

                        [–]usagi27 43 points44 points  (8 children)

                        Interesting. Coming into this not knowing much about it, I always wondered if she was actually capable of making her own decisions or if she was controlled just so they could continue to profit from her. Seems like a mix of both, I can see how it benefits her but.. I just wonder if she has any REAL mental issues or they were brought on by all the things she goes thru, and drug use. That’s what I can’t wrap my head around. Does she actually have sickness or is it symptoms of the kind of life she lives?

                        Do you think there is any real chance for her to recover from this?

                        [–][deleted] 59 points60 points  (5 children)

                        Im(unprofessional)o it's so common for child stars to present with some type of mental illness or other issues that something they go through - the stress, exposure/media presence, abuse of any kind, whatever - changes them. The longer kids are kept in the industry and the more exposed they are/less of a normal live they live they worse off they seem to be.

                        Even Miley displays alarming behavior to me, and for a while she seemed so "normal" for someone who grew up how she did. But she hit a point where it all started to crumble and her behavior since has been questionable. Her instagram page for a while there was... something else. Before she deleted it all and had a more wholesome image again, but since her divorce and that time it's gotten crazier again.

                        [–]AnUnimportantLife 22 points23 points  (0 children)

                        The longer kids are kept in the industry and the more exposed they are/less of a normal live they live they worse off they seem to be.

                        I tend to agree. Even kids who were only in the spotlight for a relatively short time seem to have periods where they go off the rails.

                        For example, Brian Bonsall, who was in the spotlight for less than a decade as Andy on Family Ties and later as Alexander on Star Trek: The Next Generation, had a period in the late '00s where he was having issues with law enforcement. It might not have been directly related to his experiences on TV as a child, but I have to wonder if it was at least indirectly related.

                        [–]Needyouradvice93 17 points18 points  (0 children)

                        Drug use and emotional trauma can bring out and exacerbate underlying mental conditions. She likely had some mental health issues to begin with but drugs/life made the conditions worse.

                        [–]pinedeer 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                        Unfortunately, even if all of her symptoms do stem from her circumstances, it doesn't mean that changing the circumstances now would fix it. Each of the things she has gone through has the potential of "breaking" a person permanently, especially drug use - both illegal AND prescription. Or it's also likely that she had some underlying genetic predisposition to some illness that would not have surfaced if she didn't have the life she had, or would have presented with much less severe symptoms

                        [–]homelandsecurity__ 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                        Is it not more likely that she is still heavily medicated from the time of her breakdown?

                        That was a long time ago now, going on 15 years. People recover and I feel as though she hasn’t been given that opportunity. But I’m just some rando who goes down the rabbit hole of her situation now and again when I feel like depressing myself.

                        [–]Berry_Seinfeld 112 points113 points  (1 child)

                        I don’t get how people think her social media is cute. It’s super dark. I feel for the woman.

                        [–]techguy1231 22 points23 points  (0 children)

                        You should check her tiktok, it’s scary.

                        [–]nj_crc 99 points100 points  (1 child)

                        [–]NessieReddit 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                        Great read, thanks for sharing

                        [–]EarlyEconomics 97 points98 points  (1 child)

                        I suppose a contrast to this is the Amanda Bynes case, where conservatorship of person and of estate (in other words, over both her healthcare and finances) started with her breakdowns in 2013.

                        By 2016, however, her mother petitioned to REMOVE the financial aspect (Conservatorship of Estate) of the conservatorship because she was doing better and her mother only kept control over her healthcare. Which seems like a big contrast to Britney's case.

                        [–]youllremainanonymousPost of the Year 2020[S] 72 points73 points  (0 children)

                        Wow I never knew that. 3 years, you’ve earned my trust, here is the money you’ve worked for. That is exactly how it should be.

                        [–]itsmikaybitch 191 points192 points  (2 children)

                        I'm a huge Britney fan so I'm sure that makes me biased, but from what I understand a 13 year conservatorship is VERY unusual. Typically conservatorships last a year or two at most. I think we have seen enough celebrities (and average joes) that have been given free reign to completely destroy their lives without the courts approving a conservatorship, so it's strange to me that they have allowed this one to go on this long, especially while shes been able to work. I dont have any theories other than her father is involved in possibly paying off these judges to keep it going. It reminds me a lot of the judge that kept Meek Mill on probation for like a decade to fulfill some weird obsession she had with him.

                        I feel so bad for her. She is a grown woman that hasn't ever really had a normal life to begin with and then to have any hint of normalcy stripped away from her is very sad to me. I know she has had mental health issues, but that isn't really anything out of the ordinary for many people and it doesnt necessarily mean she is not competent to be in charge of her own life. I just hope she gets the support she needs to get out from under her dads thumb. Leave the poor woman alone and let her live!

                        [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (1 child)

                        Typically conservatorships last a year or two at most.

                        They can easily last indefinitely if the person in conservatorship has something uncurable, for example deep schizophrenia.

                        [–]tinywenis 952 points953 points  (101 children)

                        Yes, I’m here for this content! Grew up on her and I remember when the whole head shaving incident happened and so many jokes were made about her (even continuing today) instead of genuine concern for this human being that is clearly losing her mind, everyone laughed at her. Heart breaking.

                        [–]That-Blacksmith 587 points588 points  (14 children)

                        Same thing happened to Amy Winehouse. Just about every day she was in those free newspapers you get on the tube, often on the front cover. She was laughed at for all her 'shenanigans' - she'd be stumbling around outside her flat, or out of venues, getting in fights, doing strange things. People just laughed and reported on it in the sense of her being a druggie and a problematic person - not in the sense of needing help.

                        She was still getting booked for shows, even though she was in no state to do them. She'd show up, absolutely hammered and put on a terrible and embarrasing short set and disappoint the punters and be reamed in the papers the next day.

                        I kept thinking to myself WHY? Why are people still booking her? Who is letting this happen? She was called 'controversial' in the newspapers, 'out of control'.

                        And then she died... and suddenly she was the voice of the generation and a lost talent. Where was that admiration for her talent, and the concern for self-destruction when she was stumbling around in Camden Town? Where was their worry for her health when she was still able to be reached?

                        [–]jbarinsd 184 points185 points  (0 children)

                        Like Britney, Amy’s dad was one of her biggest problems. She was his money tree. So incredibly sad. I was rooting for her.

                        [–]sandmangirl123 160 points161 points  (3 children)

                        Exactly? Rather than trying to get her some help they just exacerbated the situation. The Amy Winehouse doc had me in tears. The poor woman never had a chance.

                        [–]robot-trash 22 points23 points  (2 children)

                        Her appearances on Nevermind the Buzzcocks have really stuck with me.

                        [–]Isk4ral_Pust 29 points30 points  (0 children)

                        I tend to think stuff like this is all done on purpose. It's some kind of false idolization ...a modern version of ancient occult virgin sacrifice where young women are dressed up, paraded around and exalted as worthy of the highest of praise and are then sent down and killed.

                        [–]nicholt 21 points22 points  (0 children)

                        It's because of the giant lie we are told daily that being rich and famous will be the answer to everything. Most people looking up at Amy or Britney think they have it all, because that's what we are led to believe. So in turn, when they see them 'screwing' up they see it as squandering their opportunity and taking their success for granted. But the reality is, all the money in the world doesn't solve any fundamental individual problems. It's just not possible. Mo money mo problems, as they say. You have to deal with the constant pressure to be great and the constant ridicule when you don't meet someone's expectations. I think it would be horrible to be that famous, yet so many strive to get there for some reason.

                        "I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer." - Jim Carrey

                        [–]isolatedsyystem 18 points19 points  (0 children)

                        A few years before she died I was watching this TV segment on her and they interviewed a paparazzo, he was all "Oh it's so sad what's happening to her". I was like "Dude, you're part of the problem!"

                        [–]SakuraTacos 33 points34 points  (0 children)

                        Omg the public’s opinion on Amy Winehouse gave me whiplash and baffles me to this day

                        I remember in the LiveJournal days how much people would trash her on celeb forums. Floods of posts mocking her behavior and trashing her completely relentlessly. The only thing that kept Amy trending at that time was just how much people could talk about her very public and messy mental illness and drug addiction.

                        After she died, she immediately crossed over into revered icon. Everyone talks about how tragic her life was. You’ll often find her on people’s all time greatest lists.

                        To this day I’m still thinking “She had that one breakout hit, and everyone noticed ‘oh hey she’s kinda fucked up’ and made fun of her from then on and NOW they wanna come back and reminisce about her beautiful voice? You didn’t give a shit about her beautiful voice when she was getting shitty matching tattoos with her drugged out toxic husband!”

                        [–][deleted] 337 points338 points  (1 child)

                        There was quote from one of The Cut writers I think that was like "The older I get, the more I understand the Britney Spears head shaving incident". I don't know how you would cope with the stress and oversight in her position.

                        [–]tinywenis 225 points226 points  (0 children)

                        I’ve seen that quote before, honestly that reaction is understandable to me. Her ENTIRE life has been on display, all of the drug abuse trying to cope, the Kevin Federline era, all just in her early twenties, judged by the whole world including those closest to you. I’m not proud of the ways I chose to cope at that age, but if I had to see it talked about and scrutinized as if I wasn’t a real person but a dancing monkey expected to always be perfect, I think it would break me down in the same way.

