#FreeBritney: Britney Spears trying to be 'normal' in wake of controversial documentary

Britney Spears has broken her silence on Instagram, explaining to fans why she has stayed away from the spotlight for so long.

With everyone from celebrities to keyboard warriors jumping on board the #FreeBritney campaign this week, there was a rather pointed silence from the singer herself.

Breaking her silence today, Spears took to Instagram to assure fans she's "taking the time to learn and be a normal person."

Spears has not performed or appeared at a public event since October 2018 and today's Instagram post is one of the few times she has directly addressed the reason behind that absence.

Jumping on Instagram the Baby One More Time hitmaker took a trip down memory lane, posting footage of three-year-old award show performance, with the caption:

"Can't believe this performance of Toxic is from three years ago!!! I'll always love being on stage ... but I am taking the time to learn and be a normal person ... I love simply enjoying the basics of everyday life!!!! Each person has their story and their take on other people's stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives!!! Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person's life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens!!!!"

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Spears's post comes in the wake of a bombshell documentary by the New York Times about the life and career of the pop star.

The documentary, titled Framing Britney Spears, was released over the weekend and has led many celebrities - including Sarah Jessica Parker, Bette Midler and Khloe Kardashian - to voice their support for Britney and the #FreeBritney movement, which calls for Britney Spears to be freed from her father's legal conservatorship.

Britney's father, Jamie Spears, has legal control of her affairs, having been assigned conservatorship when the star experienced her highly public breakdown in 2008.

She is currently locked in a legal battle against her father, Jamie Spears, to have him permanently removed from her conservatorship, as she no longer wants him to have control over her life.

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The control extends beyond the singer herself, according to a revealing Instagram story posted by her boyfriend, Sam Asghari.

He wrote on his stories, "Now it's important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way.

"In my opinion Jamie is a total d**k. I won't be going into details because I've always respected our privacy but at the same time I didn't come to this country to not be able to express my opinion and freedom."

At a court hearing last year, Britney Spear's lawyer, Samuel D Ingham III, claimed Spears had become afraid of her father and wanted him removed for her conservatorship entirely after he allegedly hired a new manager without consulting her.

She continues to fight to have her dad removed from it, but a decision by the courts in December leaves it in place until September 2021.