In her corner. Lance Bass is “definitely” an avid supporter of the #FreeBritney movement, even though he hasn’t been in touch with Britney Spears much lately.
The 42-year-old ‘NSync singer chatted with Heather Dubrow about his relationship with the 39-year-old Grammy winner in Us Weekly‘s exclusive clip of PodcastOne’s “Heather Dubrow’s World” podcast, out Friday, July 23.
“I haven’t spoken to her for years. We’ve been kept away from each other for quite a while,” Bass claimed. “I don’t know exactly what she needs but I do know that she, to me — [from] what I see — is sane enough to pick her own people.”
The “Gimme More” singer has been under a restrictive conservatorship for 13 years, and has been unable to make major financial or personal decisions without approval from her father, Jamie Spears, since 2008. In September 2019, Jodi Montgomery was named conservator of Britney’s person after Jamie, 69, stepped down for health concerns. However, he is still in control of his daughter’s estate.
“I believe that she needs to be away from the dad,” Bass said on the podcast. “She needs to pick her own people running this conservatorship, if she even needs one, especially when choosing her lawyer. To me, there’s a bigger picture here. … The main thing that I’m concerned about is the court systems and this judge. If this is really true, then we have to look at this judge, right? Because that means that they’re corrupt. I don’t know, it’s scary.”
Britney addressed the court for the first time in June, speaking from her heart about the “embarrassing and demoralizing” treatment she’s faced from her conservatorship team over the past decade, admitting that she “didn’t know” she could petition for her freedom.
“I feel hanged up, bullied and alone. The conservatorship has done way more harm than good,” she said, adding that’d she wants to sue her family members who’ve gotten to “benefit” from her legal situation. “I just want my life back.”
Following her emotional testimony, her court-appointed lawyer, Samuel Ingham III, resigned and Britney was later granted the opportunity to hire her own counsel. She selected Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor.
“This conservatorship has allowed my dad to ruin my life,” she asserted in another hearing earlier this month, accusing Jamie of abusing his power over her.
Bass has previously shared his support for the “Toxic” singer, who has been a friend to him since the 1990s. In December 2020, he told Australia’s Today Extra that “we should definitely listen” to Britney about her struggles, but noted, “I don’t know the specifics of her situation and if she should be out of a conservatorship.”
Three months prior, the Dancing With the Stars alum revealed that he had spoken to Jamie Lynn Spears, who he thought “really has her sister’s back during all this.”
More recently, however, fans have taken issue with the Zoey 101 alum, 30, who has largely kept quiet about the legal drama. In June, shortly after Britney’s bombshell hearing, Jamie Lynn broke her silence.
“I think it’s extremely clear that since the day I was born I’ve only loved and adored and supported my sister. I mean, this is my freaking big sister before any of this bulls–t,” she said in an Instagram Story video, claiming she’s “only concerned about [Britney’s] happiness.”
Since then, the Crossroads actress has seemingly thrown shade at her sister via social media. A source recently told Us that Britney feels like “she has power” over her life again.
“The #FreeBritney movement really gave her her voice back. She felt like she wasn’t alone. … Now that Britney has found her voice, there’s no stopping her,” the insider explained. “It’s all been building up for so long and she’s ready to unleash on those that have held her away from her own life.”