                        [–]particledamage 406 points407 points  (3 children)

                        What’s worse I feel like she was doomed from the start—a hypersexualized teenager in a school girl uniform. Like? Did she ever really stand a chance to control her own career and image? Did she ever have anyone looking out for her best interests?

                        I’m so sad that anyone had to go through this, let alone a cultural icon who can’t even go through it privately. However unwell she is, she is better off controlling her own life than giving power over to her current management and family.

                        [–]tinywenis 239 points240 points  (0 children)

                        I totally agree! I remember watching something about her (maybe like a Vh1 behind the music) and there’s a video of her at like 7 and she’s singing and looks so happy, then her mom said something along the lines of “I knew she’d be famous,” which at the time seemed sweet, like a proud parent but now just screams those dollar signs were always in their eyes. They tried cashing in with Jamie too...

                        [–]fromthenorth79 179 points180 points  (0 children)

                        Man i have a lot to say about this whole topic (Britney) but THANK YOU for mentioning this. Even today if you read the Wikipedia article on the Baby One More Time video, the responsibility for the "sexiness" of it is put entirely on Britney's own head. "She" chose the schoolgirl uniforms, "she" chose to tie up her shirt to show her belly etc.

                        She was 15-16 when that video was shot. And every single adult involved, including her own parents, was A-OK with portraying her sexy virgin jailbait. Even if it was Britney's idea to do all that, that;s the part where an adult steps in and says something.

                        The imagery surrounding that first album was so creepy. The cover is practically an upskirt. Then there were those magazine covers and shoots, including one of her in a pink child-style bedroom, cuddling stuffed animals in her panties etc.

                        Everything that's happened to her life seems like something out of a gothic novel, it's insane that it all went on in the spotlight, under everyone's noses, and the culture kinda just shrugged.

                        This girl can't even, as someone said above, legally buy herself a bottle of water. She was judged that incompetent. So she can't consent to that but she apparently can consent to sexual relationships with these boyfriends who have to first be vetted by her dad? It's all so fucking gross.

                        [–]MuttonDressedAsGoose 555 points556 points  (3 children)

                        My reaction at the time was not amusement. I thought it was a terrible, pitiable situation.

                        I remember when she went to rehab, someone at the facility was calling a radio station and divulging what she was sharing in group sessions.

                        It's all a horror show.

                        [–]spacefink 85 points86 points  (0 children)

                        Yeah same, it was really really sad. I actually (oddly) thought the most accurate take on the whole thing came from South Park (of all places), and how Britney was essentially walking around with an open wound and people refused to help but instead exploited her situation.

                        [–]tinywenis 240 points241 points  (0 children)

                        That is deplorable. Those people are seeking help to get better, famous or not, they deserve the compassion and privacy to do so.

                        [–]Hartnew 27 points28 points  (0 children)

                        This makes me so sad

                        [–]less-than-stellar 434 points435 points  (55 children)

                        Katy Perry makes pretty gross jokes about the headshaving thing all the time. I hate it.

                        [–]sponge-worthy93 289 points290 points  (14 children)

                        In a text from Lady Gaga subpoenaed for the Kesha trial, Lady Gaga calls Katy Perry “mean.”

                        [–]livxlou 56 points57 points  (4 children)

                        ...more info please?

                        [–]sponge-worthy93 290 points291 points  (3 children)

                        It's across multiple news media outlets, but to summarize, in January 2019, Kesha was in a court battle to end her contract with Dr. Luke due to rape accusations. Texts between Kesha and Lady Gaga were subpoenaed in which Kesha is frustrated that Katy Perry is not coming forward with her own rape accusations alongside Kesha (Kesha claims Perry was also raped by the same producer), and she calls Perry mean. Lady Gaga replies that she knows Perry is mean and asks if Kesha wants Gaga to talk to Perry for her.

                        Edit: there's also some pdf court records in which you can read the entire deposition and it's recorded where Gaga states "don't you roll your eyes at me. You should be ashamed of yourself" to the producer's lawyer. I thought that was neat, so.

                        [–]spacefink 112 points113 points  (0 children)

                        It was shitty how that whole thing was used against Kesha. Even if what Perry says is true and she wasn't assaulted, Kesha was going off of what she knew. Perry should have said something about how she still supported Kesha and didn't.

                        [–]underdog_rox 173 points174 points  (0 children)

                        Gaga is Queen. Sorry Beyonce.

                        [–]livxlou 26 points27 points  (0 children)

                        Wow thank you, I never even knew about this!! Katy Perry is such a dick (not the rape thing though - obviously it’s awful if that happened to her)

                        [–]Reddits_on_ambien 52 points53 points  (0 children)

                        I already posted it in a other comment, but she dated/used a friend if mine before she was famous."Bitchy" and "mean" are very apt words for describing her.

                        [–]AmbystomaMexicanum 404 points405 points  (11 children)

                        2008 me is so disappointed in how Katy Perry turned out. She seems so... unkind. And her music sucks.

                        [–]AnUnimportantLife 71 points72 points  (0 children)

                        When I Kissed A Girl came out, I was hoping she'd be a one hit wonder. Unfortunately, this was not the case.

                        [–]graye1999 550 points551 points  (17 children)

                        Katy Perry is not a nice person. She sold her soul for fame. There’s not a genuine bone in that woman’s body.

                        [–]JinkiesGang 260 points261 points  (6 children)

                        I love Orlando Bloom's Stern interview where he says dating her is like having another child. He tries to backtrack what he said, but it was too late.

                        [–]sandmangirl123 99 points100 points  (5 children)

                        Yet he got engaged to her. He seems a little out there too tbh.

                        [–]spacefink 59 points60 points  (1 child)

                        Yeah he definitely isn't a prize himself.

                        [–]spacefink 49 points50 points  (0 children)

                        Wasn't she accused of groping someone? She seems to have very little boundaries.

                        ETA: WOW, there are two accusers. Pretty wild....And notice how this kind of just went away for her...

                        [–]Raaayjx 252 points253 points  (1 child)

                        She just changed her persona to whatever’s popular at the time. And it’s so obvious and dried out now. Nicki Minaj popular? Crazy colored wigs and outfits and rainbow designs. Politics and “wokeness”? Shaved her head and became a political person like Miley. Now she’s a hippie “nice girl.” It’s always been so annoying to me and I never understood how other people didn’t see she was trying so hard to be cool.

                        [–]Whycomenocat 66 points67 points  (0 children)

                        Remember the Katy Perry Proactive commercials? "I love being a free spirit!" Gurl. If you have to tell everyone you are a free spirit, you ain't.

                        [–]less-than-stellar 139 points140 points  (0 children)

                        I don't like her at all.

                        [–]Reddits_on_ambien 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                        She dated a friend if mine and used him terribly (before she was famous). She was just as much of a terrible human being then as she is now.

                        [–]kudomevalentine 144 points145 points  (0 children)

                        Ironic considering the whole, '24/7 livestream my life' thing Katy did a while ago.

                        Like, girl, what you're doing is exactly what Britney was living with...except she didn't choose that.

                        [–]Reddits_on_ambien 39 points40 points  (0 children)

                        Katy Perry is a horrible human being. She dated one of my friends before she was famous. My friend's band just got sign from a christian label to a mainstream one, and she 100% used and abused him to help get her foot in the door. I met her once, and she was a huge bitch. I drove 3 hours to go to one of his band's shows (was friends with other band members too), and they apologized for how he was acting because she was there. He barely took 5 minutes to say hi to me before the venue opened, had a look of deep disappointment on his eyes when she interrupted saying, "Cant you talk to your fans some other time?" all sarcastic like. Bitch, I've know him since early high school-- I just drove 3 hours to come to this show to congratulate his band's new signing... because he is my *friend** and I care about his life*. She later dumped him then came out with a song called, "ur so gay" that clearly referenced my friend's gentle, kindhearted nature. 100% a garbage person.

                        [–]SchlomoCucumber 36 points37 points  (3 children)

                        Not everyone (skip to about 2:50)

                        [–]spacefink 22 points23 points  (0 children)

                        Craig Ferguson is fucking AWESOME. I love his stand up and how he talked about his sobriety. I feel like he's one of the few people in the business with a genuinely good personality and head on his shoulders. His story about The Rolling Stones is hilarious.

                        I also can't think about him without thinking about Kenny G now lmfao.

                        [–]tinywenis 19 points20 points  (1 child)

                        I had never seen this and it actually makes me so happy that someone was out there defending her. Thank you for linking!

                        [–]SchlomoCucumber 29 points30 points  (0 children)

                        I love Craig Ferguson, I loved his late show and I had a lot of respect for how open he always was about battling his demons. I was never a Britney fan (except in the way all teenage boys were), but it always made me so happy that he saw past the tabloid bullshit and defended her. I'm glad I could share it!

                        [–]MambyPamby8 108 points109 points  (6 children)

                        I was never a fan of her music or anything but I just remember discussing it with friends at a party, back when it was happening and we all agreed how fucked up it was. Not just that it was happening so publicly but the fact some people were making light of it. For me, the most disturbing thing was when she was going to psychiatric unit and the paparazzi were taking photos and crowding around her being brought out to the ambulance. I was like what the fuck. That shouldn't be on the news.

