In 2020, a social movement calling for termination of the conservatorship, #FreeBritney, attracted worldwide media attention, and grew dramatically following the release of a 2021 television documentary on the issue.

[15] In September, she was charged with misdemeanor counts, including a hit-and-run, after crashing into a parked car; that same month, she performed "Gimme More", the lead single to her then-upcoming fifth album, at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards.

[20][21] Two months later, it was revealed that the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services was investigating "multiple child abuse and neglect" allegations in court documents related to Spears's and Federline's custody battle.

[22][23] Conservatorship is a legal concept in the United States whereby a guardian is appointed by a judge to manage the financial affairs and/or daily life of another person because of physical or mental limitations.

[5] On February 1, Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz placed Spears and her estate in a temporary conservatorship at the request of Jamie, who became co-conservator alongside attorney Andrew M. Wallet.

[59] On March 27, Jamie attempted to sue the BreatheHeavy fan website for copyright infringement after owner Jordan Miller accused him of orchestrating an "imprisonment" and "exploitation" of Spears while stating "Free Britney".

[53] On March 30, 2011, amid the rollout of Femme Fatale (2011), Spears's estate was sued for over $10 million by licensing firm Brand Sense Partners after it failed to pay the 35 percent commission agreed with cosmetics company Elizabeth Arden, Inc.

[62] In May, Lutfi continued to pursue a defamation suit against Lynne, requesting Spears give a deposition and alleging that an evaluation might disprove the family's claims of her mental impairment.

[67] In a court hearing on March 22, sources indicated that Spears was "confident in her capacity to take back the reins of her life", but that the conservatorship remained for "financial and legal reasons".

[73] Louis Walsh, who replaced Simon Cowell on the judging panel for a handful of episodes, would claim in 2021 that Spears was being heavily medicated, alleging that it impaired her ability to function during the shows.

Two days later, The New York Times published an article regarding the eight-year-long probate conservatorship, suggesting that Spears's deposition was an indication that her conservators might begin a "major unfastening of the strictures she lives under".

[103] In response, Spears posted a video of herself on Instagram saying that "all is well" and captioning it with a statement that she appreciated the concern but asking for privacy "to deal with all the hard things that life is throwing [her] way".

[137] In response to the outcry, Sam Asghari released a statement on his Instagram that he had "zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles in our way", referring to Jamie as "a total dick".

[138] On March 3, Vivian Lee Thoreen justified Jamie's role as conservator due to his actions in protecting Spears's finances and custody agreements, and said that court investigators have allowed the conservatorship to continue under their oversight.

[162] On July 26, Rosengart filed a petition seeking to remove Jamie as conservator of Spears's estate and to replace him with Jason Rubin, a CPA at Certified Strategies Inc. in Woodland Hills, California.

He further alleged that during a phone call Montgomery made to him the previous month, she expressed concerns regarding Spears's mental health, and raised the prospect of placing her under a 5150 hold.

[165] Wright clarified that neither a (at the time) care manager, nor a court appointed counsel, have the "power or authority" to place a conservatee in a facility, and that her client's involvement was restricted to signing "routine paperwork" under Jamie's direction.

In his filing, Jamie also disputed Lynne's declarations of support in favor of his removal, claiming misinformation on her behalf, in addition to accusing her of financial rewarding from the estate, while citing her relationship with their daughter as "estranged".

[172] Rosengart described the filing as "vindication" for Spears, but that he would "continue to explore all options" in investigating the alleged abuses that occurred under the conservatorship, including "misconduct" and "financial mismanagement".

[185] The same day, Spears in a since-deleted Instagram post explicitly accused Lynne and Taylor of orchestrating the conservatorship alongside Jamie, expressing that they collectively "[knew] exactly what [they] did" in regard to its establishment.

The senators expressed their concern that guardianship systems could "create significant opportunities for neglect, exploitation, and abuse", and highlighted that insufficient data hindered "policy recommendations".

[229] Members of the movement organized in-person and virtual rallies, which took place in West Hollywood City Hall, Stanley Mosk Courthouse, and Grand Park in Los Angeles, California.

[230][231] As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, after 2019, most advocacy shifted online to social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram, where hashtag trends like #FreeBritney and #BritneySpeaks were popularized, with the videoconferencing program Zoom also being used.

These included members of the House Judiciary Committee, alongside Senator Ted Cruz, and Representatives Nancy Mace (R-SC), Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), and Barbara Lee (D-CA).

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Representatives Gaetz, Barry Moore (R-AL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), and Jim Banks (R-IN), as well as politicians Tulsi Gabbard and Caitlyn Jenner voiced their support in the following days.

These include Miley Cyrus, JWoww, Tess Holliday, Hayley Kiyoko, Lisa Rinna, and Eve;[242] alongside Bella Thorne, Snooki, Ariel Winter, Taryn Manning, Paris Hilton, Tinashe, Cher, Rose McGowan, Cardi B, Missy Elliott, Lindsay Lohan, Courtney Love, and Jeffree Star.

[244][245] In direct response to the documentary, Framing Britney Spears, the following individuals spoke out in support of Spears: Sarah Jessica Parker, Charlie Puth, Sharon Stone, Garbage, Bette Midler, Andy Cohen, Christina Milian, Valerie Bertinelli, Tamron Hall, Ellie Goulding, Hayley Williams, Sam Smith, Kacey Musgraves, Liz Phair, Vanessa Carlton, Amber Tamblyn, Lucy Hale, Sam Asghari,[246] and Christian Siriano.

[137] After the June 23 testimony, additional celebrities voiced support for Spears and the #FreeBritney movement, including Meghan McCain, Mariah Carey, Brandy, Halsey, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Michelle Visage, Justin Timberlake, and Christina Aguilera.

[251] In July 2021, more individuals spoke in support of Spears, including first ex-husband Jason Alexander, former associate Sam Lutfi, family friend Jaqueline Butcher,[5] Iggy Azalea,[152] Elon Musk,[252] will.i.am,[253] AJ McLean,[254] Dolly Parton,[255] and Ariana Grande.

[265] Similarly, Spears's alleged exploitation and abuse within the conservatorship has been compared to events taking place in the episode "Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too" of the Black Mirror anthology series, starring Miley Cyrus.