The documentary describes the life of the pop star and the 13-year-old conservatory, including confidential documents within the agreement.
Director and producer Erin Lee Carr narrates the entire documentary while working with Rolling Stone reporter Jenny Eliscu.
Carr begins the documentary, which is now available on Netflix, by stating that she initially started working on a project dealing with Spears’ life, her « artist and media portrayal ». But she learned that the story was also about power and control – one full of conspiracies and rumors.
The documentary follows a chronological order, with the film briefly reflecting the immense success of Spears in the late 90s through the early Aughts appeals. She then discusses her relationship with her current ex-husband, Kevin Federline, and how her tumultuous marriage and divorce led to conservatory-related events.
In 2006, Spears filed for divorce from Federline, citing irreconcilable differences. The divorce was finalized in 2007 when the two reached an agreement on joint custody of their two sons, Sean and Jayden.
In January 2008, Spears reportedly refused to let Federline custody of their sons as hers by court set time had expired with them. After the police found that she was under the influence of a substance, she was hospitalized. The next day, her visitation rights were suspended, giving Federline full legal and physical custody of her children. She was then placed under a temporary Conservatorship, with her father Jamie Spears and her attorney Andrew Wallet serving as co-curators, giving them full control over their estate.
The 90-minute documentary features interviews from previous lawyers, experts for monument preservation and those close to Britney Spears, including her former assistant Felicia Culotta, who is also in the New York Times’ two documentaries about Spears, « Framing Britney Spears » and « Britney Spears. »
Those who control apparently directly involved in the legal agreement, including Jamie, Wallet and their former management Tri Star Sports & Entertainment, declined an interview.
Here, WWD drops the five biggest bombs from the Netflix documentary « Britney vs Spears » on. Read on for more.
When searching court documents, Carr and Eliscu came across one containing Spears’ medical information that contained « orders related to the placement of dementia. » Both agreed that it was extremely strange, especially for someone who was only in their mid-20s at the time – not to mention working successfully, touring the world and still producing albums.
Additionally, one turned in the fall of 2020 anonymous source to the filmmakers, claiming they had « thousands of confidential documents and emails from most of the parties involved in the preservation of monuments ».
These documents included a report from a doctor who resigned from the case in 2013. The March 5, 2008 report stated, « Britney Jean Spears lacks the ability to retain and guide legal counsel » and « Britney Spears lacks » the ability to understand or manage her financial affairs without undue influence be. ”
Eliscu points out that Spears was working when this report was prepared. At the time she was on the set of « How I Met Your Mother » in a guest role. “The episode was released within two months of starting the conservatory. How is someone who was so sick well enough to go to work? ”She said.
As Carr sifted through other medical records, she found that the original review had only one name, which was James Edward Spar, a retired geriatric psychiatrist whom she tracked down in the documentary to speak to. He says even though he’s retired, he still does occasional consultations, some of which include controversial conservatories.
During their sensitive interview, Spar and Carr go back and forth about Spears and whether or not he rated her, and decline to comment on the case as a whole. « I won’t admit that I ever met her, » said Spar. « I will not comment on whether I was ever made to rate Britney Spears. »
Then he told Carr that he would only confirm his signature if she could show him a document with his signature on it. « I’m not going to talk about whether someone made me see someone, » he said. « These are all confidential reviews. »
He affirmed that the conservatories he has been involved with in the past have actually helped people, especially those in need of protection « from something ». He adds, « Most of the time, it’s a predatory person looking for someone’s money. »
Sam Lutfi was the former manager of Spears and one of her confidants, but her parents didn’t like him. « Sam is the person who is often blamed by both parents for her public demise, » said Carr.
The two actually met for the first time in a bar and got along well. The documents state that Spears considered Lutfi to be a friend and semi-assistant. He says he acted as her manager.
