Amidst the chaos of the last year, the #FreeBritney movement was birthed, with long-term fans of pop-culture icon, Britney Spears, turning the legal battles surrounding her controversial 12-year conservatorship into an internet phenomenon. Before long, it wasn't just her loyal admirers who were petitioning for her freedom, with much of the world realising that the bizarre antics we regularly dismissed as Spears being her 'quirky self,' were actually representative of a much deeper issue. Now, the New York Times is realising a new documentary, Framing Britney Spears, with hopes to provide more insight into the star's private life and current legal woes.
The sixth instalment in the Times' ongoing series, The New York Times Presents, will examine and explore the known details of Spears' controversial conservatorship, which began in 2008, while also touching on her unparalleled and meteoric rise to fame and the catastrophic downfall and vilification by the media and paparazzi that followed.
The Times' official synopsis for the Framing Britney Spears documentary reads; "Her rise was a global phenomenon, her downfall was a cruel national sport. People close to Britney Spears and lawyers tied to her conservatorship now reassess her career as she battles her father in court over who should control her life."
Watch the trailer for Framing Britney Spears below.
Her phenomenal rise to superstardom. A downfall that shocked the world. And now, an ensuing conservatorship battle. #NYTPresents: Framing Britney Spears. Premiering Feb. 5 on @FXNetworks and @Hulu. pic.twitter.com/BZBkec7mMt
— FX Documentaries (@FXDocs) January 21, 2021
Executive produced by New York Times‘ journalists Jason Stallman, Sam Dolnick and Stephanie Priess, in conjunction with Ken Druckerman, Banks Tarver, and Mary Robertson, the documentary will speak exclusively with people close to Spears and lawyers involved in the conservatorship. However, it is not yet clear whether Spears herself will make an appearance in the documentary.
Spears has been under her father's conservatorship since her hospitalisation back in 2008. What was originally a temporary solution, the decision was made permanent in December of that same year, with the consequences of that appointment still plaguing Spears' 12 years on. After years of suffering, in August 2020, Spears announced that she no longer wanted her father to be in control of her conservatorship; however, it wasn't until November, she asked that he be removed as the co-conservator of her estate and said she would no longer be performing while he was in control of her career.
Where to watch
The Framing Britney Spears documentary will air on February 5 on FX and Hulu. If you're in Australia, unfortunately none of our streaming services have picked it up just yet. We'll know more soon.
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