>>> RIGHT NOW, WERE JUST ABOUT
TWO HOURS AWAY FROM ONE OF THE
MOST HIGHLY ANTICIPATED COURT
APPEARANCES IN YEARS.
BRITNEY SPEARS WILL BREAK HER
SILENCE ABOUT THE ORDER THAT HAS
CONTROLLED HER MONEY, HER
CAREER, AND VIRTUALLY HER EVER
MOVE FOR 13 YEARS.
ITS CALLED A CONSERVATORSHIP.
WHILE THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST
FAMOUS CASE, IT HAPPENS MORE
THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.
ONCE YOURE CONTROLLED BY ONE,
IT CAN RANGE FROM PRETTY
DIFFICULT TO NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE
TO GET YOURSELF OUT OF IT.
IN A MOMENT, WELL DIG INTO MORE
ABOUT THAT.
BUT FIRST, NBCS ERIN McLAUGHLIN
HAS MORE ON THE CASE THAT HAS
SPAWNED A MOVEMENT WITH MILLIONS
ON EVERY TWIST AND TURN.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US?
>> Reporter: HEY, GEOFF, BRITNEY
SPEARS IS EXPECTED TO APPEAR AT
THIS COURTHOUSE LATER TODAY.
SHELL BE APPEARING VIA REMOTE.
FOR THE FIRST TIME ADDRESSING
THE CONSERVEATORCONSERVATORSHIP
WORDS AND IT COULD BE FULL OF
DRAMA.
>> I HAVE NO IDEA.
IM HAVING FUN RIGHT NOW, IM IN
TRANSITION IN MY LIFE.
>> Reporter: BRITNEY SPEARS
EXPECTED TO PUSH FOR THAT
TRANSITION IN COURT.
SPEAKING OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME
AGAINST HER FATHER AND CONTROL
OF HER LIFE.
FOR 13 YEARS, JAMIE SPEARS HAS
BEEN AT THE HELM OF A
COURT-ORDERED CONSERVATORSHIP
FOR HIS DAUGHTER AND $60 MILLION
FORTUNE.
BRITNEY WANTS AN OUT.
CLAIMING THE RELATIONSHIP IS
TOXIC.
THE LAWYER TELLING THE COURT THE
POP STAR REFUSES TO PERFORM AS
LONG AS THEY ARE DAD SERVES AS
HER CONSERVATOR.
IN A COURT DOCUMENT LEAKED TO
"THE NEW YORK TIMES" BUT NOT
REVIEWED BY NBC NEWS SAYING THE
CONSERVATORSHIP HAS BECOME AN
OPPRESSIVE AND CONTROLLING TOOL
AGAINST HER.
IT RESTRICTED EVERYTHING FROM
WHOM SHE DATED TO THE COLOR OF
HER KITCHEN CABINETS.
LAST YEAR, BRITNEY TOLD A JUDGE
SHE WAS AFRAID OF HER FATHER.
LEGAL EXPERTS SAY AT TODAYS
HEARING BRITNEY IS EXPECTED TO
OPENLY AIR HER GRIEVANCES.
AND COULD FACE CROSS-EXAMINATION
FROM HER DADS LAWYER.
>> HOW DIFFICULT WILL IT BE FOR
HER TO PERSUADE THE COURT?
>> I DONT THINK ITS GOING TO
BE VERY DIFFICULT AT ALL.
THERE HAS BEEN A CLEAR BREAKDOWN
FOR OVER TWO YEARS IN THIS
RELATIONSHIP.
>> Reporter: THE COURT ORDERED
THE CONSERVATORSHIP BACK IN
2008, AFTER THE STAR WAS PLACED
IN TWO ON VOLUNTARY PSYCHIATRIC
HOLDS FOLLOWING A BREAKDOWN.
LEGALLY, THE SINGER CANT MAKE
ANY DECISIONS ABOUT HER CAREER
OR OVERSIGHT WITHOUT THE
CONSERVATORSHIP.
AND A MOVEMENT REIGNITED TO FREE
HER.
FROM INSTAGRAM PHOTOS.
REPS FOR BRITNEY SPEARS DECLINED
COMMENT.
AND OVER THE YEARS, JAMIE SPEARS
HAS CARRIED OUT AS HEN
CONSERVATORS.
ITS CLEARLY APPARENT TO THE
COURT.
SOME EXPERTS BELIEVE BY TRYING
TO PUSH HER FATHER OUT, BRITNEY
IS LAYING THE GROUND FOR ALL-OUT
CONTROL OF HER LIFE.