                        [–]spacefink 24 points25 points  (5 children)

                        I've never forgotten the Perez Hilton coverage and how he was live blogging them showing up at her estate. I kind of "hate" browsed his site and remember back then that he allowed comments unfiltered. How that guy hadn't crawled under a rock and disappeared is beyond me. But that was the beginning of celebrity bloggers photographing the every move of celebrities.

                        [–]MambyPamby8 13 points14 points  (2 children)

                        Yeah I'm surprised he's still a thing. I never have gone near his blog or anything cause I'm not a fan of that stuff. I think he reported some mad shit about Michael Jackson at the time of his death, like I recall photos of the ambulance taking his body out (could be someone different but I'm almost certain it was Perez Hilton) and I was like woah....this dude has kids. His kids don't need to see this shit plastered all over the news. It was insanely morbid or something.

                        [–]spacefink 13 points14 points  (1 child)

                        Actually I think it was TMZ (something about how they knew about his death before his own family), but it would not even remotely shock me if Perez had an in on that too. It just goes to show you how insidious these publications are and the control they have over people.

                        I've always wondered what kind of skeletons Harvey Levin has. I remember a couple years ago Buzzfeed wrote an article about a slew of sexual harassment lawsuits, and Gawker (when they were the only ones calling out Weinstein and Bryan Singer) asked for tips on Levin. All of this went away and Levin now pretty much has an in at the White House and acts like a mouth piece for many celebs.

                        [–]GirlWithAllTheGifs 23 points24 points  (0 children)

                        I really appreciated Craig Ferguson's monologue when all this was happening. He was a total class act when few people were.

                        [–]sint0xicateme 59 points60 points  (3 children)

                        There were also rumors she shaved her head because she was going to be follicle tested for drugs and if she tested positive she would lose her boys. But the woman in the salon said when she went to help Britney shave her head she screamed, "don't touch me! Everyone is always touching me!", or something like that. She may have done it due to a little bit of both - drug test and a bit of a psychotic break/manic episode.

                        [–]ReginaldDwight 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                        Can they not get hair from your arms and other places for follicle testing?

                        [–]Fiber_fan 299 points300 points  (1 child)

                        Saw this when I was at work earlier and was unable to say anything until it had blown up with comments. I expect this to be buried, but nonetheless, I feel compelled to get this out.

                        For those of us with mental illness, this right here is why many of us are deeply afraid of treatment when things hit the fan.

                        Mental illness can mean losing the right to every possible legal decision in your life. And once it happens, it's nearly impossible to get it to stop. It requires being able to prove that you are medically stable.

                        Well, mental illness, all mental illnesses, is a chronic, physical, neurological problem. This is without a doubt proven with modern medical science and the use of FMRI'S and DNA studies. Stable, for us, never can mean it's not coming back. Chronic illnesses don't work that way.

                        Because of this exact problem, a lot of very ill people avoid appropriate medical care. This, of course, leads to them getting worse.

                        I openly admit that I am so hard on myself about maintaining my own mental health not because I am scared of how bad I get, but because I am terrified of losing the right to make my own decisions.

                        Historically, this was regularly used as a way to handle the "problematic" family member. Only difference is Brittany is out in the public instead of in an asylum.

                        I pity the poor woman deeply. She is a cash cow who's family is continually using her and blaming it on a medical condition. And due to the nature of the laws surrounding conservatorship and mental illness, it is highly unlikely she will ever be able to get out of it.

                        [–]lucylucylove 27 points28 points  (0 children)

                        Nail on the head.

                        [–]jhm1396 509 points510 points  (13 children)

                        I really believe child stars are basically sold off by their parents. I've seen too many batshit crazy child stars locked in mental hospitals while their parents spend the money they made. They usually get committed in the same hospitals, too. There is a huge physical, emotional and sexual abuse problem in the entertainment industry and it's largely the parents fault, in my opinion.

                        [–]Wyrrewolf 169 points170 points  (7 children)

                        You ever read up about the Olsens and what their parents had them go through? If you have, you'd understand why they want to be as far away from the public and Hollywood as possible. Forget what went on during the Full House and MK&A years, just reading what they went through outside of that with the parents is disturbing.

                        [–]ritz-tothe-rubble 81 points82 points  (0 children)

                        Do you have any links for this I'd like to read up on it!

                        [–]jhm1396 101 points102 points  (0 children)

                        Mischa Barton's breakdown was also disturbing. She was screaming things like "I'll be your conduit" and calling her mother a witch. Then the outburst is always blamed on drugs or mental illness.

                        [–]FrankieSaysRelax311 39 points40 points  (1 child)

                        Welp, there goes my night. Right down that rabbit hole.

                        [–]sick-asfrick 55 points56 points  (0 children)

                        Did you find anything? All I can find in google is those dumb listicles and I'm curious as fuck about this.

                        [–]sick-asfrick 27 points28 points  (0 children)

                        I tried to google this but all I could find was those shitty listicles and they don't talk about any of this stuff. Do you have any links or a small rundown?

                        [–]Mackinonbananas 21 points22 points  (0 children)

                        Do you have a good link to read up on this?

                        [–]kayno-way 15 points16 points  (0 children)

                        I havent read up on that, I was obsessed with the Olsen twins as a kid. Crap there goes my day eh

                        [–][deleted] 41 points42 points  (0 children)

                        I get what you're saying, and parents are not innocent. But the primary responsible party here is abusers. (Not that those two are mutually exclusive.)

                        [–]babyinatrenchcoat 68 points69 points  (0 children)

                        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5YHQO9ToCc

                        Her "I'm sad." at 1:05 has always haunted me.

                        [–][deleted] 186 points187 points  (1 child)

                        I’ve been thinking more and more that it sounds like the SAME THING that happened to Beach Boy Brian Wilson.

                        Drug and mental health issues led him to be in an abusive conservatorship for something close to two decades! He was kept drugged out on pharmaceuticals and largely sequestered by his own psychiatrist, who reaped the financial rewards of the situation.

                        [–]blinkysfanclub 67 points68 points  (0 children)

                        I was wondering when this was going to get mentioned. Wilson's will was altered to give his estate to Landy!

                        [–]stitchinthematrix 120 points121 points  (2 children)

                        Her dad is certainly trouble, but so is Sam Lufti. In fact, Sam Lufti is the bigger creep between the two, and I do think he wrote the letters in question, especially since the letters are in the third person.

                        [–]darth_tiffany 56 points57 points  (0 children)

                        Seriously. If they lift the conservatorship Britney is not going to suddenly be surrounded by supportive people who love and care about her.

                        [–]Whyuknowthat 204 points205 points  (4 children)

                        I’m a lawyer that has done a decent amount of work in the guardian / conservator area.

                        At the time the conservatorship was put in place, it made some sense. You have a world famous musician seeming to throw her career and “brand” away in the public’s eyes while suffering what appears to be mental illness. We can debate if it was a good idea to name her dad or not, but generally courts prefer to name a close relative rather than a stranger.

                        However, fast forward a couple of years and that’s when I start scratching my head in amazement that the conservatorship is still in place. She does a tour and stays out of trouble. I don’t see how a judge could keep that conservatorship in place if it has recently come up for a hearing. Obviously the dad has an incentive to keep it in place, but most judges would order an independent evaluation before renewing it. I don’t practice in any state Brittany lives, but I suspect that this conservatorship will be lifted in the not too distant future.

                        [–]Mattybmate 50 points51 points  (0 children)

                        And here I thought that South Park episode was just one of the ridiculous ones. I watched it the other day not knowing about any of this and just finding it amusing.

                        This puts it in a much darker light, jeez.

                        [–]Puppinacup 45 points46 points  (2 children)

                        I didn't know about any of this before reading it here. My mom went to high school with Britney in the middle of no where Louisiana. It's crazy to think she was raised in a city with nothing to do (only got a Walmart in the last decade) and now she's famous and surrounded in mystery.

                        [–]CarolSwanson 143 points144 points  (1 child)

                        Your mom ? I’m old.

                        [–]graysquirrel14 36 points37 points  (0 children)

                        Right? Damn.

                        [–]piglet110419 551 points552 points  (76 children)

                        This situation has been crazy for many years. I’m actually surprised she hasn’t taken her life.

                        While I do believe she has mental health issues. Her father has capitalized on those.

                        I want to know why none of her family has tried to help her prior to the latest court date? Are her brother and sister on the payroll? Was her mom?

                        [–]mossattacks 172 points173 points  (0 children)

                        She’s probably hasn’t tried to kill herself because of her kids tbh, I wouldn’t want to leave them behind with her family either.

                        [–]KRose627 204 points205 points  (1 child)

                        Honestly, I doubt she is left alone long enough to even try to attempt suicide.

                        [–]TvHeroUK 30 points31 points  (0 children)

                        This is why I always find celebrity deaths really suspicious. Speak to even a minor celebrity from a tv show and they won’t be able to remember the last time they had a day to themselves. Top level performers with any sort of issues are forced to have a 24/7 team with them as a part of their insurance. Amy Winehouse was able to kick drugs only after she had two minders either side of her every time she left the house. They would physically move anyone who approached her out of the way

                        [–]youllremainanonymousPost of the Year 2020[S] 207 points208 points  (53 children)

                        I agree, I definitely believe she has issues. I read that she was never formally diagnosed as bipolar either but I believe the source who contacted the Britney Gram girls said she is given bipolar medication anyway (I wonder if that’s what she was referring to in court?). Her brother holds a position within the conservatorship so I assume he’s being paid and although her mom is apparently trying to free her she also gets an allowance.

