Beyond #FreeBritney: The Other Celebrities in Conservatorships
With the publicity of Britney Spears' now-terminated conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement, how guardianship arrangements work across the U.S. is an increasingly hot topic, prompting nationwide discussions about the value and potential problems within guardianship proceedings.
What may be surprising is that Britney Spears is not the first celebrity to be put into a conservatorship or guardianship. In this episode, we'll overview guardianship laws across the country, then discuss six celebrities who've been in these situations before or still are today: Nichelle Nichols, Casey Kasem, Mikey Rooney, Brian Wilson, Bam Margera, and Amanda Bynes.
Information referenced in this episode came from the following sources:
General info on guardianships:
Briefs on conservatorship exploitation from The Nation Center for State Courts
Map showing conservatees’ rights to representation across the U.S.
State Adult Guardian Legislation Summary: Directions of Reform - 2018 (americanbar.org)
The Guardians documentary, available on Amazon Video
Britney Spears June 2021 court testimony
Nichelle Nichols conservatorship-
“Inside the heartbreaking conservatorship battle of a ‘Star Trek’ legend” by The LA Times
“Man faces legal hurdles to restore rights after guardianship” by ABC Action News
Remote deposition of BJ Hawkins
“Fawcette Says Nichelle’s Son Was Estranged for Years; Attempted to Escape from Nursing Home”
“Friends of Star Trek Actress Nichelle Nichols, 86, React to Video of Her Screaming”
Casey Kasem-
“Casey Kasem News Kids Kerri Kasem Family Friends Peacefully Protest Jean Kasem Battle”
“Casey Kasem's kids: We just want to see our dad”
“Casey Kasem missing: Is wife hiding him?”
“Two sides of Casey Kasem's family blamed each other for the radio legend's death”
“Bitter Blood: Kasem vs. Kasem” podcast on Audible
Mickey Rooney-
“Tears and Terror: The Disturbing Final Years of Mickey Rooney” by The Hollywood Reporter
Mickey Rooney’s testimony on conservatorship abuse
Brian Wilson-
“Beach Boy Wilson sues former conservator” by Variety
Bam Margera-
Bam’s complaint against creators of Jackass
Apparent “wellness agreement” signed by Bam Margera
Amanda Bynes-
“Amanda Bynes's breakdown: A timeline” by Entertainment Weekly