>> BRITNEY WHO COULD STILL WORK
A FEW YEARS AGO WAS MAKING
MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
IN LAS VEGAS.
ITS EXTREMELY USUAL FOR A
CONSERVATORSHIP OF THIS LENGTH
TO INVOLVE SOMEONE LIKE BRITNEY
SPEARS.
>> Reporter: LEGAL EXPERTS SAY
THEY DO NOT EXPECT A JUDGE TO
MAKE A DECISION TODAY.
THERE ARE COURT DATES ON THE
CALENDAR, THE NEXT BIG ONE BEING
IN JULY.
GEOFF.
>> ERIN McLAUGHLIN, THANKS TO
YOU.
JOINING ME IS ZOE BRENNAN COHEN.
THIS STORY MATTERS BECAUSE
BRITNEY SMEERSPEARS IS A CULTURA
ICON BUT ALSO ABOUT THE CONTROL.
THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO
FIND THEMSELVES SUBJECTED TO A
CONSERVATORSHIP.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN EXACTLY HOW IT
WORKS?
>> SURE, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
THE CONSERVATORSHIP OR A GUARD
GUARDIANSHIP IN OTHER STATES, IT
TAKES RIGHTS FROM ONE PERSON AND
GIVES THOSE RIGHTS TO ANOTHER
PERSON WHO IS A CONSERVATOR OR
GUARDIAN.
ITS A NEARLY COMPLETE
DEPRIVATION OF THE PERSONS
RIGHTS TO MAKE DECISIONS TO THE
MUNDANE, TO VERY DIFFICULT
DECISIONS, MEDICAL DECISIONS,
HOW THE PERSON SPENDS THEIR
MONEY.
WHO THEY SEE.
WHO THEY DONT SEE.
YOU KNOW, HOW THEY LIVE THEIR
LIVES.
SO, ITS A REALLY EXTREME AND
INVASIVE INTERVENTION.
AND AS YOU SAID, ITS ACTUALLY
QUITE WIDESPREAD.
OFTEN, CONSERVATORSHIPS AND
GUARDIANSHIPS ARE IMPOSITIONED
AS A MATTER OF COURSE WITH
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN A
WAY THATS VERY PROBLEMATIC.
>> ABOUT THAT, IN THE SPECIFIC
CASE OF BRITNEY SPEARS, WE DONT
KNOW WHY SHE NEEDS A
CONSERVATORSHIP.
OVER THE LAST 14 YEARS SHES
RELEASED FOUR ALBUMS, SHE HAD
THAT FOUR-YEAR RESIDENCY IN
VEGAS, AND ON TOP OF THAT SHES
RAISE TWO KIDS.
THAT SAYS TO ME SHES ABLE TO
TAKE CARE OF HERSELF.
WHY IS IT SO HARD TO GET OUT
FROM ONE OF THESE THINGS?
>> YEAH, YOURE RIGHT, THE
STANDARD FOR BEING IN A
CONSERVATORSHIP IS SUPPOSED TO
BE VERY HIGH.
ITS NOT SOMETHING IMPOSED JUST
BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE IN YOUR
LIFE THINKS THAT YOU SHOULD DO
SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, GET A
BETTER HAIR STYLE OR SOMETHING.
IF YOU CANT TAKE CARE OF YOUR
BASIC NEEDS ITS SUPPOSED TO BE
A PROTECTIVE MECHANISM AND TIME
LIMITED ONLY FOR THE DURATION
THAT YOU MEET THAT STANDARD.
WHAT WE SEE UNFORTUNATELY THAT
CONSERVEATOR
CONSERVATORSHIPS AND
GUARDIANSHIPS DO BECOME DE FACTO
PERMANENT IN A LOT OF CASES
THATS BECAUSE THEYRE REVIEWED
AS A BENIGN INTERVENTION AND
THATS A BIG DEAL.
I THINK COURTS CAN BE VERY
RELUCTANT TO REMOVE A
SITUATION -- TO REMOVE A
CONSERVATORSHIP, SORT OF NO
MATTER WHATS HAPPENING.
IF THINGS ARE GOING GREAT WITH A
PERSON, THATS OFTEN USED AS
EVIDENCE OF WHY THAT PERSON
SHOULD STAY UNDER THE
CONSERVATORSHIP BECAUSE ITS
WORKING.
IF A PERSON IS NOT DOING WELL,
THATS ALSO USED AS EVIDENCE OF
WHY THE PERSON CANT GET OUT OF