                        [–]MelpomeneAndCalliope 179 points180 points  (7 children)

                        FWIW, (and take this with a grain of salt because it’s rumor) I was told by someone who had children who attended the same school in Liberty, MS that Jamie Lynn attended (as well as Britney and her brother, before she quit school for her career) & has known the extended Spears family for years that Britney has rapid cycling bipolar and her bipolar has even caused delusions/psychosis. I believe she is/was very sick and that she might have died in 2007 had her family not intervened to get her under conservatorship. At that time, Jamie Lynn was a new teen mom and Lynne (her mom) had a lot on her plate with that, so it made sense Jamie (who had been sober for a bit by then) would be the one to be her conservator. I do believe that saved her life and she would have spiraled so far that death would have happened in 2007.

                        That said, the fact that she has been performing and working to make millions while under the conservatorship is sketchy as well as other things that have gone on in the following 13 years that she’s been under it. People have made millions off of this woman who allegedly can’t be trusted to own a smart phone. That’s not right. And the recent stuff with Jamie and her sons, etc is deeply troubling. But I do think Britney was very ill at the time when it was instituted.

                        I wish Britney could move back to Louisiana, open a dance studio for kids or something, and live a normal-ish “local celebrity” type life where she can make her own decisions and not get flack for them in the media. I don’t think she wants to be a trained monkey performing for the conservatorship’s $$$ and I think she deserves a chance to step away and try to live as normal a life as possible as an adult who manages her mental illness (as many of us do) away from Hollywood.

                        [–]sandmangirl123 47 points48 points  (4 children)

                        Does anyone think Britney has always had mental issues? I truly believe stardom and everyone around her created her psychosis. While I don’t believe she has mental issues. I do believe she had a mental breakdown.

                        I had a mental breakdown myself in college once. It was...bad. I was in a really dark place, but I was working a full time job on top of a grueling course schedule as well. They said stress and lack of sleep brought it on.

                        That was the darkest time of my life. My boyfriend now husband found me in a pool of blood after smashing a mirror. I took a piece of the mirror and...you can read between the lines.

                        I went to a hospital for two weeks and it was like a shade being lifted in a dark room. I was on medication for a few years, but am happy to say that I don’t rely on it anymore.

                        I’m always scared I’ll have one again whenever life gets to be too much.

                        I still talk to a therapist though because sometimes you just need someone to talk to that isn’t family or a friend who won’t judge you. That helps a lot.

                        Sorry for being so personal and a Debbie Downer.

                        [–]Stinkycheese8001 33 points34 points  (1 child)

                        Bipolar symptoms come on around early 20s. Britney started showing symptoms around then, and it’s possible they were exacerbated by drugs/alcohol as well as Postpartum depression.

                        [–]MelpomeneAndCalliope 21 points22 points  (0 children)

                        Yep. There’s also a family history of mental illness with Britney - her grandmother died by suicide. And there’s also the family history of addiction with her dad’s alcoholism.

                        [–]spacefink 13 points14 points  (1 child)

                        Tbh It can happen to anyone. I've had panic attacks induced by work, school...I am glad you are in a much better place now. I wish and hope that Britney is too, although in her case, I cannot imagine the constant stress she is under 24/7 to be 100% on, and the toll it has to be taking on her health. I would much rather she step back.

                        [–]dothehokeygnocchi 302 points303 points  (20 children)

                        I read that she was never formally diagnosed as bipolar either but I believe the source who contacted the Britney Gram girls said she is given bipolar medication anyway

                        You can't look at someone's meds and work backwards from there to puzzle out their diagnosis. Mental health prescriptions have a lot of overlap between diagnoses, because they're treating the symptoms you present.

                        Someone with bipolar is usually prescribed an SSRI/SNRI and an antipsychotic. That same combo can be prescribed for a bunch of other situations: someone with schizoaffective disorder, someone who has clinical depression with hypomanic episodes that don't meet the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for bipolar, someone with very severe depression, or someone who has depression and another comorbid illness treated with antipsychotics such as ADHD, an eating disorder, PTSD, OCD or anxiety.

                        [–]talkingtomiranda 40 points41 points  (10 children)

                        I thought SSRIs could exacerbate bipolar cycles? Are mood stabilisers not prescribed anymore? (Genuine question - my GP thought I might be bipolar way back when and I was put on a different regimen.)

                        [–][deleted]  (4 children)

                        [deleted]

                          [–]AJadePanda 33 points34 points  (1 child)

                          Absolutely. I'm bipolar-1 and am on an SNRI, along with two mood stabilisers, a benzo for sleep, and an ADHD medication. It's been a wild ride getting here, but I feel so much more stable than I did even two years ago.

                          I hope you're also in a decent place. This disorder can be rough.

                          [–]subluxate 30 points31 points  (1 child)

                          Oftentimes, a mood stabilizer will be prescribed, then an SSRI in conjunction after the mood stabilizer has become effective at controlling mania and hypomania. SSRIs on their own are a bad idea for bipolar disorder because, without lithium or another mood stabilizer, they can kick manic episodes through the roof. Severe manic episodes can be dangerous for the person suffering through them, and sometimes they cause the sufferer to become dangerous to others as well.

                          [–]razorbladedesserts 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                          I have BP1 and have been treated with everything from opiates to seizure medication. They just throw stuff at the wall until something works.

                          [–]graye1999 60 points61 points  (21 children)

                          It’s really easy to be diagnosed as bipolar. It wouldn’t surprise me if she received the diagnosis by a doctor who didn’t even hardly look at her and put her on meds. Psych meds can really screw you up, especially if you don’t need them.

                          [–]GreenLightMeg 24 points25 points  (3 children)

                          Yes, one of my friends was diagnosed with it 2 years ago but has since been rediagnosed with something else. My aunt has also been diagnosed with it recently but once again has been rediagnosed with schizophrenia. It’s difficult to fully understand what’s happening in someone’s head so I can see why they go straight to bipolar if people say they’re having swinging moods.

                          I don’t have any sources for this, only personal experience.

                          [–]whiterussian04 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                          Understatement of the whole thread.

                          Psych conditions are so easy to over-diagnose. 10 people diagnosed bipolar does not mean 10 people are actually bipolar.

                          [–][deleted]  (16 children)

                          [removed]

                            [–]daisies4dayz 44 points45 points  (4 children)

                            I believe Kevin Federline has primary custody of their kids tho.

                            [–]piglet110419 28 points29 points  (1 child)

                            I wonder how much she’s allowed to see them. Doesn’t KF have something like 75% custody or something weird? The boys should have some say as where they want to live. In NYS it’s something like 12.

                            [–]lemonandlilac 35 points36 points  (0 children)

                            Kevin Federline has physical custody and she has supervised visitation.

                            [–]ontapeina_sthrnaccnt 18 points19 points  (7 children)

                            Question: does she still have custody of her boys? Seems kind of strange that someone who is so "unhealthy" according to her dad wouldn't be able to control her own estate, but would be left to raise children?

                            [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                            [deleted]

                              [–]ontapeina_sthrnaccnt 32 points33 points  (0 children)

                              Wow. The more I dig and learn, the more I hate her dad. He must be lining a lot of people's pockets because I just don't understand how this is legal. Thank you for responding! As a parent, my heart breaks for her. As a daughter, my heart breaks for her. This is just all so baffling.

                              [–]9987777655433333 11 points12 points  (0 children)

                              she can’t have custody under a conservatorship. kevin allows her visitation.

                              [–]Kalsifur 43 points44 points  (0 children)

                              This is what happens when you have a serious mental illness, tons of money, and psycho parents. I don't think there is a ton of mystery about it. I doubt she has dementia, she likely has something like schizophrenia. This is a terrible illness. My mom has it; my cousin just drowned himself in a lake by accident because he went off his meds, it's a nightmare.

                              [–][deleted]  (57 children)

                              [deleted]

                                [–][deleted] 381 points382 points  (14 children)

                                Not only that, but the "rules" of the conservatorship (at least, the alleged rules as apparently they've never been publicly documented) seem really, really creepy. Last year her dad allegedly accused her of breaking the conservatorship rules by...driving. Just to clarify here, Britney is in her late 30's. She is not some irresponsible teenager!

                                The sad thing is that I'm not sure this situation is as rare as people think. In recent years there have been conservatorship controversies involving celebrities like Richard Simmons and Stan Lee. But I think Britney's situation is possibly the creepiest, considering (1) it's her dad calling the shots, (2) the abuse allegations against her dad involving her 13-year-old son, and (3) the sheer amount of money Britney has made over her career and the team of people feeding off of it.

                                [–]ashleemiss 107 points108 points  (0 children)

                                Another sad one was Mickey Rooney. Beaten by his wife and stepson, denied basic essentials. Poor man died with less than $20k after an almost 90 year career in show business. He even testified at a senate hearing about it

                                [–][deleted]  (11 children)

                                [deleted]

                                  [–]celestialbeing1978 122 points123 points  (9 children)

                                  Amanda Bynes has similar restraints as Brittney, but she also has a documented mental illness and a history of medication non-compliance.

