A recently resurfaced interview clip from 2016 shows Britney Spears subtly addressing her conservatorship struggles, years before her eventual release. In 2021, Spears was freed from a 13-year court-ordered conservatorship that placed much of her life under her father’s control. Since then, she has opened up about the abuse, coercion, and mistreatment she endured. This newly uncovered clip, however, shows Spears hinting at her restrictions on The Jonathan Ross Show, in footage that was never aired.
The pop icon appeared on the show to promote her album Glory, and during the conversation, host Jonathan Ross asked her about her increased musical involvement on the album. reported by Yahoo that, “The new album, you are more involved in this musically, I understand, than previous ones?” Ross asked, continuing, “So you’ve taken control. You’re more in control of your music than before? Why did it take you so long? Why did you wait ’til now to do it?”
Spears confirmed her active role on Glory but hesitated before offering a more revealing response. “Well, um, there’s a lot of reasons, but I won’t get into the whole story,” she began, giving a glimpse into the complexities behind her creative control.
Spears continued, “Since the conservatorship … I felt like a lot of the things were planned for me to do and, you know, being told what to do. And I was just like, for this [album], I want to make it my baby, and I want to do it myself, and I was very strategic about the way I did it. And, um, yeah, that’s why it means so much to me”, according to the Independent.
This previously unaired segment has resurfaced as part of a special episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, highlighting some of the host’s most memorable guests. The clip provides a glimpse into Spears’ feelings about her conservatorship, even before the public gained full awareness of her struggles.
For many fans, this footage serves as a powerful reminder of Spears’ resilience and determination to reclaim control over her career and life. Her subtle yet meaningful statements offer insight into the constraints she was facing, which have only recently come fully to light. The reappearance of this interview adds a layer of poignancy to her story, capturing a moment in which Spears was clearly ready to break free and assert her independence in the industry and beyond.