Britney Spears to 'address the court directly' in conservatorship battle

Britney Spears is preparing to speak out in court.

The pop star, who has been fighting to have her father removed as conservator of her estate, will "address the court directly" on the matter at a hearing this summer, her attorney said Tuesday, according to Page Six. The lawyer, Samuel Ingham, asked a judge to set this hearing at which Spears would be able to speak on the "status of the conservatorship," and the judge scheduled it for June 23, Variety reports.

Ingham previously told the judge that Spears "has informed me that she is afraid of her father," Jamie Spears, and "will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career." Spears has asked for him to be removed from the conservatorship, which dates back to 2008. The judge previously declined to do so but granted a request to appoint a corporate fiduciary as co-conservator. This order has not yet taken effect, according to Variety.

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Spears' court battle was covered earlier this year in a hit New York Times documentary, "Framing Britney Spears," which also delved into the "#FreeBritney" movement composed of fans who argue the conservatorship is not necessary. Spears herself hasn't spoken publicly about the case, though she wrote on Instagram in March that she was "embarrassed by the light" the February documentary put her in.

A lawyer for Spears' father, Vivian Thoreen, said in February that he "rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation" with the conservatorship, as "people were harming her and they were exploiting her." The lawyer also said that Jamie Spears "would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship."