[imagesource: FX Networks]

The #FreeBritney movement has once again been catapulted into the public eye following the release of Framing Britney Spears.

In the documentary, the story of Britney’s rise to global teen superstar is told, along with how watching her downfall became something of a national sport.

Following what was a very public meltdown, Britney’s father stepped in to control her life, and her money, through a conservatorship.

It’s definitely worth a watch, and also serves as a reminder of how downright gross much of the media’s coverage of the star was.

The trailer, for your perusal:

Having spent the better part of her life in the spotlight, you would be excused for thinking Britney has a net worth to rival the biggest in the business.

After all, it’s been more than 20 years since she first topped the charts, performed sold-out world tours, and she raked in an estimated $40 million in 2002 alone.

Worldwide, it’s estimated that she’s sold close to 150 million records, she pulled in huge cash from a four-year Las Vegas residency, and licensing and endorsement deals also lined her pockets.

Surely she should be worth as much as the likes of J-Lo, or Jessica Simpson, right? As Forbes points out, no:

In terms of both earnings and star power, she was ahead of her contemporaries Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Lopez — and even today can say she’s sold more concert tickets and albums than either.

But when it comes to net worth, the fallen pop queen has lagged far behind: Spears, once a dominant and ascending force in pop culture, has a net worth of $60 million; Simpson and Lopez each have built fortunes of more than $100 million, according to Forbes estimates.

Rihanna is worth 10 times as much as Britney, Beyoncé seven times as much, and Taylor Swift more than six times as much:

Image: Forbes

Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift are basically money-making empires, with multiple revenue streams and businesses, but seeing Britney’s net worth around half of Simpson’s is quite something.

Since being put under court-ordered conservatorship in 2008, lucrative sponsorship deals with the likes of Pepsi, Skechers, and Samsung have dried up, and she hasn’t appeared in a TV commercial since 2015.

She last released new music in 2016, hasn’t toured since 2018, and has suffered financially from being under her father’s control.

Legal fees associated with fighting the conservatorship run into the millions, and she also pays child support to her ex-husband Kevin Federline.

In terms of money earned from touring, Taylor Swift and Beyonce have ticked over the $1 billion mark, with Britney just shy of half of that:

Image: Pollstar via Forbes

All of these mind-boggling numbers do come with obvious caveats, with this from Yahoo:

Spears earned over $30 million annually for eight out of the past 20 years, but she only keeps a portion of that. At least 25% of her gross income goes to agents, managers and lawyers, with 40% of what’s left after that going to taxes. These are all typical expenses for high-earning celebrities.

At the same time, those other high-earning celebrities haven’t had their fathers in control of what they can and cannot do.

There was a small win for Britney this week, regarding the conservatorship. Whilst her father was kept on as her conservator, the judge did grant Britney’s request to name independent fiduciary Bessemer Trust a permanent co-conservator.

It’s a step in the right direction.

[sources:forbes&yahoo]