                                  [–][deleted]  (4 children)

                                  [deleted]

                                    [–]mycatisamonsterbaby 36 points37 points  (2 children)

                                    She also worked with a lot of the same people Jamie Lynn did at Nickelodeon. Not making any point here. Just... Interesting, I guess.

                                    [–]JaeBae92 26 points27 points  (1 child)

                                    No doubt Schneider groomed and took advantage of both girls.

                                    [–]ReginaldDwight 20 points21 points  (0 children)

                                    Is Amanda Bynes still under a conservatorship? I just remember it being temporary when her parents first filed for it.

                                    Also, in a bizarre turn of events, one of the same scummy people involved in Britney's breakdown time period, Sam Lufti, was also involved in getting Amanda Bynes to meet up with him in California where he promptly drove her to a mental health hospital and she was held on a 5150 while her parents first tried to establish a conservatorship.

                                    [–]kudomevalentine 83 points84 points  (0 children)

                                    The rumors I've always heard was that a lot of $$$ was passed to various people (possibly still is today) to get Britney under that conservatorship, hence how out of the ordinary it is. I have no doubt a lot of people benefit from her being under it...the question is how much Britney herself benefits, if at all.

                                    [–]ReginaldDwight 20 points21 points  (0 children)

                                    My experience is in North Carolina so, obviously, there will be differences in the law. However, my sister is just a few years older than Britney was when she [Britney] really started to spiral down. While my sister is doing slightly better now, for a while it was a total shitshow and my uncle tried to sue for just a financial conservatorship after she blew through around $750k of an inheritance in less than 3 years, mostly on a truly absurd amount of drugs, her fiancé/son's father died of a cocaine OD, she has a young child and was set to receive another large sum from another inheritance. He did this to protect her from herself and also to try and get her to finally realize how fucked she was and that she needed to get to rehab before she orphaned her child. She thankfully did check into a really amazing rehab program but in the meantime, my uncle was only granted a 45 day emergency guardianship over her finances with a 45 day extension before he essentially had no other options and had to drop it. So 90 days total. And this was all with the stated intention of having a third party/attorney manage any sort of conservatorship he could have set up and my uncle wouldn't have benefitted financially in any way.

                                    It's Britney Spears so there are way larger sums of money being dealt with and I'm really not up on what all she was doing drug-wise and what kind of shitty financial decisions she was making. However, I am extremely curious as to what all went on to support a 13 year conservatorship, zero financial control and several family members managing her entire life and basically every move. That cannot be an easy situation to orchestrate.

                                    [–]Soundtravels 15 points16 points  (0 children)

                                    Thank you! I'm just a lay person, not a professional like you but I've dealt with courts, mentally ill/violent/delusional people, police, etc extensively. It was extremely challenging to even get my family member sectioned after she threatened self harm and DID hurt me. She tried to strangle me to death and the police were involved. Long story short... my family worked for years to get her help in some form.

                                    When I think about what we went through just to get someone sectioned it makes no sense for her to have a whole conservatorship.

                                    If I had to guess the judge wants to leave it be because it's already in place and judges don't like changing things unless theres really compelling reasons to change it. I hope Britney is prepared to present a case showing her conservatorship is somehow actually illegal or out of the bounds of what is reasonable for her particular situation.

                                    [–][deleted]  (21 children)

                                    [removed]

                                      [–]greenday1822 376 points377 points  (10 children)

                                      Her name is Myah Marie. She isn’t on the ‘Blackout’, but on ‘Britney Jean’. That entire album aside from maybe 2 songs (work bitch, perfume) sound NOTHING like Britney at all. As a lifelong fan of hers, it shocks me that some of her fans believe it is Britney singing!

                                      [–]_CoachMcGuirk 350 points351 points  (2 children)

                                      I am living for all the Britney stans in this thread just swooping in and setting the record straight.

                                      [–]AbandonedByKristaps 26 points27 points  (0 children)

                                      This thread has been a wild ride to say the least

                                      [–]heymanmaniac 83 points84 points  (1 child)

                                      She also sang some parts on Circus too. I have the Circus stems and it's not Britney singing on the bridge (I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins. Spotlight...) It's myah singing this part. Britney sings the low part but is barely there.

                                      Fun fact: they amped up the low parts Britney sings on this part on the Vegas Residency mix

                                      [–]ThunderThighmaster 24 points25 points  (0 children)

                                      Thanks for the rabbit hole.

                                      [–]SakuraTacos 17 points18 points  (2 children)

                                      Britney Jean is a trash album (except work bitch and perfume) so this explains it

                                      I never connected instantly with it like I always do with Britney albums. Some of her most obscure shit are my faves.

                                      But Britney Jean was garbaaage

                                      [–]greenday1822 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                                      I agree! I can’t even listen to it and don’t consider it a part of her collection. Remember when they made her do press for it and she kept saying it’s her ‘most personal album yet.’ Lol

                                      [–]SakuraTacos 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                                      LMAO YES!! Because it was named after her so it was like “her diary”. It was so juvenile and hollow

                                      [–]9987777655433333 80 points81 points  (2 children)

                                      that would not have been blackout. blackout was recorded and released during the height of her troubles 2006-2007, she wasn’t getting any help then. that infamous VMA performance of “gimme more” where she’s too big for her clothes and looks out of it and was badly lip syncing was a few months before blackout was released.

                                      [–]transemacabre 149 points150 points  (0 children)

                                      Britney was criticized for being fat in that VMA performance, when even "Gimme More" Britney is hotter than 99.8% of humans who have ever walked the earth. Just another example of how she can't win no matter what she does.

                                      [–]darth_tiffany 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                                      Yeah, I could believe Blackout was put out by her label to (ugh) capitalize on her notoriety at the time.

                                      [–][deleted] 48 points49 points  (0 children)

                                      I definitely think the baby voice one is true! It’s one of those things that makes me angry when people say “Britney can’t sing” she’s actually a really good singer in her natural voice. Just google videos of her singing live in her real voice and she has such a powerful voice!! I wish they’d just let her sing like that now. There’s also conspiracies that the videos she posted on her Instagram singing are sped up to make her voice higher because if you slow them down she sounds more natural

                                      [–]TheShiftyCow 44 points45 points  (1 child)

                                      Singing that way will DEFINITELY ruin your voice, especially if you weren't trained properly. You see the fake voices in kpop pretty frequently, and it kills me. Rosé from Blackpink comes to mind as someone who is being forced into fucking up her voice forever. (She doesn't sing in a baby voice, but it's definitely too high for her)

                                      [–]chronicallyill_dr 108 points109 points  (1 child)

                                      Jeez, I wasn’t aware of any of this. It’s really sad,

                                      [–]less-than-stellar 57 points58 points  (0 children)

                                      I wasn't aware that she was still under a conservatorship until last year, I guess around the time the #freebritney movement started. I knew she had been under one at one point, but I had no idea she still was.

                                      [–]piglet110419 366 points367 points  (18 children)

                                      Imagine your cash cow wanting freedom. That head shaving incident may have been just a “fuck you” moment.

                                      I do believe this young woman needs help.

                                      [–]PM_ME_A_STRAYCAT 120 points121 points  (7 children)

                                      I always wonder if she has any real friends or is everyone around her just like Yes Men. Poor Britney, her story is awful.

                                      [–]piglet110419 86 points87 points  (1 child)

                                      You see others with their “girl friends “ but not her. It’s safe to say she probably doesn’t.

                                      [–]BravesMaedchen 20 points21 points  (4 children)

                                      She has this fitness trainer bf that she always posts, I wonder if he's there for her.

                                      [–]PM_ME_A_STRAYCAT 30 points31 points  (3 children)

                                      After reading this post, it makes me wonder if he is one of the “paid boyfriends.” If so, that would be so sad 😞 I really hope it’s nothing like that.

                                      [–]BravesMaedchen 11 points12 points  (2 children)

                                      Yeah the videos of them seem like he's just playing a boyfriend role, it's so weird.

                                      [–]PM_ME_A_STRAYCAT 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                                      I know it’s hard to tell from photos of them, but to me. he definitely comes off as more of a caregiver or bodyguard than her actual boyfriend. But I could be way off 🤷‍♀️

                                      [–]thepurplehedgehog 180 points181 points  (0 children)

                                      She does. And genuine help, not the current nonsense of 'let's all dictate her life, allegedly steal or siphon off het money then virtue signal about how we're caaaaaaring for her'. She has been told what to do, where to be, who to be, how to do it, when to do it, what she can eat, wear, say her entire life. Anybody would crack under that level of pressure and all the psychological mess that goes with it. My heart hurts for her, any time i see pics of her there is a sad, haunted look in her eyes.

                                      [–][deleted] 118 points119 points  (5 children)

                                      How terrible is it that the one thing she did of her own free will in order to gain some small measure of control over her own life is the thing people most laugh at her for and use as proof that she's crazy.

                                      [–]piglet110419 149 points150 points  (2 children)

                                      I don’t think they realized it - most of us didn’t see it as a cry for help but a sign of a downward spiral. Who would have thought?

                                      Ironically we all laughed at the “leave Britney alone” guy but he was one of the few who got it.

                                      [–]iknowitsnotfunny 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                                      Dang, I haven't thought about that situation for a long time. Sad from all angles. Hope that dude is alright, I still hear that meme referenced today. He hit the nail on the head.

