Britney Spears wants to live her own life, end to dad's guardianship

Britney Spears urged a judge in an emotional hearing Wednesday to end an "abusive" guardianship that gave her father control of her affairs in 2008.

"I just want my life back. It's been 13 years and it's enough," Spears said in the 20-minute address via videolink as diehard fans chanted their support outside the courtroom. The 39-year-old star's finances and personal life have been largely managed by Jamie Spears since her highly public breakdown more than a decade ago, leading some fans to launch a "FreeBritney" online campaign in recent years.

In a speech where Spears barely stopped to catch her breath, the star said that, under the legal arrangement, she has been prevented from having a contraceptive implant removed, despite wanting more children. The mother of two said it had left her "traumatized" and "depressed." "I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry. It's insane," she said, adding that she cries every day. " I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive. I want changes, I deserve changes," Spears pleaded to Judge Brenda Penny. The singer has rarely spoken directly about the guardianship but her lawyer Samuel Ingham said in April that Spears wanted to directly address the court, resulting in Wednesday's hearing. Spears has had a difficult relationship with her father.

Last year, she filed to remove him from the conservatorship and give sole power over her estate to a financial institution. Her court-appointed lawyer said she was "afraid" of her father.

She said that her "ignorant father" and others who are involved in the conservatorship "should be in jail".

She said: "I shouldn't be in a conservatorship if I can work and provide money for myself and pay other people. The laws should change."

Britney asked that the hearing be held in public. She also said that the conservatorship prevents her from getting married or having a baby.

Meanwhile, stars have been sending their support to Britney Spears after she spoke in court about the "abusive" conservatorship arrangement that controls her life. Britney's claims in the LA court included that she is being forced to use birth control against her will - stopping her having a baby with her boyfriend, and that her medication was switched without her knowledge.

Her father is one of those who has power in the guardianship agreement - which has been in place since she had mental health problems in 2008.

Britney's ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake is among a number of celebrities who have posted messages of support on Twitter, saying he and his wife Jessica Biel were sending their "love, and our absolute support".