Britney Spears Netflix documentary: when is Britney vs Spears released - and latest in the #FreeBritney case

Netflix is to stream a revealing documentary about the conservatorship dispute between Britney Spears and her father, Jamie.

The streaming giant teased the exclusive in an 18 second long clip shared to the site’s official Twitter page.

The teaser comes just two weeks after it was revealed Jamie Spears has filed a petition to end the conservatorship, after months of court appeals from the singer to have her father’s legal right over her life and estate ended.

So, what can we expect from the Netflix documentary - and what is the latest in the case of Britney vs Jamie Spears? This is what we know so far.

What is Britney vs Spears about?

The teaser released by Netflix does not give away too much, but does include audio from a phone call between Britney and an attorney’s office which took place in January 2009.

The video provides subtitles for the conversation, in which the singer is heard saying she had enquired earlier that same day, about “the process of eliminating the conservatorship”.

Britney remains under the conservatorship of her father, 12 years following that phone call.

According to Variety, the documentary will be a revealing insight into the agreement of the conservatorship and how Britney alleges her father has “abused” his rights to make decisions about her finances and personal life.

The teaser ends by announcing a trailer is to be released today, 22 September.

When is Britney vs Spears released?

The documentary is slated for release on 28 September, just one after it was announced.

The documentary will air one day before the next court date in the conservatorship fall out, 29 September.

Does Jamie Spears still have legal rights over his daughter?

At present, Jamie Spears is still the legal guardian of Britney and the conservatorship remains in place.

However, following a sudden change of direction last month from Jamie, the case could be set to end in the near future.

In 2020, Britney claimed her dad had abused his rights and was restricting her from getting married or having more children. She threatened to file charges against him, as well as refusing to work again until the conservatorship was ended.

The legal agreement has been in place since around 2008, when Britney received psychiatric treatment and her sons were removed from her custody.

Very little has been made public about the agreement, other than that her father can place restrictions on her finances, career moves and personal life.

The agreement extended for around a decade, during which time Britney attempted to have the arrangement quashed.

"She feels the conservatorship has become an oppressive and controlling tool against her," a court investigator wrote in a 2016 report. The conservatorship had "too much control", the singer said, according to the account of the conversation. "Too, too much."

In November 2020, a judge declined to remove Mr Spears but named financial firm the Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator of her estate instead.

A month later, the judge extended Mr Spears’ conservatorship until September 2021.

In December 2020, Jamie Spears said in a statement that he would "continue to love Britney unconditionally" despite their broken relationship.

"I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family.”

He also said, in response to his daughter’s accusation of abusing his right, that he was "sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain".

Britney then filed a petition in July to have him replaced and Jamie agreed to participate in an "orderly transition,” but insisted there were "no actual grounds" for him to step back and gave no timetable for when he would do so.

However, at the beginning of September he appeared to have a change of heart and filed his own petition that asked the court to consider whether the conservatorship itself should continue.

It said he wants "what is best for his daughter" and recognises she wants "control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship".

"If Ms Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr Spears believes that she should get that chance," the document added.

The 29 September court date could provide a more definitive timetable for the the saga to draw to a close.