Supported by
‘Framing Britney Spears’
Watch our Emmy-nominated documentary on Britney Spears that brought to light many of the details about her yearslong struggle under a court-sanctioned conservatorship. It’s free to watch here for Times subscribers in the U.S.
‘Framing Britney Spears’
Producer/Director Samantha Stark
Senior Editor Liz Day
Now streaming on Hulu and available here for New York Times subscribers in the U.S.
“I just want my life back.” Britney Spears told a Los Angeles judge in June during a rare court appearance.
The pop star said she had been drugged, compelled to work against her will and prevented from removing her birth control device under a legal arrangement that had ruled her life for more than 13 years.
“I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” Spears told the court. “I don’t feel like I can live a full life.”
Indeed the life and career of one of music’s biggest superstars, who enthralled audiences in the 1990s as she ascended to global stardom, has been at a standstill since 2008. That’s when, at age 26, Spears had her rights curtailed under a court-sanctioned conservatorship that put decisions about her fortune — and even her body — in the hands of others, including her father.
Now 39, Spears has publicly demanded to be freed from the conservatorship and an end to her father’s legal control of her, something she had been quietly pushing for years to change.
Our Emmy-nominated documentary captures what the public might not know about the nature of Spears’s conservatorship and her court battle with her father over who should control her estate.
The documentary, “Framing Britney Spears,” features interviews with key insiders, including:
a lifelong family friend who traveled alongside Spears for much of her career
the marketing executive who originally created Spears’s image
a lawyer working on the conservatorship for Spears’s father
and the lawyer Spears tried to hire in the early days of the conservatorship to challenge her father
The New York Times documentary, streaming on FX and Hulu, also explores the fervent fan base that has been agitating to “Free Britney,” and re-examines the media’s handling of one of the biggest pop stars of all time.
transcript
The New York Times Presents 'Framing Britney Spears'
Watch The New York Times documentary about Britney Spears and her court battle with her father over control of her career and her fortune. The full video is streaming on Hulu and free on our site for Times subscribers in the United States.
[MUSIC PLAYING] ”Britney was so serious and so focused. This is a girl that‘s coming from strength.” ”She was so open and vulnerable. How we treated her was disgusting.” ”Britney had to navigate being told who she could be and what she could do.” ”People became fascinated with her sort of unraveling.” ”She accepted the conservatorship was going to happen, but she didn‘t want her father to be her conservator. That was her one request.” ”And any time there‘s that amount of money to be made, you have to question the motives of everyone close to that person.” ”Do they always have her best interests at heart?” ”Something is going on behind the scenes here.” ”I didn‘t understand what a conservatorship is, especially for somebody capable of so much that I know firsthand she‘s capable of.” ”Why is she still in this? Why is her dad making all of her decisions?” ”What do we want?” ”Free Britney.”
Producer Liz Hodes
Director of Photography Emily Topper
Video Editors Geoff O’Brien and Pierre Takal
Associate Producer Melanie Bencosme
“The New York Times Presents” is a series of documentaries representing the unparalleled journalism and insight of The New York Times, bringing viewers close to the essential stories of our time.
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