Music stars are among those speaking up for Britney Spears after a documentary about her conservatorship debuted this past weekend.
“It’s plaguing me that nobody knows if @britneyspears is truly okay,” Kacey Musgraves tweeted. "Really hoping that if she isn’t she can formally vocalize it in some way and that she knows all of us on the outside really give a s**t about her well-being.”
Paramore singer Hayley Williams opined: “No artist today would have to endure the literal torture that media/society/utter misogynists inflicted upon her. the mental health awareness conversation, culturally, could never be where it is without the awful price she has paid.”
Framing Britney Spears, directed by Samantha Stark premiered Feb. 5 on FX in the U.S. and streams on U.S. service Hulu. (It’s not known when the documentary will be available in Canada.)
“Just watched the ‘Framing Britney Spears’ documentary and have to say, there is something VERY weird, very wrong going on,” read a tweet on the account of the band Garbage.
The New York Times doc examines Spears’ rise to superstar status and the mental health breakdown that led to the court-approved conservatorship she has been under since 2008. Her father Jamie and a lawyer were granted the right to make important decisions about Spears’ finances and business ventures.
The pop star – who did not participate in the documentary – is in the process of trying to have her father Jamie removed from the conservatorship. Fans have campaigned for years in what is known as the “Free Britney” movement.
Last November, her lawyer said in a legal filing that Spears has vowed to “not perform again if her father is in charge of her career.” She hasn't released a studio album since 2016's Glory and hasn't performed since her Piece of Me Tour ended in October 2018.
On Monday, the ACLU weighed in on Twitter. “Britney Spears’s conservatorship limits her ability to advocate for herself and lead her own life. She — and all people with disabilities — should have the right to make decisions for themselves and retain their civil rights.”
TV host Tamron Hall tweeted her reaction to watching Framing Britney Spears. “It’s an understatement to call it heartbreaking.” Singer Courtney Love included a broken heart emoji in a tweet in which she shared the message: “We Are Sorry, Britney.”
Spears has not commented directly on the documentary but on Monday, she posted a cryptic video on Instagram that many are interpreting as a comment on the documentary. “The moment we’ve all been waiting for last week… the Super Bowl! I was so excited but honestly I was rooting for Kansas City but I was also rooting for the other team, so it was a little confusing for me,” she said, before whispering, “I love sharing.”
She later shared an image of a pair of sparkling stilettos on Instagram with the words: "She Who Leaves a Trail Of Glitter is Never Forgotten!”
Spears' boyfriend Sam Asghari said in a statement to People: “I have always wanted nothing but the best for my better half, and will continue to support her following her dreams and creating the future she wants and deserves. I am thankful for all of the love and support she is receiving from her fans all over the world, and I am looking forward to a normal, amazing future together.”