(CNN) Outside the Los Angeles County Superior Courthouse on the day of Britney Spears' July 14 court hearing for her conservatorship, a dozens of some of the singer's most devoted fans gathered. They held banners, signs and even baked cookies with the now viral hashtag, #FreeBritney. It's these loyal and vocal supporters who have have raised questions about Spears' conservatorship for years and who have been a constant presence at her hearings since 2019. But the hearing earlier this week was different. Not only was it a groundbreaking moment for the singer due to Judge Brenda Penny granting her request to hire an attorney of her choice -- her former attorney for the past 13 years had been court appointed -- but Spears used the #FreeBritney hashtag on Instagram for the very first time.

Source: CNN July 18, 2021 14:03 UTC