Spears is reportedly staying at a psychiatric care centre, but was granted a break on Sunday (April 21) to spend Easter with her boyfriend, Sam Asghari.
Fans, however, believe that Spears is being kept at the facility against her will, and as such, staged a protest in Los Angeles yesterday (April 22) demanding to "Free Britney."
Protestors gathered outside city hall, and the event was livestreamed. A number of local media outlets approached the group to cover the event.
Over the last week, Spears' Instagram posts have been bombarded with messages including the hashtag #FreeBritney. After the hashtag was supposedly shadowbanned on Twitter, fans switched over to using #FreexBritney.
Spears has been in a conservatorship since 2008, following highly publicized mental health issues. In an unusual circumstance, the 37-year-old's father, Jamie Spears, remains her conservator. According to one protestor, Spears has tried to extricate herself from the conservatorship in the past, but was not granted the ability to hire her own attorney.
Fans became especially concerned when Spears' mother, Lynne (who split with Spears' father in 2002) posted a cryptic photo on Instagram and liked a number of comments supporting the #FreeBritney movement.
Spears' younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, has since shared support for her sister and sent a strong message to those criticizing her family. Their mother Lynne replied to Jamie Lynn's post with a string of heart emojis.
See footage and tweets about the #FreeBritney protest and movement below.
Concerned fans of Britney Spears have gathered outside West Hollywood City Hall demanding to #FreeBritney. pic.twitter.com/XzQVJV9qfl
— Entertainment Tonight (@etnow) April 23, 2019
She does NOT look well. I truly believe something horrible is happening to this woman by the people who should be protecting her. This is all terrifying for her. #FreeBritney pic.twitter.com/3czm23wZGM
— Jem (@JustJem24) April 22, 2019
Britney Spears' fans have gathered outside West Hollywood City Hall demanding #FreeBritney. The #FreeBritney hashtag has been trending on social media after allegations were made on the "Britney's Gram" podcast that the singer is being held against her will. @etnow pic.twitter.com/SfWLETZWLw
— Brendon Geoffrion (@tv_brendon) April 22, 2019
I'm not gonna stop tweeting #FreeBritney until she's free of this disgusting conservatorship or we hear from her directly that she's OK. Please research the hashtag and learn what's been going on behind the scenes for over a decade. This shit is real.
— Mindy White (@mindywhite) April 22, 2019
We all know that if Britney Spears really needed a mental health break to rejuvenate herself, she'd have run off to Hawaii for two weeks. She always talks about how much she loves it there, and we know she finds the beach therapeutic. #FreeBritney #FreeBritneySpears pic.twitter.com/THwAhMLVD5
— Alycia (@FitLikeBritney) April 22, 2019
#FreeBritney movement supporters, REMINDER that our goal is to get her out of the cship not just the facility. her team thought if they made her show up (she looks totally absent minded and tired cuz they have her drugged) they'd shut us up, DO NOT STOP what you're doing. pic.twitter.com/MUSeMi13bn
— idk (@margotmonroes) April 22, 2019
3 months with no new pictures from her. We expose her team for lying and manipulating her and suddenly she's out of the facility? THIS IS SO FUCKED UP. #FreeBritney pic.twitter.com/F73BoVX086
— Ediiii ʸᵘʰ (@ItsEdiBitch) April 22, 2019
britney's BASIC human rights have been TAKEN AWAY from her for over a DECADE because of this conservatorship. let her OUT #freexbritney
— garbage can (@strngfrequency) April 19, 2019