Kevin Federline has called for the #FreeBritney movement to reorganize to help his allegedly troubled ex-wife Britney Spears, but one of the group’s former leaders says the movement is over.
“The leaders of the movement no longer meet and we no longer speak,” Pilar Vigneault, a former communications director, told the Post. “We were so burnt out.”
A fan-led group formed to seek a court-ordered end to Spears’ conservatorship has held rallies across the country, investigated the case and mounted a social media campaign. Their efforts gained momentum in 2019, with Miley Cyrus, Cher, Paris Hilton, Christina Aguilera, and even Spears’ ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake finally lending their support. A judge lifted the order in 2021, 13 years later.
But as Spears posts more and more videos on Instagram, sparking speculation about her well-being, Federline is asking for help.
“All the people who have put so much effort into[#FreeBritney]should now put that same energy into the ‘Save Britney’ movement,” he writes in his new memoir, You Thought You Knew, released on Tuesday. “Because this is no longer about freedom. It’s about survival.”
Vigneault, who is based in Chile, said the first operation was exhausting.
“You have no idea how much we worked on this. We were sending out press releases every other week. We were reading court documents, going to court in Los Angeles. Once she was released…we just fell apart,” she said.
“The movement split because half[of the leaders]thought she was really free and the other half thought she wasn’t free,” adding to the split.
Vigneault, 48, is in the latter position. She still has doubts about the “care plan” the court established for Spears after the conservatorship ends.
“When Britney was in the conservatorship, as we knew, the terms of the conservatorship and everything that happened in court was public. When they exited the conservatorship, they put in a little disclaimer that Britney was going to be on a care plan, and then they redacted everything else,” Vigneault claimed. “The care plan does not have an end date and the person in charge of the care plan is in charge (of Spears).”
The singer, who had previously posted a video of himself dancing with a knife while dog excrement was visible on the floor of his home, on Friday posted a shaky Instagram reel of himself dancing.
“My children know me as Saint Mother Teresa. For 15 years, my mother was my sister…I am the daughter, you are the parent!!! Tell me clearly, teacher…Can I come to your class, Mom? I am wearing schoolgirl clothes…Let’s go shopping first,” she captioned the video.
On Sunday, she claimed she had a “brain injury” and wrote: “As you know at the end of the book, I went through the traumatic experience of having no private door and being illegally forced to use my legs and body to go anywhere for four months.”
The newspaper has reached out to Federline and Spears’ representatives for comment.
Vigneault said it’s impossible to know what’s really going on with Spears right now.
“If you were 100% sure that she was 100% free, you could say, ‘Yes, she’s unstable.’ But the thing is, I honestly don’t think she’s free…I don’t think she can do whatever she wants,” Vigneault argued. “I think they gave her the car keys, an allowance and the vacation she wanted.
“People who aren’t part of the (#FreeBritney) movement think she’s unstable. That’s always been the goal of the Conservative Party.”
Federline, 47, says in his book that the #FreeBritney movement has done more harm than good for the singer.
“I tried to understand where they were coming from, but I could never fully understand. There were too many conspiracy theories and too many wild misconceptions,” he wrote, adding, “At times it felt more like fandom crowd psychology than genuine concern for Britney’s well-being.”
In 2008, Spears was placed in psychiatric custody under intense scrutiny during a custody battle with Federline, in which she shaved her head in public and attacked a paparazzi’s car with an umbrella.
A conservatorship was established that same year, giving her father, Jamie Spears, 73, complete control over her personal life and assets, which are currently estimated to be worth between $40 million and $60 million.
The singer called the conservatorship “abuse” and claimed he was not allowed to work or have more children and was forced to undergo drug treatment, including lithium, against his will.
“Her behavior is exactly what you see online. She has moments of clarity and moments that feel like a roller coaster. She’s still the sweetest, kindest person,” a source told Page Six in September, revealing they were only speaking out to help her.
