Britney Spears is not a stranger to scandal or outlandish behavior. However, her recent actions have some fans worried about her and led to speculation that she is still overcoming the trauma from her conservatorship that lasted from 2008 to 2021. 

On January 13, 2023, a video of Britney surfaced where she was “manic” and talking incoherently, according to a witness who spoke to TMZ. It was reported that her behavior caused her husband Sam Asghari to get up and leave. However, Spears has since come out with a statement on Instagram denying this claim, saying “I know the news is all hyped about me being a little drunk at a restaurant … it’s like they’ll be WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE !!!” While Asghari wrote “Everybody’s filming, everybody’s doing their thing. … I went to get the car to get the hell out of there.”

Could this behavior be related to her newfound freedom? According to Forbes, Britney’s dad Jaime Spears was put in charge of her financial and personal matters in 2008 after several public breakdowns. This included the moment she shaved her head in front of paparazzi, and said “I don’t want anyone touching me. I’m tired of everybody touching me,” according to US Weekly.

The iconic “Leave Britney Alone” video was also created, in which one particular fan showed anger and sadness for the way Britney was being treated in 2007. Ultimately, the hardships she was going through at this time landed her in the hospital, as her family was worried about her mental health. Thus leading to her father and management implementing a conservatorship which ended in November of 2021. At this time fans rallied behind her and created the “#FreeBritney” movement.

But, the incident in the restaurant and her “quirky social media antics, often featuring her dancing to the camera in different outfits,” according to DailyMail, has fans worried again. Dr Tony Ortega, a clinical psychologist says that her behavior may be explained by the trauma she has faced for the past 13 years. Ortega told DailyMail that “The conservatorship will have reinforced beliefs that Britney will have been programmed with from a very young age. She learnt from a very early age that her sense of worth was wrapped up in singing, dancing and earning money. This is why many celebrities go on to have these very public trauma responses because it’s their nervous system driven to protect them from pain.” 

It is clear that Spears is still working through the trauma she experienced as a young child star, and even as an adult at the hands of her family. Hopefully, with the support of her friends, family, and fans, she will be able to work through this in a healthy way, as “love and support” is what she needs, says Ortega.