#FreeBritney activists protest outside Courthouse in Los Angeles during Conservatorship Hearing on April 27, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)
Britney Spears has asked to address the court to talk about the conservatorship that has controlled her life and finances for 13 years, her attorney said Tuesday, and a judge scheduled a June date to hear from her.
Spears' court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham III, said in a hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court that she had asked to speak to the court soon, and agreed with Judge Brenda Penny on a June 23 date. He did not say what she would specifically like to say.
It would be the first known time in more than two years that the 39-year-old pop star has spoken in court. The last time, on May 10, 2019, the courtroom was sealed. None of what she said became public.
The judge may also close the June hearing to the media and public. But Spears, through Ingham, has been pushing for more transparency in the court proceedings and documents of the conservatorship.
Spears did not take part in Tuesday's hearing, and she very rarely attends them.
As with nearly every Spears hearing, about 50 fans from the so-called #FreeBritney movement picketed outside the downtown courthouse.
On Tuesday, they carried signs that read "CONSERVATORSHIP IS SLAVERY" and “THIS IS TOXIC."
One woman, wearing a #FreeBritney T-shirt, had her head shaved during the demonstration in solidarity with Spears, who famously shaved her own head just before the conservatorship was put in place in 2008.
Spears herself has said in court documents and on social media that she welcomes the support for her and scrutiny of her circumstances that have come from fans.
Through Ingham, she has been pushing in court to incrementally exercise more control over her life and finances. But she has yet to request that the court end the conservatorship.
The record-breaking success of "Squid Game" on Netflix has many media companies competing to produce, stream, and invest in new content from South Korea. Netflix has spent half a billion dollars on developing Korean content this year, and other streaming services are taking note. Seth Schachner, managing director at StratAmericas and digital business executive, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
The two tech- billionaires Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey are the latest voices to discuss the new hypothetical internet called Web 3.0. According to the billionaires, the new concept is just a "marketing buzzword" and cannot exist without venture capitalists or large backing. However, advocates of the Web 3.0 believe this decentralized space is the next big thing to help put ownership back into the hands of the people. Senior News Editor at The Verge, Richard Lawler, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
This year, the games market will generate total revenues of $180.3 billion dollars, a significant increase from 2020. While the industry continues to grow and expand into new spaces, such as the metaverse, there is still plenty of room for growth and reform in this male-dominated market. Katie Robinson, content creator, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Jacob Channel, Senior Economic Analyst at LendingTree, joins Cheddar to discuss some of the most family-friendly metros in the U.S., and tips for house hunting for a family in the new year.
The hit series "Cobra Kai" on Netflix is about to drop the fourth season on December 31. Jacob Bertrand, who plays Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, joined Cheddar to talk about what viewers can expect from his character in the upcoming season and why it translates so well with new audiences as well as fans of the original "Karate Kid" film. Bertrand also discussed his podcast with series co-star Xolo Maridueña called "Lone Lobos."
The theme for this year's Waterford Crystal Times Square New Year's Eve Ball is the 'Gift of Wisdom.' Waterford Crystal's Master Artisan Tom Brennan joins Cheddar News to discuss the story behind this year's theme, how Covid is impacting New Year's celebrations and some surprising facts about the Waterford Times Square ball.
Ron Gutman, Co-CEO of Intrivo, joins Cheddar News to discuss how the company is creating a test and tech solution for Covid testing called 2Gather, and how it's using data-driven digital diagnostics to make these tests widely available and affordable.
Despite challenges like inflation, labor and product shortages, and the Omicron variant, holiday sales saw record levels of growth this year, according to a new report from Mastercard SpendingPulse. The group reports on national retail sales across all payment types, finding that holiday sales rose at the fastest pace in 17 years this year. Mastercard senior advisor and former chariman and CEO of Saks Incorporated Steve Sadove joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Dr. Saralyn Mark, COVID-19 leader at the American Medical Women's Association and former senior medical advisor at the White House, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where she says people should reconsider their plans for New Year's Eve due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and adds that we should be using the resources at our disposal to make the best decisions.
