Trust Me: Cults, Extreme Belief, and Manipulation

Episode: Jenny Eliscu – Conservatorships & Freeing Britney Spears

Release Date: February 4, 2026
Guest: Jenny Eliscu (journalist, radio host, producer of Britney vs. Spears)
Hosts: Lola Blanc & Megan Elizabeth

Overview

This episode of "Trust Me" delves deeply into Britney Spears’ conservatorship through the perspective of Jenny Eliscu, a journalist and producer who both knew Britney personally and reported extensively on her for decades, most notably in the Netflix documentary Britney vs. Spears. The conversation explores how under the guise of protection, the conservatorship system was weaponized against Britney by her closest family members and associates, stripping away her autonomy for over a decade. The hosts analyze the cult-like control mechanisms at play and discuss the wider implications of conservatorship abuse.

Key Discussion Points

1. Jenny Eliscu’s Relationship with Britney Spears

• First Encounter: Jenny first interviewed Britney for Rolling Stone around the year 2000, at the height of Spears' early fame.
  • “We really hit it off well. … That was during a period in her life when everything was going great…and we had a true relationship.” (13:30)
• Ongoing Interactions: Numerous assignments led to genuine rapport, including talks of helping with a memoir and writing liner notes for Britney’s Greatest Hits.

2. The Cult of Celebrity & Its Dangers

• Megan draws parallels between celebrity and cult dynamics:
  • “Celebrity in and of itself is a cult and we should really make it illegal…It isolates people. You really can’t connect that well to people.” (03:36)
• Lola reflects on how celebrity isolates stars and destabilizes their mental health.

3. The Origins and Mechanics of Britney's Conservatorship

• The Lead-Up:
  • Public chaos in 2007 (head-shaving, custody issues, hospitalizations) increased family and legal intervention.
  • Jenny notes: “After she was hospitalized, the research was happening for how to get a conservatorship…” (17:26)
• Family Dynamics:
  • Britney’s father, Jamie, was estranged, an alcoholic, and largely absent in her rise to stardom, yet became her conservator.
  • “He rules with an iron fist…He’s a very, very intimidating man.” (23:54)
• Lou Taylor’s Role:
  • Britney’s business manager, known for a strong Christian ethos, further imposed the family's values and restrictions.
  • “That exacerbated the tensions and the inappropriateness…That wasn’t the value system that was most important to Britney.” (25:37)

4. Explaining Conservatorship Abuse

• Control of Life & Livelihood:
  • Typical conservatorships are for elderly/dementia patients, rarely for someone actively working.
  • “The typical person under the system is not able to probably work...” (21:00)
• Closed-Loop Justification:
  • “They were able to not listen to her because they characterized her as being unable to make decisions…Any attempts by her to say ‘this isn’t what I want’…‘she doesn’t have capacity.’” (30:14)
• Conservatorship Paradox:
  • “How could someone unwell enough to need a conservatorship be well enough to put out an album?... If you’re sick enough to need one, you’re too sick to work.” (45:56)

5. Chilling Details of Britney’s Restrictions

• Extreme Controls:
  • She was denied phone access, couldn’t choose her own lawyer, and was subject to invasive medical interventions, including a forced IUD.
  • “She truly had no choice. She was, in the eyes of the law, like a child and had no rights and could make no decisions on her own.” (57:41)
• Heist Moments:
  • Jenny recounts sneaking legal documents for Britney to sign in a bathroom, only to have Britney’s attempt at autonomy thrown out:
    • “They said…that’s not her signature…And even if it is…she doesn’t have the capacity to choose a lawyer.” (49:22)
• Isolation as a Control Tactic:
  • All of Britney’s relationships, especially romantic ones, were subject to contracts and surveillance by the conservatorship team.
  • “It’s so culty…That’s exactly what cult leaders do. You can’t talk to people on the outside, I’m going to restrict your information…” (62:23)

6. Public Judgment and Societal Objectification

• Jenny underscores how the public fed into the system by pathologizing Britney:
  • “We strip them of any free will and we make them into these Barbie dolls that we can move around…I still feel like there’s this level of us pathologizing her that is disturbing to me.” (34:13, 36:31)
• She challenges listeners to rethink why people interpret Britney as “unsafe” based on behaviors we might overlook in non-famous individuals.

7. The Path to Freedom: #FreeBritney and Legal Action

• Key Factors:
  • Jamie’s ill health, Britney’s resistance to more Vegas shows, her forced confinement and medication, and, crucially, the swelling #FreeBritney public movement changed momentum.
  • “The public pressure from Free Britney is a huge part of why the same judge…finally undertook to end it.” (68:52)
• Britney’s Testimony:
  • Her candid 2021 court statement was a turning point: “Her testimony just broke me…powerful.” (69:08)
• Aftermath & Hopes:
  • Jenny urges: “Let’s just let her live her life comfortably however she wants.” (70:17)

8. Broader Lessons about Vulnerability to Control

• The episode closes examining how celebrity power can both attract exploitation and create conditions like those used in cults, reminding listeners to check their own participation in idol-worship and societal objectification.

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• Jenny on Choosing Jamie as Conservator:
  • “You should not have to be put under control of your least favorite person in your family, the person you’re most scared of.” (52:17)
• Describing Jamie as Conservator:
  • “Jaime being…a beast…this moment when Jamie says, I’m Britney now…It’s horror movie.” (52:29)
• On Work & Exploitation:
  • “She made four albums during the course of the conservatorship…She truly had no choice…All the decisions were made for her.” (56:14–57:41)
• On Public Perception:
  • “We’ve objectified her beyond comparison to a point where it’s like, oh, but this is different though. This is different.” (60:01)
• On Societal Responsibility:
  • “We’ve extracted enough from her at this point. Let’s just let her live her life comfortably however she wants.” (70:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jenny Eliscu’s Introduction and Relationship with Britney: 13:08–16:30
• Mechanics of Conservatorship & Family Dynamics: 17:26–26:32
• Lou Taylor & Religious Overtones: 25:06–26:32
• How Conservatorship Trapped Britney & Catch-22 Loops: 29:14–33:16
• Societal Objectification & Pathologizing: 34:11–39:24
• Britney’s Attempts at Escape (Bathroom signature story): 42:42–49:46
• Life Under Extreme Conservatorship: 57:11–61:00
• Conservatorship’s End and #FreeBritney: 66:48–69:55
• Jenny’s Final Message / Moving Forward: 70:17 (and closing remarks)

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The conversation maintains empathy, directness, and dark humor characteristic of “Trust Me,” while also highlighting the emotionally fraught and, at times, horrifying reality behind Britney’s situation and its broader social significance. The hosts and Jenny emphasize the moral responsibility of the legal system, the public, and fans to resist objectifying celebrities and to be wary of systems that enable isolation and exploitation.

Further Resources

• Documentary: Britney vs. Spears — Available on Netflix
• Podcast by Jenny Eliscu: LSQ, longform interviews with musicians
• Jenny on Radio: SiriusXM U and the Spectrum

In sum: This episode is a comprehensive, compassionate, and critical look at Britney Spears' ordeal—an extreme case of exploitation and control reminiscent of cult dynamics, and a cautionary tale about the abuse of power under the guise of protection.