They got close during Spears’ divorce from Federline, which challenged her severely. Allegedly, she received no help from any of her family members, especially not from her father, who had not been in the picture for years. “There were numerous problems. Jamie wasn’t involved at all. It’s been years as far as I think, « Lutfi said.
Because of Lutfi’s heavy involvement in Spears’ life, many thought he was a problem, which led to the Conservatoryship.
Both Carr and Eliscu are still pending documents once through, including the one on dementia. Eliscu then explains, « If someone is promoted to a conservatist, they are entitled to five days heads-up so that if they appeal or find a lawyer they can do it. » because of Lutfi.
« The only reason to remove Britney’s five-day notice is because Sam Lutfi is dangerous and must be kept away, » Eliscu said.
Carr and Eliscu interview Lorilee Craker, the author who co-authored the memoirs of Spear’s mother, Lynne, « Through the Storm ». Craker says Lutfi was a bad influence on Spears.
« This is something that I don’t really think was properly portrayed, that is the level of crisis at the time the Conservatory started, » Craker said per Video interview. “They thought they had to do it to protect Britney from Sam. He crushed drugs and put them in her food and bragged about it. « Then Carr Craker is heard asking if she believes the latter statement.
When asked about it in his interview, Lutfi denied ever drugging Spears . « We got 100 blood tests and drug tests the whole time I was with her, and she passed every one, so the police never came to my door, » he said. “Nobody called the police. When you have such serious allegations that you are drugging the world’s greatest star, call the police, you call the FBI, you don’t call TMZ.
« I was the perfect scapegoat. I was new. They didn’t know who I was. I was just an expendable guy, ”he said, explaining why her family portrayed him as he was. “A five day notice means that she would have been notified that this was going to happen and she would have had the right to appeal. Obviously she would have resisted it immediately, and they knew that and everyone knew that. They had to do everything they could to prevent that. ”
When she started her conservatory in 2008, Spears actually tried to find her own legal counsel. She met with attorney Adam Streisand in his office and he agreed to be her proxy to challenge the conservatory.
Streisand recalled Spears telling him she didn’t want her father to be her conservator and that she would prefer an independent professional. In his interview, he agreed that independent professionals are probably better for a restorer because « family relationships are always complex ».
However, when it was time for court, Streisand was fired. “The judge looked at me and said, ‘Mr. Streisand, I have a report that says [Spears] is unable to hire an attorney and have an attorney-client relationship. So I’m sorry, Mr. Streisand, but you won’t be able to represent her and I have to ask you to leave the courtroom. ‘And I did. ”Instead, Sam Ingham became the court appointed attorney for Spears and was the entire Conservatory representative until he recently resigned in July.
In 2009, a year after taking office, Lutfi and Spears ex-boyfriend Adnan Ghalib tried to come up with a plan to get another lawyer for them even though both were completely forbidden from accessing her.
They enlisted the help of Eliscu, who had known Spears for several years and was working on stories about her for Rolling Stone. Eliscu met with Spears at Montage Beverly Hills, where they met in a toilet cubicle to get Spears to sign the correct papers so she could get her own advice.
As a few days passed, Eliscu found out that her Attempting Spears to hire another lawyer was unsuccessful, which was similar to Streisand’s. « It was decided that she was unable to choose her own lawyer and that they had enough doubts as to whether that was her signature, » Eliscu said. “I never heard of it again. Nobody ever talked about it again. Still, nobody talks about another attempt to get a lawyer somehow failed. ”On July 6, 2021, Ingham resigned as a lawyer from Spears. He reportedly made nearly $ 3 million over the course of his conservatory career. A few days later it was announced that she had hired Mathew Rosengart as her new representative. The next trial of Spears’ Conservatory is on September 29th.
Earlier this month, Jamie also agreed to resign as a restorer and filed a motion to terminate the legal agreement.
