For almost two full years now, the fans who make up the Free Britney movement have had a lot to say about pretty much everything that pop music legend Britney Spears does or doesn't do. While Spears hasn't typically been in the spotlight that much recently, she has been embroiled in ongoing legal issues regarding her conservatorship, as well as making consistent use of her social media to continue connecting with fans. But, many of her (sometimes very odd) posts have led people to wonder if she's actually in control of her accounts, and now Spears' social media manager is addressing those conspiracy theories.
Britney Spears has been under the conservatorship (which controls / monitors both her finances and major personal and professional life decisions for her) for 13 years, and while many of her fans, especially those involved in the Free Brritney movement, are convinced it's no longer good for her, there are differing opinions about what's going on with Spears' social media. Fan reactions to much of what Spears posts tend to land either on the side of her trying to send coded messages that she's being held against her will or that she's not actually controlling her account at all.
Apparently, the latter conspiracy theory has picked up steam again, because Britney Spears' social media manager, Cassie Petrey, has now taken to her own Instagram in the hopes of clearing up all of the rumors. After talking about how much she loves the Britney Spears fanbase and saying that she knows "everything they do and say is because they truly love her," Petrey began to dive into some of the theories, noting:
There are a lot of inaccurate theories out there about how Britney Spears' social media operates, and I want to give as much information as I can without violating her privacy or mine. Britney creates her own posts and writes her own captions for Instagram. She finds the google images, pinterest images, quotes, memes and everything else herself. Nobody is suggesting any of that stuff to her. She generally edits the videos herself. If a video she sends in is edited by her social media team, it's because she gave specific instructions and asked for it to be edited that way. Then she sees it and decides if she wants to post it or not.
Again, one of the big questions many of Spears' fans have had is whether or not she fully controls what gets posted to her social media, with Petrey later noting that, despite the fact that Spears has said frequently that she has total control over the posts, "people continue to believe conspiracy theories over what Britney says over and over again."
Honestly, though, it makes complete sense that so many fans wouldn't believe Spears' assertions, because if you already think someone is being controlled to the point where they can't even make decisions about their own Instagram, you're probably not going to believe them when they say such a thing isn't true.
Petrey continued:
Britney is not "asking for help" or leaving secret messages in her social media. She is literally just living her life and trying to have fun on Instagram...My work on Britney's social media does not involve her conservatorship in any way. That’s a court and lawyer thing...These are facts. Not the current fiction, assumptions, and exaggerations that are currently circulating.
Cassie Petrey also took the time to go through some very specific examples of the theories which are circulating right now, and dispelled rumors about everything from how she was first introduced to Britney Spears and her team, to a supposed Hawaiian vacation she took with the singer. Petrey then wrapped up with a message that will surely hit home for everyone, not just Spears' fans or the Free Britney movement:
In terms of being supportive of Britney on her social media, the best thing you can do for her is just be nice. That's all she really wants. Don’t bully her. She doesn’t deserve it. She’s having fun creating posts and sharing images that she likes. That’s it. There’s not some secret agenda to it. She’s just having a good time, and I hope this helps people see it for what it actually is.
I'd like to think that Cassie Petrey's post will allay the fears of many of Britney Spears' fans, but I suppose we'll have to wait and see if the Free Britney movement takes any of her words to heart.
