Jamie Lynn Spears, younger sister of Britney Spears, said she's proud of the pop superstar for speaking out about her life under the conservatorship overseen by their father and supports whatever would make the singer happy.
In a video posted on her Instagram Stories on Monday, Jamie Lynn said she felt she can now comment publicly about the situation because her sister testified about it in court.
"Since the day I was born, I've only loved adored and supported my sister," Jamie Lynn said.
"I'm so proud of her for using her voice," she said. "I am only concerned about her happiness" and "have nothing to gain or lose either way".
Last week, Britney, 39, told a Los Angeles judge the conservatorship has been abusive and she's been prevented from removing a birth control device so she could try to have a baby.
"I don't care if she wants to run away to a rain forest and have a zillion babies in the middle of nowhere, or if she wants to come back and dominate the world," Jamie Lynn said.
The younger Spears, an actress who appeared in Netflix series Sweet Magnolias, said she would support Britney "ending the conservatorship or flying to Mars or whatever else she wants to do to be happy".
The legal arrangement began in 2008 when Britney suffered a mental health breakdown. A year later she made a comeback, released new albums and performed live for 10 years until late 2018.
In 2020, Britney began the legal process to remove her father, Jamie Spears, from handling personal affairs ranging from her medical care to who visits her secluded villa outside Los Angeles. Jamie is also a joint conservator of the singer's finances.
Britney's passionate, and at times emotional, address last Wednesday to Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny was the first time in 13 years she has spoken in open court on the conservatorship, which she called "abusive" and "stupid".
The conservatorship was put in place as Britney, hounded by paparazzi and media scrutiny while a new mother, underwent a very public mental health crisis in 2008.
Britney revisited the speech in an Instagram post on Thursday, apologising "for pretending like I've been OK the past two years".
"I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me," she said. Britney later also said: "believe it or not pretending that I'm OK has actually helped."
In court, Britney said she is forced to keep using an intrauterine device for birth control and take other medications, is prevented from getting married or having another child, and is not allowed to have her own money.
She condemned her father and the others who control it.
Christina Aguilera tweets her support
Fellow pop star and former Mickey Mouse Club co-star Christina Aguilera has penned her support for Britney through a lengthy Twitter thread posted on Monday evening.
“These past few days I’ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through,” Aguilera wrote while sharing a photo of the two from their younger years. “It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their lives own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish.”
She continued: "To be silenced, ignored, bullied or denied support by those 'close' to you is the most depleting, devastating and demeaning thing imaginable. The harmful mental and emotional damage this can take on a human spirit is nothing to be taken lightly.
"Every woman must have the right to her own body, her own reproductive system, her own privacy, her own space, her own healing and her own happiness."
"While I am not behind the closed doors of this very layered and personal yet public conversation – all I can do is share from my heart on what I've heard, read and seen in the media," she added. "The conviction and desperation of this plea for freedom leads me to believe that this person I once knew has been living without compassion or decency from those in control."
Aguilera concluded: "To a woman who has worked under conditions and pressure unimaginable to most, I promise you she deserves all of the freedom possible to live her happiest life. My heart goes out to Britney. She deserves all the TRUE love and support in the world."
The Beautiful singer isn't the first celebrity to speak out on Britney's conservatorship hearing. Exes Justin Timberlake and Kevin Federline as well as singers Mariah Carey and Halsey have also voiced their support.
– Additional reporting by AP and Reuters
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UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
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Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
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When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
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Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
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Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
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UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
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For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
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