While Spears on her « Femme Fatal « tour that ended in late 2011, she and Jamie experienced » considerable tension. «
» Britney started complaining about Jamie’s drinking, « said Carr as she read a document aloud. “She particularly insists that Jamie be punished. This seems to be a lightning rod for all of their complaints about the conservatory itself. In a simple way, she feels like he should be when she is tested for drugs. And if she should suffer a heavy penalty, like the loss of her children if she tests positive, he should suffer the same penalty for drinking. ”In addition, another document quoted that Spears from the Conservatory wanted to quit, which had been heavily refuted by her management, who said they had not requested or applied for a dismissal.
« Britney wants to quit the conservatory. Sometimes she seems to understand the benefits of the conservatory, ”said Carr, reading from the document. “At other times, she implies that she would join the conservatory administration of the property. But most of all, she wants to quit the person’s conservatories. ”
When the tour ended, Spears also got engaged to boyfriend Jason Trawick, with whom she’d been dating since 2009. Trawick mentioned that the conservatory was « too restrictive ». Eliscu and Carr then read cases where Spears and Trawick needed to get permission for things like driving a golf cart through an apartment building, waiting 20 minutes before going to get a burger, and waiting a few days to get a few hundred dollars approved for Spears to buy books for her sons.
Trawick was also accepted as a co-restorer at Spears Conservatory at her request. Though Carr and Eliscu pointed out that it was strange that he would co-restorate Jamie instead of completely replacing him.
In 2012, Spears signed a $ 15 million deal to help judges at « X -Factor « , but this agreement supposedly brought the entire Conservatory into » chaos « . According to documents, the Spears medical team claimed « X-Factor » put « undue pressure » on Spears, while their management said it would be just as bad to go out of business.
Apparently there was evidence that the Spears drugs increased when she was working, with Eliscu reading a document that said there would be different dosages on « non-working days » and working days.
« On the one hand, Jamie and others on the team appreciated the benefits of stimulants for Britney’s performance, ”the document reads. “This was the case with both her tours and her participation in ‘X-Factor’. Jamie wanted Britney not to take stimulants. That contradiction has not been resolved. «
In December 2008, Federline and her children appeared on the cover of People magazine, which upset Spears, who was working with Andrew Gallery on an MTV documentary called » For the Record « at the time .
Gallery grew up close to Spears as he was filming her frequently. Spears decided to write a letter in response to her ex-husband’s story, turn the note over to Gallery, and ask if he could read it on live television.
« What happened to Britney is a year here and people have to keep up with the times. And what Kevin said Britney divorced him, she was forced to do it by her lawyers because she was visiting him in New York and he didn’t want to see her and the kids, and her lawyers said if they didn’t divorce him lets go, he’ll go and do it himself, ”read the letter. “So it’s hardly irrelevant that Kevin is trying to play the innocent victim. He left her and the babies. Her touching up, partying two years ago has nothing to do with the situation now.
“She’s a completely different person and most of her fights were fought over his problem of waking up at 5 a.m. and baking to marijuana . Nobody talks about these things because nobody knows the truth, ”the letter continued. “She was lied to and set up. Her children were taken away and she got out of control, which any mother would do under the circumstances. Now this year, Britney has been silenced to talk about everything that’s really going on.
« The people who control their lives made $ 3 million this year. She would love new eyes to see her situation, but when she brings it up she is constantly threatened with the restorers taking her children away, ”she concluded. “And how long does it go on? As long as people are paid, she has no rights; It could go on for a while, but it doesn’t get it right at all. ”
Despite everything, Gallery never read the letter on TV, but he snapped a picture of it before showing it to her team in what appeared to be » a huge fire alarm. » » triggered. After that, Gallery stopped working with Spears and hasn’t seen or spoken to her since.
“We’d built a good trust. Maybe we were too close at this point. I was removed shortly afterwards, ”he said in the documentation. “In fact, I don’t think I have spoken to her since, and, you know, Britney had met some of my friends. She had somehow entered my life. It was sad to think that she would be alone again. «
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