Social media users are concerned over Britney Spears' mental health after the singer posted a video that netizens have dubbed "unsettling". In the footage, Spears talks about the transition from summer to autumn and how many things she has learned over the past months
"Ok, so yesterday I felt like it was the beginning of Fall, I pulled out all of my jackets, and the next day it was really hot. It was really confusing. Anyhow, this summer has been so much fun for me...I learned so much, I laughed so much, I swam so much. But the most important thing that I did learn is that life has so many spontaneous gifts at each moment. Sometimes we need to slow down and learn how to embrace them all. Anyways, I hope your summer was as good as mine, and God bless you all", the singer said.
However, it’s not the message but the way Britney delivered it – rocking back and forth and looking sideways – that worried social media users. Many contended that the message was scripted and that the singer was in danger.
"She sounds so scared and scripting something. She’s moving so much because of how nervous she is!!!! Body language, people, she’s scared for her life!" wrote one user.
"Something is definitely off. The way she's rocking back and forth is an anxiety tactic in regards to calming yourself down. She's looking at someone throughout the video, and it seems highly scripted. Something ain't right here", suggested another.
A third netizen wrote: "Britney honey I’m worried. She is definitely not ok".
The development comes as the Baby One More Time singer is engaged in a court battle with her father (so far unsuccessful) Jamie Spears, who has served as her conservator for more than a decade after the singer had a series of mental breakdowns during which she attacked a reporter, shaved her head, and was caught driving her car at full speed with her infant son sitting on her lap. The conservatorship means her father has been effectively in control of her assets, career, and personal decisions.
The singer claims she is tired of being treated as a child. Court documents revealed that Britney doesn’t want to perform or record albums until she gets full control of her finances. Speaking about the ongoing court battle with her father, Britney’s attorney Sam Ingham compared her mental state to that of a patient in a coma and said that Jamie wants his daughter to continue recording and performing music.
In September, Spears' lawyers filed a case demanding that the details of the conservatorship be made public due to the media scrutiny the issue has attracted.
The court battle reignited the #FreeBritney movement. Supporters of the campaign claim that Britney is being kept prisoner by her father and other members of her family via the conservatorship. Numerous celebrities, including singer Miley Cyrus, socialite Paris Hilton, as well as actresses Ariel Winter and Rose McGowan have voiced support for the #FreeBritney movement.
Jamie Spears and the singer’s brother have said there is a need for conservatorship, because Britney is mentally unstable. Britney's father has categorically dismissed allegations that the singer is being kept prisoner in order to control her multimillion dollar fortune, calling them a "joke".
"I love my daughter. I love all my kids. But this is our business. It’s private", he said.
