After 13 years of oversight, a media fervor, and private pleas from the pop icon herself, a choose determined Wednesday to take away Britney Spears’ father from her conservatorship. Spears had known as the authorized relationship together with her father “abusive(opens in a brand new tab)” and “merciless(opens in a brand new tab).”

Spears’ property will quickly be overseen by John Zabel, an authorized public accountant, in line with Selection(opens in a brand new tab). Los Angeles Choose Brenda Penny might contemplate ending the conservatorship utterly at a later date, CNN reported(opens in a brand new tab).

The choice to take away Spears’ father from her conservatorship is significant for advocates of applicable psychological healthcare in Hollywood (and on the web at giant). Not solely was Spears largely uncontrolled of her personal funds and profession selections, she was additionally compelled into varied psychological well being therapies(opens in a brand new tab), together with medicine and remedy, and, as she claimed in court docket, needed to keep preventative contraception within the type of an IUD, despite the fact that she expressed a need to have extra kids. Spears’ conservatorship was by no means only a query of enterprise acumen, however certainly one of bodily autonomy.

Spears’ allegations attest to a coercive type of psychological healthcare, constructed on outdated notions of psychological well being remedy — that she was a hazard to herself and others — and a medical career that traditionally takes benefit of ladies’s psychological well being to exert management(opens in a brand new tab).

Earlier this month, Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, filed a petition to terminate his daughter’s conservatorship that he managed. Influenced by feedback(opens in a brand new tab) his daughter made in a June court docket look(opens in a brand new tab) during which she stated she had been traumatized by her father’s conservatorship, the petition claims her father needs what’s “greatest” for the singer, CNN reported(opens in a brand new tab).

Spears formally consented(opens in a brand new tab) to her father’s request final week, agreeing that the association must be terminated “expeditiously.”

Whereas this is not the tip of the conservatorship as an entire, it’s a step in direction of a distinct model of freedom and independence for Spears.

Superstar is not with out highlight, and the lifetime of a pop star particularly is stuffed with frequent publicity, however Spears has handled an amazing quantity of publicity. She alluded to this in a now-archived Instagram publish(opens in a brand new tab) from March, during which she wrote within the caption, “My life has all the time been very speculated… watched… and judged actually my entire life !!! I’ve all the time been so judged… insulted… and embarrassed by the media… and I nonetheless am until today!!!!”

In 2007, her divorce and psychological well being struggles had been plastered(opens in a brand new tab) throughout magazines. She was chased(opens in a brand new tab) and adopted(opens in a brand new tab) incessantly by paparazzi, and Individuals journal made headlines — and a canopy story(opens in a brand new tab) — of her when she was admitted to the hospital for a psychiatric maintain(opens in a brand new tab) in 2008. The general public was (and continues to be) conscious about intimate particulars of Spears’ life.

Sadly, this unfettered gaze and management did not cease when she left the general public eye. As an alternative, she quietly handled the oppressive management of her father’s conservatorship as she stopped performing and parented two kids.

Even seemingly well-meaning followers and advocates have damaged boundaries and held a lens over her private life, speculating on hidden messages(opens in a brand new tab) in her posts and even sending threats(opens in a brand new tab) to her former co-conservator, judges, and her household. When the New York Occasions(opens in a brand new tab) launched a documentary(opens in a brand new tab), Controlling Britney Spears, for streaming on Hulu about Spears’ life earlier this yr, the star wasn’t thrilled, however embarrassed(opens in a brand new tab). Netflix launched its personal documentary about her conservatorship, Britney vs. Spears(opens in a brand new tab), this week and the singer wasn’t precisely happy(opens in a brand new tab), in line with a remark she made on Instagram.

Since changing into well-known at simply 16 years previous and coming into into the conservatorship at 26, Spears is lastly out from beneath the management of her father. Perhaps she’ll really obtain a way of long-awaited privateness, too. On the very least, she’s nearer to a good probability.

UPDATE: Sept. 29, 2021, 4:09 p.m. PDT This publish has been up to date to notice {that a} choose might contemplate ending the conservatorship at a later date.