Britney Spears. (James Devaney/WireImage)
Britney Spears was allegedly so “pumped full of drugs” during her conservatorship that she could not speak clearly, a psychiatrist has claimed.
Dr Charles Sophy, a former medical director for the County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, told TMZ Live Tuesday (28 September) that he was asked to assess the “Toxic” hitmaker’s treatment.
Months ago, a member of the 39-year-old’s team approached Sophy to review the medication regiment the star was on amid concerns the drugs were curtailing her competence.
“Earlier on in this process, about eight, 10 months ago, I was asked to come in and evaluate her medications,” Sophy said.
“But I just wasn’t comfortable at that point because there was so much controversy about this whole ‘who’s in charge and who’s going to take ownership’, it was too convoluted at that point.
“But I’m willing to do it, whenever it comes.”
Britney Spears will ‘always look like she needs help’ if overmedicated, says doctor
Sophy added that a member of Britney Spears‘ management team reached out to him.
The reason? “To see if she was appropriately medicated because I think,” Sophy said.
“At some point, there was some talk about her being over-medicated and not being able to speak on her own behalf.
“And that’s why she continued to look like she needed a conservatorship.”
“She can’t get out of it, the poor thing,” Sophy added. “She’s stuck in something that she doesn’t even know what she’s in.”
For the medical expert, Britney is far more lucid than some might think. “She made sense,” he said, “so people are able to see she is reality-based.
“She’s not that ‘out of it’ as she’s been portrayed and I think, going forward, if they did keep in a conservatorship, she should have some say and some control on some of the situations, especially her medications and treatment.
“If her medication is too much, she’s always going to look like she needs help.”
Sophy’s insight comes after a turbulent three months for Britney Spears since she spoke up publicly for the first time about the conservatorship that has overseen her life for more than 13 years in June.
Dubbing the complex legal arrangement that sees her personal wellbeing and finances controlled by others as “abusive”, Britney has now hired her own lawyer, gotten engaged and seen her father and financial conservator, Jamie Spears, say he will eventually step down.
On Wednesday (29 September), Britney is once again in court in front of probate judge Brend Penny, where her attorney will reportedly argue Jamie has “stripped [Britney] of her dignity”.
“The only thing Mr Spears will ‘lose’ is something he should not have ever had,” Matthew Rosengart, Britney’s legal counsel, said in court filings, “the ability to further harm his daughter.”