Britney Spears: What is the court battle fuelling #FreeBritney calls?

American pop star Britney Spears has long been embroiled in a bitter legal dispute over her business and personal affairs.

The Princess of Pop's career has been in the hands of legal guardians known as a conservatorship since she faced a mental health crisis 12 years ago.

The arrangement gives her father, Jamie Spears, control over her estate and other aspects of her life.

But the singer has sought to dismiss her father from the role in court.

A grassroots movement of fans, known as the #FreeBritney campaign, has backed her legal fight to regain autonomy over her affairs.

The latest court hearing in the case saw a judge reject a request by Spears's father to exert greater control over her finances.

The prolonged legal row has gained renewed attention following the release of a documentary which centres on the conflict over the singer's guardianship.

A conservatorship is granted by a court for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, like those with dementia or other mental illnesses.

Under this legal agreement, Spears has not controlled her financial or many career decisions since 2008.

Her father and lawyers have had the power to do so on her behalf, allowing them to make decisions about her personal life.

Her finances must be documented with the court.

As of 2018, Spears had a net worth of $59m (£46m), Business Insider reported, citing financial documents. In the same year, Spears spent $1.1m on legal and conservator fees, according to court documents reported by the Entertainment Tonight website.

Last year, lawyers for the 39-year-old singer launched a legal bid to remove her father as conservator.

The lawyers said Spears was "afraid of her father" and would not resume her career while he controlled it.

But in November, a judge declined to remove Mr Spears, naming financial firm the Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator instead.

A month later, the judge extended Mr Spears's conservatorship until September 2021.

Spears began behaving erratically in 2007 after her divorce from Kevin Federline was finalised and she lost custody of their two children.

Many of her alleged mental breakdowns took place in the public eye - she made headlines for shaving her head and was photographed hitting a paparazzo's car with an umbrella. She went to rehab facilities several times.

She was placed in psychiatric care after refusing to surrender her sons in a stand-off with the police, and the conservatorship was put in place in early 2008.

But in the years under the conservatorship, Spears has not been short of work: she released three albums, held a Las Vegas residency, and made numerous television appearances.

A judge in Los Angeles upheld a previous ruling that made the Bessemer Trust a co-conservator for the singer.

Mr Spears had objected to the Bessemer Trust's involvement, arguing that it reduced the power he has held for years.

In court, Mr Spears asked to keep his previous level of power over his daughter's investments.

But the judge denied his request, reaffirming that Mr Spears and Bessemer Trust have equal power to manage her finances.

"My client looks forward to working with Bessemer to continue an investment strategy in the best interests of his daughter," Mr Spears's lawyer Vivian Thoreen said after the hearing.

Outside the court, a handful of fans from the small but vocal #FreeBritney campaign called for the conservatorship to end.

"I want her to be independent. I want her to be able to live her life on her own terms," one fan, 28-year-old Dustin Strand, told Reuters news agency.

The next hearings about the conservatorship are scheduled for 17 March and 27 April.

Some of Spears's fans believe she was forced into the arrangement and have suggested she has been pleading for help on social media.

The term #FreeBritney dates back to 2009, according to a New York Times report, from a fan site that disagreed with the conservatorship agreement.

When Spears checked into a mental health centre in 2019 after reported emotional distress over her father's illness, the campaign became prominent again.

#FreeBritney campaigners have even asked the White House to end her conservatorship, submitting petitions with tens of thousands of signatures.

The singer herself has not commented on the #FreeBritney campaign, but she has more recently been telling fans she is doing well.

Spears asked fans not to believe "everything you read and hear" after her 2019 stay at a mental health facility. In an Instagram video, she said: "For those of you who don't think I post my own videos... you're wrong."

Spears's lawyer has also told the Los Angeles Times that she is part of the decision-making process when it comes to her career.

Last April, she revealed on Instagram that she accidentally burned down her home gym, which concerned some fans. She has also recently appeared to respond to supporters who asked her to post a specific photo if she needed help - like wearing a yellow shirt or posting a painting with doves.

But sources close to the pop star have rejected the conspiracy theories, saying Spears's conservatorship is to help her manage long-term mental health issues.

The airing of a new documentary, Framing Britney Spears, has renewed interest in the legal battle, prompting accusations the singer was exploited.

On Tuesday, she shared a video of her performing one of her hits, Toxic, three years ago, alongside a message to her 27 million followers.

"I'll always love being on stage," wrote the singer. "But I am taking the time to learn and be a normal person. I love simply enjoying the basics of everyday life!"