Britney Spears is free.
After 13 years, the conservatorship controlling the pop star's life and finances has come to an end. A judge in Los Angeles on Friday terminated the controversial legal arrangement, which the singer has been under since 2008, BuzzFeed News reports. This decision takes effect immediately.
"The conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required," the judge said.
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This officially brings to an end Spears' efforts to be freed from the conservatorship set up more than a decade ago, when she was suffering a public breakdown. Fans for years have questioned how the arrangement could still be appropriate, given that Spears appeared capable of taking care of herself while continuing to perform and release new music. In an explosive court hearing in June, Spears broke her silence on the conservatorship, which she called "abusive." She alleged the arrangement has been so controlling that it prevented her from getting married and having children.
"I just want my life back," Spears said. "And it's been 13 years. And it's enough."
Spears had already scored a major legal victory in September when a judge suspended her father, Jamie Spears, from the conservatorship. Jamie Spears had long defended the conservatorship as necessary, but he pulled a surprising reversal in September when he filed a petition to end it. At the time, Spears' father said her circumstances had changed to the point "that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist." Spears' lawyer suggested this was an attempt to "avoid accountability and justice, including sitting for a sworn deposition."
Last month, Spears wrote on Instagram that she expected her conservatorship was "about to be over," but, she added, "I still want justice." Her attorney has vowed to continue an investigation into her father's conduct.
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