'She deserves a chance at something different,' Dr. Drew said of the singer in a new interview with ET.
Dr. Drew Pinsky is sharing his thoughts on Britney Spears' ongoing conservatorship battle.
ET spoke with the addiction specialist on Tuesday, where he reacted to Britney's testimony in court last week, in which she requested to terminate the conservatorship she's been under for 13 years and have her "life back." He also predicted what's in store for Britney's future if she's able to legally remove herself from it.
"My reaction to Britney's appearance in court was that she appeared to be clear in her thought process and she seemed to be well both psychiatrically and physically," Dr. Drew told ET. "And really, aren't those the determinants about whether or not she should have a chance to get off this conservatorship?"
"The last 13 years are effectively the proof. In other words, she was put on a conservatorship because she was seriously [struggling]," he alleged. "She has remained stable for many years. It worked. Once you have established a period of stability, it's time to try a lower level of intensity of services, meaning, how about we get off the conservatorship?"
Britney has been fighting for awhile now to remove her father, Jamie Spears, from the conservatorship, and made that clear once again while addressing the court directly last week. Her father is co-conservator of her estate with Bessemer Trust Company, while Jodi Montgomery serves as temporary conservator of her person.
"My understanding is that Britney's father has never really been interested in continuing the overall conservatorship, he was interested more in maintaining control of her finances," Dr. Drew said. "Which, to be fair, is her business. It really is her business. She may be irresponsible, she may blow it, she may have a bad outcome. As a father myself, it would be deeply concerning to me. But this is an adult woman who makes her own money. I think that's up to her."
"She has been doing well for a long time," he added. "She deserves a chance at something different."
Dr. Drew reiterated the fact that he is no legal expert, but predicts that if Britney officially files to terminate the conservatorship, things will move "quick."
"It has been going on longer than I expected already, so I think this might be short and swift at a certain point. My prediction is she will be released from this conservatorship," he said, adding that while he thinks it could be rocky, "she deserves a chance, she really does. Free Britney."
Britney's history with the conservatorship dates all the way back to February 2008, when the singer's father, Jamie Spears, filed legal documents asking the court to initially grant him a temporary conservatorship.
At the time of the filing, Britney was at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles on a psychiatric hold. It was the second time that year that the pop star had been placed on a 5150 hold, which allows a person (as a result of a mental health disorder, being a danger to others or themselves, etc.) to be involuntarily detained for a 72-hour assessment, evaluation and crisis intervention.
The court documents stated at the time that the "proposed conservatee" (Britney) was "unable to properly provide for his or her personal needs for physical health, food, clothing or shelter." Jamie was granted temporary conservatorship, which later turned permanent. Plenty of changes have been made to the conservatorship since then, but Jamie still remains part of it, having equal power over Britney's finances with Bessemer Trust Company.
Britney said in her testimony last week that in addition to to her request to terminate the conservatorship without evaluation, she also hopes to go to therapy once a week, with the therapist coming to her home for the sessions.
"I want to meet with a therapist once a week, not twice a week, and I want him to come to my home," she told the court, adding, "I actually know I do need a little therapy."
When asked what he thinks will happen if Britney gets out of the conservatorship, Dr. Drew believes it could be challenging for the singer. He spoke about the general importance of following a mental health care plan, and what risks come with no longer having a conservator.
"Somebody can be treated without a conservatorship, but they have to participate and they have to follow direction. There's a middle road," he said of those wanting to seek therapy. "[For Britney], wouldn't it be great if we could put together a psychiatric team and plan that she agrees to participate with, then no more conservatorship?"
"Conservatorships are extremely difficult to come by ... so the probability of getting on another conservatorship is pretty low," he continued. "It's very hard to get conservatorships, and particularly in California, it's almost impossible. The fact that she got on it was astonishing to me. Usually people are allowed to come off these things once they've shown a period of stability and willingness to participate in their care."
On Wednesday morning, Britney's temporary conservator of her person, Jodi Montgomery, spoke out about her plans to work with the singer on creating a "path for termination of the conservatorship."
"From the very beginning of her appointment in September 2019, Ms. Montgomery and the medical team that she assembled have had one primary goal -- to assist and encourage Britney in her path to no longer needing a conservatorship of the person," a statement from Montgomery's attorney, Lauriann Wright of Wright Kim Douglas, ALC, reads in part. "While it is Ms. Montgomery's professional duty to be Britney's protector and advocate, honoring her wishes and seeing to her best interests while Britney is under conservatorship, it is her sincere personal wish that Britney continues to make meaningful progress in her well-being so that her conservatorship of the person can be terminated."
"Ms. Montgomery looks forward to presenting a comprehensive Care Plan to the Court setting forth a path for termination of the conservatorship for Britney," the statement continued. "And Ms. Montgomery looks forward to supporting Britney through that process."
Read the full statement here, and watch the video below for more on Britney.
RELATED CONTENT:
