LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Britney Spears left her fans shocked after revealing that she learnt about the historic "#FreeBritney" movement for the first time after a nurse told her about it while she was in rehab in 2018.
The revelation came to light from an excerpt of Spears' memoir, 'The Woman In Me,' shared by The New York Times. The pop star shared that a nurse showed her clips from the fan movement during her stay at a $60,000 per month rehab facility in Beverly Hills, California.
"That was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen in my life," Spears wrote, adding, "I don’t think people knew how much the #FreeBritney movement meant to me, especially in the beginning."
The musician also mentioned that she was unaware of fans and supporters waiting outside her rehab facility and sharing chants for her release from the 13-year-long conservatorship until she was told to look out the window.
Fans shocked over Britney Spears' isolation from world outside
Spears' fans were shocked to learn that the 'Princess of Pop' did not know about the #FreeBritney movement until a nurse at her rehab facility told her about it.
"Britney had to be told about an entire movement created to free her because she was being TRAFFICKED and ENSLAVED by her own family and people in the entertainment industry. She has been through hell and she still survived," one fan wrote.
"I have zero tolerance for anyone still trying to bring this woman down. Britney always wins," they added.
"what’s so heartbreaking to me about this whole thing is since the free britney movement really came to a head, you can tell there was a moment in around 2008/2009 britney kind of like… not gave up, but realized she had brought her fists to a gunfight," another mentioned.
"God bless this nurse. It seems to have given Britney the fortitude to fight for her freedom!" one fan wrote.
"my jaw dropped reading this! it’s so gross how imprisoned she was why are the conservators not in jail?!" one asked.
"Can't wait to read about her discovery of the support outside and the efforts that were being made by the fans over there. Her recounting the moment she got her hope back," a fifth remarked.
One said, "God bless that nurse we need to be like them! Help people in need!"
While another added, "I wanna meet her and thank that beautiful woman."
What was the #FreeBritney movement?
The #FreeBritney movement was a fan-led campaign launched to advocate the termination of Spears' 13-year-long conservatorship. As per the official #FreeBritney website, the goal of the supporters of the movement is "ending the conservatorship of Britney Spears."
Although the term "Free Britney" has been used since 2009, it's usage as a campaign hashtag to advocate for Spears' freedom began in 2019 after her career hiatus and mental facility stay.
The movement claimed that Spears was denied her basic human rights under the conservatorship arrangement and accused her team of profiting off the conservatorship. It also aimed at raising awareness about conservatorship abuse.
Members of the #FreeBritney movement often organized virtual and in-person rallies, garnering immense publicity on social networking sites. The #FreeBritney movement played an instrumental role in the end of Spears' conservatorship.
Britney Spears said she was forced to live at the rehab facility 'against' her will
In her memoir, Spears also revealed that father Jamie Spears forced her to live at the $60,000 facility in Beverly Hills, where she was put on lithium and allowed only an hour of TV per day.
"My father said that if I didn't go, then I'd have to go to court, and I'd be embarrassed," Spears wrote. She also alleged that father threatened to make her look like an "idiot" if she failed to follow his orders.
"They kept me locked up against my will for months. I couldn't go outside. I couldn't drive a car. I had to give blood weekly. I couldn't take a bath in private. I couldn't shut the door to my room," the pop star shared.
