Britney Spears - To Hell Back

Perhaps it was concern that prompted fans to start the #freebritney hashtag, but the pop star says she’s healthy and strong. Here, Us separates the truth from the lies

- Brody Brown, Nicholas Hautman, Jen Heger & James Vituscka

The group was small but mighty. They chanted “Hands off Britney” and “Justice for Britney” and carried signs with statements like “Truth Will Set Her Free,” “Born to Make You Money” and, of course, the viral phrase that started it all: “Free Britney.” But according to Britney Spears — the woman whose recent mental health crisis inspired the cadre of protesters marching outside West Hollywood City Hall on April 22, as well as a far larger group of die-hard fans who’ve supported the movement online, she’s doing just fine: She urged her followers, “Don’t believe everything you read and hear.” The claims she’s referring to have been intense, ranging from allegations that she was forced into treatment against her will to a rumor that she’d secretly been locked up since January, to a theory that her ailing father, Jamie Spears, trainer boyfriend Sam Asghari, and business team have demanded she be kept medicated and under conservatorship so they can live off her earnings.

But according to Britney herself, as well as multiple sources close to the pop star who spoke to Us, although she’s been facing some very serious issues amid a troubling decline in recent months, she voluntarily sought help in late March so that she can stay healthy, protect her career and be a good mom to her two sons. “To put it bluntly, the rumors about Britney being held in treatment against her will are pure BS,” a source told Us ahead of Britney’s release on April 25. “She was struggling and started spiraling out of control, so she agreed that seeking help was the only option for her in the long run. She’s always been committed to doing what’s best for her mental health.”