Britney Spears-inspired conservatorship bill introduced as singer uses ‘#FreeBritney’ for first time

‘No woman should be forced to have an IUD without her consent,’ says Jason Smith

A US congressman on Wednesday introduced a bill to protect women in conservatorships from forced contraception, inspired by the recent testimony of Britney Spears on the issue.

The Conservatorships Immoral Relationship with Contraception in the United States (CIRCUS) Act seeks to exclude healthcare providers from federal healthcare programmes if they “deny removal of an intrauterine device or other contraceptive device without the approval of an individual’s conservator,” according to the office of congressman Jason Smith, who introduced the bill.

The same penal action will be taken if they prescribe contraception to a person subject to conservatorship without their consent.

The act is influenced by a recent revelation that Spears was forced to have an intrauterine device (IUD) without her consent.

In a testimony on 23 June, Spears revealed that the team managing her decades-long financial and personal conservatorship used an IUD to prevent her from having more children.

“I have an IUD in my body right now that won’t let me have a baby and my conservators won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out,” she told the court. “I feel ganged up on. I feel bullied and I feel left out and alone.”

“I want to be able to get married and have a baby,” she added.

“By sharing her story, Britney Spears has exposed an injustice that should not have happened. No woman should be forced to have an IUD without her consent,” Smith said in a statement.

“The CIRCUS Act is a targeted solution to help ensure individuals like Ms Spears are empowered in the decision to be placed or kept on birth control. Congress can and should put a stop to this terrible practice,” he added.

Meanwhile, Spears told a Los Angeles County judge on Wednesday that she would like to bring formal charges against her father Jamie Spears over his role in the conservatorship.

“I would like to charge my father with conservatorship abuse,” she said. “I want an investigation into my dad,” she added.

The pop star addressed the court for the second time in less than a month and delivered another explosive testimony after being given permission to hire her own lawyer. Attorney Mathew S Rosengart will represent the pop star.

Speaking to the courtroom over the phone, Spears revealed a list of injustices. She said her coffee and hair vitamins had been taken from her.

“Ma’am, that’s not abuse, that’s just f***ing cruelty,” she said. “Excuse my language, but it’s the truth.”

Spears said she would be fine with co-conservator Jodi Montgomery “helping” her, but wanted her father to be removed immediately.

“My dad needs to be removed today and I will be happy with Jodi helping me,” she said.

In a statement given outside the courthouse, Rosengart called for the singer’s father Jamie Spears to voluntarily step down as his client’s conservator. “Jamie Spears should be removed as conservator because it is in [the] best interest of the conservatee,” he said.

The pop star, in an Instagram post after the judge’s ruling, shared a video featuring clips of herself doing cartwheels and riding a horse.

“Coming along, folks... coming along,” she wrote in the caption alongside a middle finger emoji. “New with real representation today... I feel GRATITUDE and BLESSED !!!! Thank you to my fans who are supporting me...” she wrote.

She added: “You have no idea what it means to me be supported by such awesome fans !!!! God bless you all !!!!! Pssss this is me celebrating by horseback riding and doing cartwheels today.”

Spears concluded her post with the hashtag #FreeBritney - a campaign started by fans of the star to have her legal conservatorship lifted.

According to a New York Times report, the hashtag #FreeBritney dates back to a 2009 fan site that disagreed with the legal agreement. The campaign gained momentum when Spears checked into a mental health care facility in 2019.

Several top US lawmakers, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bob Casey, have called for more data on how widespread problems with conservatorships are across the country, reported news channel NBC.