                                      [–]indoorlady 15 points16 points  (1 child)

                                      I hate how it's become a meme and I thought it was cruel how people reacted. I never thought about it the way you stated though and now it's even more devastating to think about. Thanks for the insightful post.

                                      [–]mygirlsunday 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                                      Britney said she shaved her hair because she was tired of people touching her aka glam people getting her ready for events. Personally speaking, that was a huge thing I dealt with when I had severe PPD...just didn’t want to be touched. I think she was dealing with a lot and wanted to be free to do whatever she wanted and hoped shaving her head would get her family/team to leave her alone. But instead they did the opposite, forcing her to work and be ‘on’. It’s so tragic.

                                      [–]HellaHighAtHogwarts 180 points181 points  (0 children)

                                      Ohhh good write up!!! I grew up in Louisiana and Brit and I are close in age so I loved her from day one. I always thought she would have to have a pretty serious diagnosis (schizophrenia or the like) for her dad to get a conservatorship and keep it for this long. I wasn’t surprised to hear he is abusive. She’s so talent and such a sweetheart and so funny. It’s sad this is what her life turned out to be like.

                                      [–]sometimesnowing 83 points84 points  (3 children)

                                      It reminds me of Lisbeth in Girl With a Dragon Tattoo. Except with less killing.

                                      [–]lucy_inthessky 26 points27 points  (0 children)

                                      Check out the podcast of What Really Happened about Britney.

                                      [–]JustFiguringIt_Out 53 points54 points  (0 children)

                                      This makes me so unbelievably sad for her.

                                      [–]Olympusrain 28 points29 points  (1 child)

                                      Basically I think she has a severe mental illness, possibly brought on rapidly from the sickness of Hollywood, and most people working around her don’t care, as long as she can perform and make them money. I know people don’t really like Kevin Federline but he has stepped up with the boys, fights for their best interests and as far as I know doesn’t bad mouth or speak publicly about Britney. What’s interesting is, would Britney have had this mental illness if it weren’t for the fame?

                                      [–]MelpomeneAndCalliope 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                                      Britney has a family history of mental illness - her grandmother died from suicide. But I‘d bet whatever she went through as a young star and being under the microscope certainly exacerbated her issues.

                                      [–][deleted] 95 points96 points  (0 children)

                                      I remember being super judgemental of Britney Spears as a teenager. And then all the truth started leaking out bit by bit and my unkind little ass learned a fucking LESSON about judging other people. 💖

                                      [–]-in_the_wind_ 255 points256 points  (7 children)

                                      On the head shaving incident:

                                      If you look closely at her hair there are small patches of glue quite close to her scalp. She had extensions in. They need lots of upkeep, I’m sure that she was expected to sit there and get them re-done more often than most to ensure perfection. On top of that she was a new mom. It’s very common for moms to feel “touched out” and even develop aversions to being touched. The baby constantly wants you, your body is their comfort, your husband wants affection. You feel tired, drained, and want to be left alone. Add onto that the paparazzi and the need for constant maintenance. Shaving her head was an absolutely sane move and she was treated horribly for it.

                                      The umbrella incident:

                                      If some man was chasing me, portraying me as insane, causing me to fear losing custody of my kids, and making me fear for my safety. Bet your ass I would lose it. It was self defense.

                                      The conservatorship is bizarre and concerning. It seems like she is being forced to perform constantly for the benefit of those controlling her. I follow her instagram, it seems carefully managed in a somewhat creepy way.

                                      [–]NMJ87 25 points26 points  (1 child)

                                      Reminds me a bit of some information I heard about Richard Simmons and how he was basically taken over by people who worked for him.

                                      Supposedly they had him trapped in his own mansion.

                                      Allegedly.

                                      Anyway if you reach the end of this rabbit hole and want another to jump down which is similar

                                      https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/12/arts/missing-richard-simmons-podcast.html

                                      [–][deleted] 119 points120 points  (6 children)

                                      I remember seeing a hand written letter from her a few years ago and it was really sad. She kind of outlined some of the craziness that has gone on over the past few years. Really sad that she is just being exploited for money.

                                      [–][deleted] 18 points19 points  (1 child)

                                      This is written in the 3rd person. That is not, on any level, a normal way to write a letter and if anything this proves how mentally unwell she was at the time. The more I read about her the more convinced I become that she has schizophrenia and delusions. No one is mentioning when she would randomly talk in various accents. Not as a joke, not to be funny. She just randomly went into different voices. She called herself other names at times. Writing a letter in the 3rd person like she is watching it rather than living it...that isnt to say there is no truth in those pages. There can be truth to some of it AND she can need and require constant care. Do you think a person who is putting her children in a dangerous situation would openly say she did that intentionally? Or could more truth be in a mentally unwell person did something dangerous with her child and has convinced herself that it was a set up? The only hope I hold after reading that lies in the fact she is saying what she did was wrong and that she was set up. She does a lot of self aware acknowledgment in that letter, which I wouldn't think a person who was under mental duress would be able to process. It honestly makes me more confused in a way. Why is it written in the 3rd person??

                                      [–]chowon 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                                      i could be wrong but i think it has come out that Sam Lutfi was the one who wrote these letters? unless it’s a different set of letters that he wrote impersonating her

                                      [–]raspberryysherbet 13 points14 points  (3 children)

                                      Anyone have a link to this letter?

                                      [–][deleted] 25 points26 points  (1 child)

                                      I think most of the letter scans can be found here.

                                      [–]maplegooby 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                                      Oh my god so eerie. The crossed out sentence on the second page says “if she speaks up she is threatened” I think.

                                      [–]-flaneur- 130 points131 points  (0 children)

                                      Interesting case. I agree that there is definitely some shady shit going on there. I'll have to do some research on it. Looking forward to reading what others have to say.

                                      [–]kindashewantsto 24 points25 points  (0 children)

                                      Her story is so damn sad, a woman who has been pushed to the brink, has mental health issues, is being taken advantage of, and the list goes on.

                                      [–]mtnlady 24 points25 points  (5 children)

                                      I've wondered about her for a while.. her Instagram posts are getting weirder and weirder! The eye makeup, the voice, just everything about her videos.

                                      [–]chunk84 10 points11 points  (3 children)

                                      Apparently the eyeliner is tattooed on!! Whyyyy

                                      [–]Slothanonymous 46 points47 points  (0 children)

                                      This whole thing with Britney breaks my heart. Reading this thread and finding out more of what’s going on with her breaks it even more. I grew up listening to her music, bought all her albums and just loved her all around. My friend and I would constantly sing karaoke to her songs and record stupid little castes of us singing (lol). The fact that she’s been going through this her entire life is horrible.

                                      [–]P0st-MaStoned 20 points21 points  (1 child)

                                      God this made me physically ill also. I had no idea Britney has been living like a captive, it’s heartbreaking how much her family has used her throughout her entire life. Aside from the obvious abuse and trauma they have subjected her to, it’s so apparent that she needed help for postpartum depression/issues.

                                      Maybe it’s because I’ve had a shitty day, maybe it’s because I have a soft spot for Britney, but this brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for the write up and bringing attention to this.

                                      [–]gscs1102 133 points134 points  (2 children)

                                      Thanks for bringing this up--I think it deserves more discussion, because even though it is a painful personal issue, it has serious implications that need to be dealt with.

                                      I doubt I've looked into this as deeply as you have, so I may be wrong, but here is my take:

                                      The conservatorship has continued for such a shockingly long time because Britney is far more unstable than they want to acknowledge, such that any moment something major can happen. This has always seemed obvious to me--they won't even let her talk most of the time, and absolutely do micromanage her in creepy ways (selecting her boyfriends), etc. This raises major ethical issues that should get more attention, but since we don't know the details of her condition, it is tough to discuss. Even if the goal was controlling her money and all that, I feel like the effort put into controlling her daily life is so extreme that it is likely based in severe and chronic mental health issues, but it doesn't necessarily justify that interference. Her position is a disturbing one, and when they promote her career and performances, it looks much creepier. It is unprecedented to have this go on so long with someone so prominent.

                                      That said, I can believe that the structure of performing in a place like Vegas (not touring) majorly stabilizes her. There are also legal reasons to be so controlling--they're able to fend off lawsuits and other things that she wracked up during her troubles and probably since, as long as she's not legally responsible.

                                      And then there are the kids. I don't think she'd be able to see them if the conservatorship expired, and that's the main reason it is in place. She has never had meaningful custody--Kevin allows her to see them as long as she is monitored by someone with authority over her, and relatively stable, and DCFS approves of this. I had thought many of the issues related to DCFS were about choices that were objectionable but somewhat understandable, given her upbringing, fame, and instability--letting a baby ride on her lap in the car, or drink mountain dew, or something like that. I don't think she felt that was wrong. I figured once the kids were older, these things would no longer be an issue. The fact that she is still so monitored when around them leads me to believe that something more severe is going on. Their efforts to dodge this issue just make the whole thing appear more devious, but I think it is probably based in a real need and good intentions. But the power and situation is so easily abused that it is disturbing, and it does look bad. I think once the kids turn 18, it will be different, and a lot harder to justify.

                                      The situation is creepy, but I think the doctor's death is a coincidence, and the stuff with the bodyguards is unsurprising. Her fame, money, and problems make her a magnet for leeches and exploiters, and she's far from alone in this. It's one of the complicating factors, but I don't think it is a major conspiracy.

