Britney Spears’ arrest called ‘completely inexcusable,’ her ‘loved ones’ now forced to execute ‘overdue plan’ for her success

Two things can sit on opposing ends of an ideology, yet both be true at the same time. The situation around Britney Spears illustrates this perfectly. The pop star was recently pulled over by the California Highway Patrol while under the influence of a variety of drugs and alcohol. Spears is expected to appear in court on May 4. Her family and close friends are understandably extremely concerned.

At this point, who hasn’t heard the story of Spears? A tragic tale of the excess of celebrity. At the height of her success she was overworked and overexposed to an extent that would have made anyone lose their sanity. When she shaved her hair and made multiple erratic public appearances — many actually believed she had lost her sanity. To remedy that, she was put under conservatorship and subsequent guardianship care from her father, Jamie Spears.

During the Free Britney campaign and its spiritual sequel, the Free Wendy campaign, the public might have really lost its understanding of what conservatorships are in the first place. Ideally, they are designed to protect someone going through a mental episode. A conservatorship usually involves a judge appointing a person (a conservator) to care for someone going through such an episode by keeping a close eye on their whereabouts and finances.

However, when the person who needs help is Spears — somebody who just sold her catalog for $200 million — the conservators are actually incentivized to keep them under their care for longer. Hence the critique around the program, with some even calling it a “civil death.”

But some fans are now conflicted about whether the Hit Me Baby One More Time hit maker should be taken back into the program. The news of Spears’ arrest revealed that it was fellow drivers on the road who reported her BMW 430i driving recklessly before she was pulled over.

Spears’ own representatives were the ones who revealed that the pop star is looking to take full responsibility. People received a statement from them that read: “This was an unfortunate incident that is completely inexcusable. Britney is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in the long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.”

The representatives also expressed hope that Spears “can get the help and support she needs during this difficult time. Her boys are going to be spending time with her. Her loved ones are going to come up with an overdue, needed plan to set her up for success and well-being.”

The two things that are true are that Britney Spears is in desperate need of help and that conservatorship might not work in her specific case. This is not the first time she’s been caught displaying erratic behavior in transit — just last year she caused an airplane to make an emergency landing because she was smoking during a flight. She apologized then too. But it’s clear she still hasn’t learned her lesson and is not only risking her life but other people’s too.

Everyone deserves help that will get them back to health so that they can participate in society. But for Spears, her vast wealth will always be a factor. She deserves help from people who don’t care about money.