Will Britney Spears Be Forced to Undergo an Evaluation Before Her Conservatorship Can End?

After nearly 13 years of silence, Britney Spears appeared before a judge to give an open statement on ending the conservatorship that her father, Jamie Spears, put in place for the singer in 2008.

During her lengthy testimony, the 39-year-old claimed that being under the conservatorship is doing "more harm than good" and called out her father, manager, and team for their "abusive" power over her life. "I deserve to have a life," she told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny.

During her written speech, which was live-streamed, Britney detailed the stipulations surrounding her conservatorship which allegedly include being forced to wear an IUD, not being able to spend her own money or leave her home, and being forced to take medication against her will and attend weekly therapy sessions.

“I want to end this conservatorship without being evaluated," she told the judge.

Will Britney be reevaluated again? Keep reading to find out more about what an evaluation could entail for Britney.

On June 23, 2021, Britney pleaded her case before the Los Angeles Superior Court judge to terminate her conservatorship. The "Toxic" singer claimed that she was forced to take lithium against her will, though she did not specify any medical conditions that would require her to take the drug.

Britney said that she was only prescribed lithium by her therapist after telling her father and team that she did not want to do the Las Vegas residency.

"I remember telling my assistant, I feel weird if I say no, I feel like they’re gonna come back and be mean to me or punish me or something. Three days later, after I said no to Vegas, my therapist sat me down in a room and said he had a million phone calls about how I was not cooperating in rehearsals, and I haven’t been taking my medication," she stated. "All this was false!"

Britney told the judge that she was then placed on lithium "out of nowhere" and she "felt drunk" while on the drug.

The mother-of-two continued to share her side of the story, citing that her conservatorship was downright "abusive." Though the judge did not make a ruling on Britney's case, it's likely that a lengthy legal process will follow.

So, will Britney have to be evaluated?

Though Britney has asked the judge to not be evaluated and for her conservatorship to end, psychiatrist Sean Paul, MD, told Health that it is not uncommon for an alleged psychologically incapacitated person to be evaluated by a psychiatrist.

“The psychiatrist's role in conservatorship proceedings is to evaluate the medical, environmental, psychological, behavioral, relationship, and emotional factors that are relevant to the case at hand,” board-certified psychiatrist Dr. Paul told the outlet. The process includes undergoing clinical evaluations and interviews, medical testing, psychological testing, and a review of the person's records.

“After putting these pieces of information together, the psychiatrist delivers an objective opinion through written reports, depositions and/or court testimony,” Dr. Paul added.

According to California law, the conservatorship can be terminated if the conservatee becomes able to handle their own affairs.

"The court may ask the court investigator to evaluate the case and the conservatee’s condition to see if the conservatorship should be ended," the court website states. Therefore, an investigation and evaluation of Britney's competency may be court-ordered before her conservatorship is terminated.