Colorado Gov. Jared Polis Joins The #FreeBritney Cause
Britney Spears has a new ally in her fight to escape a court-approved conservatorship that’s controlled her life and finances since 2008: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis.
The Democratic governor and father of two expressed his support for the #FreeBritney movement on Monday night, when he shared a statement of support on social media backing the pop star’s quest for self-determination.
Ultimately, Polis said, outside of a handful of limited situations where someone is completely incapable of managing their own affairs, they should be free to lead their lives as they see fit ― mistakes and all.
“I don’t personally know Britney Spears, but I completely sympathize with her,” he said. “The bar for removing someone’s control over their own money and life should be very, very, very high.”
The governor noted that he has a family member who is autistic and mostly non-verbal who benefits from guardianship, and said there should also be a way for guardians to temporarily oversee individuals who pose an immediate danger to themselves or others.
Outside of those limited cases, however, people should get to call their own shots, said Polis.
“Even people who spiral downward or squander their money have the right to do so,” he said. “Many former stars have lost their money and wasted away, and even if Britney’s father is well intended in trying to keep her safely in a ‘conservatorship,’ it simply isn’t his right to do so for an adult child who can make her own decisions.
“I also sympathize with the pain that any parent feels at seeing their adult child make bad decisions, but ultimately it is their child’s life to live, mistakes and all.”
Lest there be any doubt about his position, Polis ended the post with a clear statement of support: ”#FreeBritney.”
Spears told a judge last month that the legal arrangement she’s in is “abusive” and has left her “traumatized.”
Among other things, the 39-year-old alleged she’s been kept on birth control despite wanting to have another child, and been forced to perform on stage against her will in an arrangement she likened to sex trafficking.
“I worked seven days a week. ... It was like sex trafficking,” she said. “I didn’t have a credit card, cash or my passport.”
The next hearing in Spears’ case is scheduled for September 29.
Read Polis’ post in full below:
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
