Was Britney Spears A Victim of Human Trafficking?

There's a lot of speculation surrounding Britney Spears. The most common would be the question of if she was trafficked. While there is no direct evidence to prove or disprove this, I do believe she was. I see a lot of conservatives say "Why should I care about some rich celebrity?" As someone who is heavily involved in fighting human trafficking, I think what is happening to Britney is horrendous.

Human trafficking defined is "the act of using coercion or fraud to force someone into commercial sex or forced labor." Based on what Britney has said, as well as the evidence shown throughout her 13 year conservatorship, here are some reasons why we can believe Britney was trafficked. Credit to Polaris Project for these reasons, but I did my research to prove what is said.

Reason #1: Exploitation of mental illness.

Britney clearly suffers from anxiety and depression. She stated that she was forced to be on medication for these illnesses, including Lithium. She stated during her court hearing that she felt like she'd be punished if she didn't go to rehab, which in one case, she described her experience in a rehab center to sex trafficking. Those with mental illness are vulnerable to traffickers. There needs to be a bigger discussion of the importance of mental health.

Reason #2: Physical isolation or emotional abuse.

Britney said her father and other conservators have kept her from seeing other people. She wasn't allowed to see her friends, making her feel "left out and lonely." Lance Bass said he and Britney were forcefully kept apart. "I definitely believe in the #FreeBritney movement." Bass said in an interview with Heather Dubrow's World. "I haven't spoken to her in years. We've been kept away from each other for quite a while." Further proof Spears was placed in isolation by her conservators. Polaris Project states one of the main methods a trafficker will use on their victims is isolating the from family members or friends who could potentially help them. "By making their victims entirely dependent on them, traffickers can continue to maintain control."

 Reason #3: Nonstop scrutiny.

Britney described that her security personnel, nurses, or other staff members (most likely put in place by her father, James) were too involved in her privacy. It went as far as they would watch her change. She cannot control what is put on social media. Someone is in charge of what is done in her personal life. Traffickers use “constant surveillance” to watch their victims to ensure they don’t try to escape or reach out to someone for help.

Reason #4: "Coercive contracts."

Britney said she was forced to sign a contract to perform in Las Vegas. Britney said she didn’t want to sign or go on tour, but she had no choice from this (as she described in her testimony) a “threatening and scary” encounter. Again, traffickers will use contracts and coercion to keep their victims in this life.

I wouldn't call what Britney went through sex trafficking (as she likened her conservatorship to). I do believe Britney was put in forced labor. Forced labor, defined by the Department of Homeland Security, is when an individual is "compelled to provide work or service through the use of force, fraud, or coercion." Victims may find it difficult to escape their environment because they either cannot escape their environment or are in a vulnerable situation to seek help. 

Britney has spoken about being "drugged into submission" which makes me worried about that IUD in her. If she didn't consent to having that IUD placed in her, how did it get into her in the first place? In an interview with The Sun, former friend to Spears, Sean Phillip, revealed that Britney was beyond overworked, and becoming increasingly paranoid thanks to the drugs her "management team" gave her to keep her working. 

When Britney collapsed in 2007, Philip said "I had to get her out, carrying her over my shoulder with a black suit jacket thrown over her, and stopping people trying to take pictures on their phones." Her management team then tried to give her meds to get her back up and working, and he told them no. After that incident, she was placed under the conservatorship. Sean also mentioned how Mel Gibson reached out to Britney and said "Christianity would save you. Turn back to God."

It's worth noting the "punishments" Britney would face if she didn't do what she was told. Britney said, "If I didn’t do any of my meetings and work from eight to six at night, which is 10 hours a day, seven days a week, no days off, I wouldn’t be able to see my kids or my boyfriend. I never had a say in my schedule. They always told me I had to do this."

After writing this, I believe Britney Spears was trafficked. She really needs help. Arrest anyone who had anything to do with putting Britney in this conservatorship. To close, I'd like to include an excerpt from an article on The Church Militant written by Milo Yiannopoulos (who has been sharing about the Britney on his Telegram channel): "We should care about Spears because we are all Britney Spears. We are all suffering under a corrupt, self-serving and venal conservatorship. We have no authority to shake off these manacles. Our freedoms are being curtailed, and our souls are in crisis. Spears is, once again, a perfect shorthand for the American zeitgeist."