Britney Spears attends hearing, conservatorship continued until Sept. 18

Britney Spears attends the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 12, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

By Nancy Dillon

Britney Spears was ushered into a closed courtroom under tight security Friday after asking to testify about her decade-long conservatorship, her lawyer said.

The “Toxic” singer left about an hour later and was photographed walking barefoot to a car, according to TMZ.com.

A minute order said the singer and both of her parents appeared at the hearing and that the parties agreed to a “730 expert evaluation." It did not describe the nature of the evaluation.

The conservatorship was left in place pending a follow-up status hearing Sept. 18, the minute order said.

Attorney Samuel Ingham addressed the court before Spears’ arrival, saying he wanted to make it clear the “status hearing was set at the request of my client. She requested an opportunity to address the court in person.”

Ingham then asked the Los Angeles County probate judge to clear the courtroom for the pop icon’s privacy.

“She intends to discuss issues related to her medical care, her minor children and trade secrets,” he said before the judge ordered the gallery closed to spectators.

At that point, Spears, 37, was escorted in through a back door. Her mother Lynne Spears was spotted by her side.

The Friday hearing was abruptly placed on calendar April 23, the same day TMZ reported the singer was finishing a 30-day stay at a mental health facility triggered by problems with her meds.

About a dozen fans waving #FreeBritney and #EndTheConservatorship signs protested outside Friday and milled in the hallways.

Spears won a restraining order this week against her former self-styled manager Sam Lutfi, who has fueled the #FreeBritney online campaign and now must keep his distance.

Fans carried signs outside the proceedings on Friday. (Nancy Dillon/New York Daily News)

The superstar suffered a prolonged public breakdown more than a decade ago and has been the subject of a conservatorship helmed by her father since 2008.

She took to social media last month to address rumors she was held in the mental health facility against her will.

“Hi, guys. Just checking in with all of you who are concerned about me. All is well,” Spears said in an Instagram video posted April 23. “My family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I just needed time to deal. But don’t worry, I’ll be back very soon.

“I am trying to take a moment for myself, but everything that’s happening is just making it harder for me. Don’t believe everything you read and hear,” she said in the caption to the video.

Spears canceled her second Las Vegas residency, “Britney: Domination,” earlier this year, explaining in a Jan. 4 Instagram post that her father was seriously ill and “almost died.”

Representatives later explained her dad’s colon had ruptured.

“We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him,” she wrote in her caption to a throwback pic of her parents with her when she was little.

“I had to make the difficult decision to put my full focus and energy on my family at this time. I hope you all can understand,” she wrote.

Full Article & Source:
Britney Spears attends hearing, conservatorship continued until Sept. 18

See Also:
As Britney Spears Nears Crossroads, Will Her Conservator Let Her Get Married?

How Britney Spears Overcame Financial Hardship, Custody Battles and Repeated Heartbreak to Find a Surprisingly Normal World