Hayley Williams, Cher & More Stars Celebrate Britney Spears' Conservatorship Update

After an arduous legal saga, Britney Spears’ 13-year-long conservatorship case is finally moving in her favor. During the highly-anticipated Sept. 29 conservatorship hearing, her father Jamie was removed as her conservator, effective immediately. John Zabel, an accountant handpicked by Spears, will temporarily take up the position to oversee her $60 million estate. The move forces Jamie to hand over all legal documents to Zabel, which could spell trouble for him if Spears presses legal charges, which she said was her intention at a previous hearing.

It was on Sept. 7 when Spears’ father finally filed a petition to end the conservatorship, and with Judge Brenda Penny’s recent decision to suspend him, it could signal the end of Spears’ legal battle. Though another hearing is set for Nov. 12, her conservatorship could be terminated before then, culminating in what fans and friends have long called for: #FreeBritney.

The #FreeBritney movement has gained even more traction since the explosive Framing Britney Spears documentary by FX and Hulu came out in February. But no one really knew the extent of what Spears was dealing with until her June 23 court hearing where she spoke out about the “abusive’ injustices she endured under her father’s control, including being forced to have an IUD to prevent her from conceiving any more children, per the court transcript via Variety.

Now that Spears’ father is out of the picture, it looks like she’ll finally be free of her guardianship. Spears was visibly ecstatic on Instagram, posting, “On cloud 9 right now” with a video of her flying a plane, while her fiancé, Sam Asghari, congratulated her online.

Throughout the “Toxic” singer’s recently-publicized ordeal, celebrities have shown their support for the pop icon. Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera, and even ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake are among those who have called for an end to Spears’ conservatorship. Though her family remains mum, Spears’ peers took to social media to congratulate the princess of pop. From Paris Hilton to Cher, here are the celebrities who reacted to Britney Spears’ father being removed as conservator:

Bette Midler was one of the first to congratulate her on Twitter, saying, “#BritneySpears is free. Congratulations to everyone who helped bring this about, especially Britney, who, after 13 years in the wilderness, never gave up until she was finally heard.”

Hilton, Spears’ long-time friend, tweeted a video of herself in full glam to the tune of Spears’ “Gimme More,” captioned, “#FreeBritney.” This isn’t the first time the heiress has spoken out against Spears’ conservatorship. In August 2020, she told The Sunday Times, “It breaks my heart that people have so much control over her.” She even wrote on Instagram last July, “I’ve been saying #FreeBritney for a long time, and I will keep saying it until she is free.”

Cher, a dedicated advocate of freeing Spears, also took to Twitter, stating that she’s been praying for this for four years. “IM MORE THAN THRILLED 4 HER,” she added. Her tweet got a response from Sharknado star Tara Reid, who said, “About time they did something, poor Brit suffering this for so long.” Like Cher, Reid has also been supportive of the #FreeBritney movement. Last June, she wrote, “@britneyspears We are fighting for you.”

The “Believe” singer followed her tweet with another, this time writing, “THIS WILL [bee emoji] THE START OF A NEW LIFE, BRIT.”

Another diva, La Toya Jackson, also celebrated. “A huge congratulations to Britney Spears!!! #FreeBritney #freedom #BritneySpears,” The Jacksons star wrote.

Singer, songwriter, and Twitter royalty Dionne Warwick also congratulated the “I’m A Slave 4 U” crooner. “This is wonderful news. She can now breathe,” she wrote, retweeting a news clip about the hearing. “Congratulations, Britney. Enjoy your life!”

Paramore’s Hayley Williams also chimed in via Instagram Stories, where she posted photos of Spears from an old clip with the singer’s own words, “People can take everything away from you. But they can never take away your truth.”

The ’90s rock band Garbage referenced their own hit “Cherry Lips” when they tweeted, “Go Britney.”

Vanessa Carlton, who dominated the early aughts with her hit “A Thousand Miles,” also took to Twitter to say, “I’m so thrilled to see that freedom and hopefully justice is finally coming to this brilliant lady.” She even referenced the Britney Vs Spears Netflix documentary, adding, “Oh and the Jenny Eliscu Netflix documentary was so well done and hopefully helped support her at this very important time.” Of course, Carlton didn’t forget the doc’s director. She followed up with a shoutout to Erin Lee Carr, saying, “NOTE: The doc was directed exquisitely and to a decimating end by @erinleecarr.”

Rapper Azealia Banks, a self-professed Spears fan who remixed “Work Bitch” in 2013, posted her congratulations on her Stories, saying, “AND THAT IS HOW YOU CLEAR A BITCH.”

Rock icon Courtney Love also gave her two cents on the issue. Sort of. “Fun thread on MVK,” she wrote, crediting Kevin Federline’s divorce lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan. “@notedyour honor - this is the #freebritney account I swear by,” she said before reminding her followers she, too, has been wronged by “these people.” She continued, “But remember I’ve been a victim of these people for even longer than Brit. There’s room for everyone. But I have a PhD in these rats.”