Britney Spears’ conservatorship terminated by Los Angeles judge

A Los Angeles judge on Friday ended the 13-year-long conservatorship that had controlled pop star Britney Spears‘ life and money. The decision caps of a stunning saga that saw Spears publicly breaking down and demanding the end of the conservatorship and having her father removed from power.

For the first time since 2008, she is finally free to make her own medical, financial and personal decisions.

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“As of today, the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated,” Judge Brenda Penny said, according to Associated Press.

The decision saw fans of the singer coming out to the streets cheering and chanting “Britney! Britney! Britney!”. The move was widely expected, with little support left for prolonging the legal arrangement.

James Spears sought the conservatorship in 2008 and had been its primary controller and biggest champion. He reversed course in recent months, asking the judge to end the conservatorship.

However, the key to the unravelling was a tell-all speech Spears made at a hearing in June when she passionately described the restrictions and scrutiny of her life as “abusive.” She demanded that the conservatorship end without any prying evaluation of her mental state.

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Following her highly public breakdown in 2007, the American pop star was placed under a unique legal guardianship largely governed by her father.

In the reveal-all testimony, Spears opened up about her “abusive” conservatorship, asking Judge Brenda Penny to allow her to retain her own counsel and terminate the arrangement.

“I just want my life back. It’s been 13 years and it’s enough,” the singer said in her 20-minute address at the court.

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The pop star said that, under the legal arrangement, she has been prevented from having a contraceptive implant removed, despite wanting more children.

It had left her “traumatised” and “depressed,” the mother of two said.

However, more courtroom battles could lie ahead for Spears.

With inputs from the Associated Press