                                      [–]paradoxicalmind_420 32 points33 points  (0 children)

                                      Paris Hilton and Britney had an abrupt end to their friendship, with Paris calling Britney an “animal” and not in a good way, and stating her behavior was bizarre and unstable. Yes it’s Paris, but this is someone who was around a lot of heavy parties in young Hollywood and it seems Brittany’s behavior was odd even for her.

                                      [–][deleted] 44 points45 points  (0 children)

                                      I tend to agree with you.

                                      I think the lack of information around the nature of her illness leaves a vacuum for gossip, conspiracies and other kinds of stories. But I really do believe she's a lot more unstable than anyone in the public probably realises, probably more than the family wants to say. No one has ever said publicly what she's diagnosed with (to my knowledge), but I suspect it's a serious diagnosis and possibly more than one issue at play. People need to be aware too that a lot of the information being fed to the Free Britney movement is coming from her mother and Sam Lufti - two major villains in this story tbh. The father is being painted as a bad person, but in reality he was the one who stepped in when the shit hit the fan and took control when no one else would. Yes, it's sad she has little agency in her life seemingly, but she seems a lot more together now and a lot more healthy than she did 10 years ago. If he hadn't stepped in, I'd wager she would be dead.

                                      The issue is that so many people still don't understand mental illness. Britney Spears is very likely quite unwell and has been for years. It's possible she'll never be quite right again and will need assistance for the rest of her life. It's very sad but I dread to think where she'd be if she didn't have the supports and structured life she has at the moment, what would happen if her mother and Sam Lufti and the "fans" got their way.

                                      From what I can see now, she spends a lot of time at home, painting, seeing her kids sometimes and exercising. Sure she probably has a lot of minders but that's a hell of a lot better than what was going on 10-12 years ago.

                                      Unfortunately she probably is just a lot more unwell than any of her regular fans realise and no one here is privy to her medical records, what's going on with her psychiatric condition, how she's coping day to day, what's going on in her therapy sessions etc etc.

                                      [–]LushMotherFucker 78 points79 points  (6 children)

                                      You should cross post to r/nonmurdermysteries

                                      [–]youllremainanonymousPost of the Year 2020[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

                                      Have done. Thank you!

                                      [–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

                                      Ok now thats the kind of sub i've been looking for, nice.

                                      [–]Dogzillas_Mom 97 points98 points  (3 children)

                                      This all reminds me of that Miley Cyrus episode of Black Mirror, "Rachel, Jack, and Ashley Too".

                                      [–][deleted] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

                                      Yeah, reading this thread made me wonder if it was inspired by Britney. If I'm not mistaken, Miley was outspoken in her support of Britney so it would make sense.

                                      [–]rubiscuits 18 points19 points  (0 children)

                                      Holy crap. So true.

                                      [–]VioletAS86 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                                      I sort of hated that episode but agreed. I didn’t realize things were this dire for Britney.

                                      [–]Eggs_Cumberbatch 43 points44 points  (1 child)

                                      I smoked weed with Azealia Banks one time and she talked about this the whole time. I didn't take it seriously because she's crazy and we were high, but seems like I should have.

                                      [–]hardfeeellingsoflove 55 points56 points  (0 children)

                                      Thank you for explaining this, I’ve wondered about the legality of this sort of thing. Obviously I don’t know Britney personally but a lot of this really doesn’t sound right at all. I know the whole thing about her having a meltdown and shaving her head is kind of a piece of pop culture now but it’s really sad thinking how she must have felt. I hope she gets the help she needs from someone who actually cares about her best interests.

                                      [–]Upvotespoodles 42 points43 points  (0 children)

                                      Seems possible those close to her let her down, and she may have become unwell from the sheer stress of nonstop exploitation.

                                      I always feel strange reading about her, because I wish she could have a modicum of privacy, yet I still read this post, for example. The whole thing is sad and fucked up, and I just wish the poor woman peace and freedom from whatever her demons.

                                      [–]flipht 35 points36 points  (2 children)

                                      Jewel's mother did this to her too. Kept her working, kept spending her money, and tried to poison her against anyone else who might try to help her. She didn't go through legal channels, just manipulation, but it's really sad how easy it is for a huge celebrity to be abused while they're trying to put out their work.

                                      [–]spacefink 20 points21 points  (1 child)

                                      Holy crap, I didn't know that about Jewel, no wonder Jewel disappeared. I wondered what she's been up to lately.

                                      [–]VestigialHead 15 points16 points  (0 children)

                                      What does #FreeBritney want to achieve?

                                      At best a change of Conservatorship sounds like the only real possible outcome.

                                      I seems likely that Britney has enough mental issues to be unfit to fully care for herself or her children.

                                      [–][deleted] 36 points37 points  (3 children)

                                      Shout out to Craig Ferguson for refusing to joke about her issues on his show

                                      [–]SilverCityStreet 58 points59 points  (0 children)

                                      I've followed her in my teens, and I think the answer is a simple, and rather harrowing one. it all comes down to keeping her silent. And I think she's been abused all her life.

                                      Look at how Britney's life on stage started. She was in gymnastics class, then in Mickey Mouse Club. Her parents were pushing her onto the performance/fame stage, and no doubt Jamie also. They banked on Britney or Jamie Spears becoming famous and being the family cash cow. Of course, we all know what happened in 1999; she caught onto the pop music popularity bandwagon and went from teenager in high school to stage sensation almost overnight. She was still a kid, for all intents and purposes, and now suddenly she had millions in the bank.

                                      It's enough to turn any kid's head. We've all seen what happens when child stars hit their teens/young adult years. Self-destruction is guaranteed, because they hadn't been given any real limits/structure in their formative period and instead had millions of dollars thrown at them for that one movie they made, or the modeling photos that were suddenly getting them trips to Europe every other week, or that song that went gold/platinum/diamond. Without structure, you lose yourself really quickly.

                                      Yes, Britney had that meltdown in 2007. Everyone made fun of her, but I knew even then that she just plain had enough of being the performing puppet for everyone. But I found it really slick that her father chose that exact moment to step in and do a conservatorship. On one hand, it's obvious she was sick and tired of being the stage puppet. A good parent would've said, "OK, you're taking time off, don't come onstage until you're ready". This guy steps in and strips her of all her legal rights.

                                      You can argue that he was "just looking out for her". Was he? I don't think so. I think he was protecting his investment. I think he was doing this to cuff her hand and foot and prevent her from stopping the money flow - was she going to cut him off financially? - and undermine her credibility for the rest of her life. Nice "parent" right there.

                                      I don't think her father was looking out for her. It makes one ask just what he was doing to her that he would want to institutionalize and silence her this effectively.

                                      Britney Spears is roughly my age by now. 35ish. She's been betrayed by a lot of people, trusts little, and is exhausted from having to constantly be on stage. She's had her heyday and wants to have some sort of a normal life, and nobody can blame her. But her father is still insisting of having full control of her at 35? Why?

                                      Something very, very horrible is happening to her, and her father is behind it. My guess is that he may have molested her, and has for a while. He is keeping her under conservatorship to keep her muzzled and not making waves, and threatens her with the kids to ensure it.

                                      [–]robaco 16 points17 points  (0 children)

                                      This is a great post. Thank you for sharing

                                      [–]mamawantsallama 17 points18 points  (0 children)

                                      Thanks for posting about this. More attention needs to be brought upon it. I was in Vegas at the MGM the week they put her away and it was so weird because they were still advitising her all over the place but the news was saying she was committed. The group I was with, self included, kept joking around about looking for her until we read the news and we were all confused as well as concerned because the entire thing sounded really fishy at the time. Since then I have had so many questions and my heart goes out to that girl for the crap she has been forced into. Hope one day she can be free and live happily with her boys.

                                      [–]buttsmcgillicutty 14 points15 points  (0 children)

                                      This is absolutely perfect content. Thanks for putting this together. This is 100% a unresolved mystery.

                                      [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                                      [removed]

                                        [–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                                        Her Dad has some form of mental illness to be able to do what he's put her through IMO.

                                        [–]sailorneptunescousin 14 points15 points  (0 children)

                                        There is a popular drag queen named Bible Girl who has been a very vocal Britney advocate. She's spearheaded a lot of support for Britney (which is how I found out about this situation). It's sad and manipulative all around.

                                        [–]zerogirl0 54 points55 points  (3 children)

                                        I haven't followed this super close but I do follow along in gossip groups when this comes up. I've seen a few insta videos she's posted in the last year and honestly she doesn't seem well, she seems almost unaware of herself if that makes sense. Other people have also pointed out how she continues to style and dress herself like she's still in the mid 2000s. Now that in itself doesn't necessarily point to mental illness, she could just really love those fashion choices or it makes her nostalgic for her days in peak popularity but it does contribute to her whole "off" vibe.

                                        [–]DaggerDee 34 points35 points  (2 children)

                                        I always think she just looks like there’s nothing behind her eyes on her social posts. In a her emotions don’t reach them way not a shes dim way. Her eyes just look dead.

                                        She doesn’t strike me as a happy person which is really sad.

                                        [–]tinyhales 14 points15 points  (0 children)

                                        Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s been a very vocal situation on Twitter, but it helps to reach other social media sites, too. I really hope things turn out okay for Britney.

