#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.
Uber and Lyft drivers are cruising in Washington State, the first U.S. state to set an earnings standard for drivers for the ride-hailing companies. Governor Jay Inslee signed the new minimum pay standard into law Thursday, which also gives drivers access to perks like paid sick time and family medical leave. John Logan, Director of Labor and Employment Studies at San Francisco State University, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
A new NFT network claims it is disrupting the art market, and is doing so by following in the footsteps of art legends Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Tripsters says it is creating a new and revolutionary concept in the NFT space, by allowing users to combine two NFTs in order to create a new third NFT. Tripsters says the feature will be compatible with multiple NFT collections in the future, but the first Tripsters' airdrop will be compatible with the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection. Jayson Winer, co-founder of Tripsters, and Oskar Kowalski, a senior advisor for the startup, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt, joins Cheddar News to talk about what you need to know before filing your taxes this year.
Actor, author, and entrepreneur Jane Seymour joined Cheddar News to talk about her new mystery series Harry Wild, streaming in the U.S. exclusively on Acorn TV. "It's really a wonderful independent woman who's changing her life. You know, she's been an academic, and now she's using her academia to solve crimes," she said about the title character, who uses her knowledge as an English professor to help her solve crimes being investigated by her police detective son.
The metaverse may be the next big thing in the music world. Cheddar News’ Michelle Castillo sat down with Jon Vlassopulos, VP and head of music at Roblox, to discuss virtual concerts and more.
A 60-year-old man allegedly had himself vaccinated against COVID-19 dozens of times in Germany in order to sell forged vaccination cards with real vaccine batch numbers.
The impact of the pandemic on people's wellbeing has shown a need for easier access to mental health care. Impact Suite is a digital platform that owns and operates a suite of self-care apps. Clay Olsen, founder and CEO of Impact Suite, joins Cheddar News to discuss the new updates to its 'Lift' app.