How #FreeBritney Split Into Two

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At the end of Britney Spears’s conservatorship in November 2021, most of her fans rejoiced. But there is a faction of fans that continues to pore over her social-media accounts, searching for clues about her well-being. “There’s a big part of the movement that has been laser-focused on what they see as abnormalities, oddities, or glitches in some of her posts. There are theories that she’s been replaced with AI or a body double,” says Vox reporter Rebecca Jennings, who spent several months reporting on the dark directions Free Britney 2.0 has taken. Jennings says that while these theories are some of the most extreme she’s seen, there are fans who believe Spears is still in some kind of conservatorship. Some went so far as to call 911 and request the police do a wellness check on her. Jennings explains that TikTok is one of the things fueling these conspiracy theories. “I think Free Britney has absolutely been caught up in the tornado of TikTok trends,” she explains. “It is unparalleled in terms of spreading an idea or trend.” Listen to the full episode of Into It and subscribe below to hear more about the TikTok sleuthing of these Free Britney extremists, how the conspiracy theories mirror QAnon, and what Spears thinks about her fans’ actions.