                                        [–][deleted] 13 points14 points  (0 children)

                                        I can’t tell you how many times I wished there was a good write up of Britney’s story. Thank you for this!

                                        [–][deleted] 113 points114 points  (4 children)

                                        Her grandmother (her father's mother) committed suicide at 33 after several earlier attempts. She shot herself.

                                        Britney likely has a genetic mental illness that was exacerbated by drug use but would have surfaced eventually either way.

                                        [–]GiraffePolka 53 points54 points  (2 children)

                                        That kinda explains why her father might not ever want to give up his control over her. He lost his mother to suicide and probably thinks he'd lose his daughter too if he let go.

                                        [–]greatcoolwow 45 points46 points  (0 children)

                                        that's very generous of you, but I think it's more about the money for Jamie. That he's just scared of losing her doesn't fit to me? His behavior for the last 13 years shows tells us doesn't give a shit about what Britney wants or needs, and that's just what we know publically... which is next to nothing. I think everyone in britney's legal circle is money hungry.

                                        [–]ChubbyBirds 26 points27 points  (2 children)

                                        I feel really sorry for Britney. Despite her seemingly enviable fame and fortune, she seems to have really been extremely controlled her entire life, never really allowed to grow up and be an adult on her own terms. I hope she gets the help and freedom she needs (because I do believe she needs help).

                                        [–]Wifabota 25 points26 points  (0 children)

                                        Imagine having to decide between being on your own and having everyone leave you and fight you, or just being their robot Barbie. No option leaves you happy and fulfilled. You can't trust people, even those you PAY to protect you. They gaslight you into submission by spinning the media's story. I don't know why everyone saw the umbrella incident as her crazy moment. It was perfectly clear that being followed and having your story spun would make anyone want to freak out. A mental breakdown honestly is the only thing that can come from that.

                                        [–]WitnessMeToValhalla 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                                        Reminds me of Richard Simmons

                                        [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                                        As a big fan of Britney her situation makes me so sad. I remember 2007 and just reading the news everyday and hoping and praying the next headline wouldn’t be about her being dead. I can’t believe she is still under this conservatorship after all these years, she seems like she is doing well in herself and she’s literally being kept prisoner. I have always felt like Britney is a lovely person so I hope she can get free

                                        [–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

                                        Tbh, if Paris Hilton agrees with it, it’s likely true

                                        [–]Canterbury_Rose 11 points12 points  (2 children)

                                        Hang on I saw this episode on Black Mirror. Holy shit was it based off Britney Spears?!

                                        [–]simkessy 12 points13 points  (1 child)

                                        The Netflix special on her is going to be the most watched of all time

                                        [–][deleted]  (1 child)

                                        [deleted]

                                          [–]DYEL_BRAH7 11 points12 points  (0 children)

                                          When OP mentioned Miley Cyrus being involved in a #FreeBritney movement. I couldn't help but think her black mirror episode where Miley played Ashley O could be a nod to/ inspired by the Britney Spears controversy?! Only thought this because a comment I saw with one of Britney's songs 'lucky' and the lyrics written in the song.

                                          [–]foul_female_frog 11 points12 points  (1 child)

                                          So, Chris Crocker was on to something.

                                          [–]spacefink 15 points16 points  (0 children)

                                          He always kinda was. Now what's interesting was how Crocker's life was destroyed over flagrant homophobia. I always thought it was interesting how no one pointed that out. He was also gender non-conforming too, which REALLY pissed people off. The hate he got was super aggressive.

                                          [–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (2 children)

                                          Let’s free Richard Simmons while we’re at it, too.

                                          [–]malmac12019 10 points11 points  (0 children)

                                          This! So many people write off Britney as a sugar pop star, but her story is much more complicated. I have always been a huge fan and followed her journey. I used to say "I can't wait for the day when she is allowed to tell us the truth. Explain what was happening...." unfortunately it may never happen. Thank you for spreading the word. She deserves justice. #FREEBRITNEY

                                          [–][deleted] 32 points33 points  (2 children)

                                          I think she has severe mental health issues. Couple that with constant harrassment by the media and no one to trust, that's just a course to chaos.

                                          Her mother sold her out. Her boyfriend wrote a hit song and made a music video that told the entire world she cheated on him. Then he went on to be a sleaze to his own wife. But hey, think of all the money he made off Cry Me a River. She had that dude Sam Lufti drugging her and controlling her. Yeah her Dad might not be perfect but this entire post leaves out that when she estranged herself from both her parents, Sam Lufti was drugging her and selling her out. The whole reason Jamie got involved wasnt because of her breakdown, it was because of trying to save her from Sam.

                                          It's easy to assume her father is controlling her and that it is all about money. Think deeper. He kept her busy. That's not a bad thing. He kept her working. He kept her safe from people preying on her, INCLUDING her mother. There are reports her mother is STILL selling her out constantly.

                                          I wouldn't be surprised if she does have dementia. Theres no telling what the drugs Sam was putting in her drinks did to her brain. I feel bad for her, she has always had a sadness to her, from the very beginning of her career. She doesnt hide it, the media does.

                                          [–]MontyRB 9 points10 points  (1 child)

                                          I NEVER understood why her dad was given control over her money like can you not get a professional to do this? Serious question

                                          [–][deleted]  (2 children)

                                          [deleted]

                                            [–]Logan_Mac 29 points30 points  (0 children)

                                            People often say "If Britney could survive 2007 you can get through today", but if she off'd herself tomorrow noone would be surprised tbh

                                            [–]beckster 8 points9 points  (0 children)

                                            I wonder if the Ashley Too episode of Black Mirror starring Miley Cyrus was penned with Britney in mind.

                                            [–]sockalicious 99 points100 points  (26 children)

                                            The news article suggests that her physician, Dr Benson, died of an aneurysm, presumably a cerebral berry aneurysm that ruptured. That's a specific and very plausible way to die for a 48-year-old, and not one that could be induced or simulated.

                                            We can joke all we want about Britney's hair-chopping episode, but mental illness is no joke. People with real schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder cannot function in any way while unmedicated, and they often attempt to discontinue their medications. Either Britney has one of these conditions, in which case the love and support that enables her to go on performing is amazing; or she's being involuntarily restrained with heavy psychotropic medications as part of a conspiracy to siphon her wealth away from her. My guess is the former; it's less interesting but seems more likely.

                                            As a counterpoint, I once dated a girl whose brother was in the process of developing full-fledged schizophrenia. He would stay away from home for weeks at a time, come back complaining of being infested by imaginary parasites. He couldn't keep his attention on one thing for more than a minute or two. He would become violent if any attempt was made to redirect his attention from his paranoid delusions, once striking his elderly father (who ironically enough was a child psychologist) in the face. Meds worked - I once took him to the pharmacy where it took two hours to get him to consent to pick up his Risperdal - but he wouldn't keep them more than a day or so, always flushing them down the toilet.

                                            When his father developed dementia severe enough to interfere with what caregiving the son would accept, the son went wild for a few months. Eventually he was incarcerated, first in county jail, then the state hospital for the criminally insane, where he remains several years later. There was nothing to do about it; it would have taken a team of eight healthy, strong people working round the clock to keep this guy's life manageable, and that simply wasn't available.

                                            [–]huskyholms 46 points47 points  (9 children)

                                            I am at work right now but I have some insight I'll share later. Commenting so I remember this exists.

                                            Excellent post OP

                                            [–][deleted]  (6 children)

                                            [removed]

                                              [–][deleted] 46 points47 points  (5 children)

                                              There is something so distressing about how they marketed her as so child like yet hyper sexualised

                                              [–]CarolSwanson 23 points24 points  (1 child)

                                              Men ate it up

                                              [–][deleted] 26 points27 points  (0 children)

                                              It’s actually horrific. Makes me feel so sick.

                                              [–]StormIsUponTrump 45 points46 points  (4 children)

                                              Attorneys here. I don’t typically deal with guardianship cases except in the context of cases involving a minor settlement.

                                              I don’t have time to review the docket, and I imagine many of the pleadings in Britney’s case remain sealed due to confidentiality reasons.

                                              The article layout is trash, but a quick google search brought up an attorney who performed a review of the docket (of pleadings that were not under seal) and his abbreviated analysis in the article does provide some clarity:

                                              https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2019/10/24/britney-spears-why-does-she-still-need-conservator/2288009001/

                                              [–]CPGFL 75 points76 points  (3 children)

                                              Am also a lawyer who has only dabbled in conservatorship issues once or twice, but the analysis in this article makes a lot of sense to me. If somebody with mental health issues under conservatorship appears to be doing well, to me that means the conservatorship is working as intended, it doesn't mean the person is all cured and ready to be independent.

                                              I've worked on a few high profile cases, and really the biggest bit of information I can offer to everyone in this thread: the stuff you hear about publicly is a FRACTION of what's really going on. Especially in cases like this where the court file is sealed/partly sealed.

                                              [–]BL0NDEiFYOUREH0NK 17 points18 points  (1 child)

                                              Here’s the court document that shows how the petitioner illegally obtained the initial temporary CONservatorship by claiming Britney has “dementia”.

                                              Once they filed for the permanent CONservatorship, suddenly this “dementia” claim was no longer checked off (because they would have needed a diagnosis.) link

                                              [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

                                              Her entire situation makes me so sad. I just wish she could be happy.

                                              [–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

                                              Let’s take care of Britney; she took care of us.