Britney Spears has spoken in open court for the first time to address her controversial conservatorship, asking a judge to end the legal ruling and saying: “I want my life back.”

Spears said other people have exploited her throughout her life and that it is her “wish and dream for all of this to end”. She called the conservatorship “abusive” and condemned her father Jamie Spears and others who have controlled it.

The legal agreement has been in place since 2008, with Jamie Spears largely in control of her career and finances for most of that period.

As the 39-year-old star spoke at the Los Angeles court remotely by phone, dozens of fans from the #FreeBritney movement gathered outside to show their support with banners and posters, listening to proceedings through a feed.

Giving a highly anticipated written speech that lasted more than 20 minutes, Spears alleged she had at one time been sent to hospital involuntarily and that medication had been switched without her knowledge, and compared her treatment to that of those who have been sex-trafficked.

The star also said she wants to marry her boyfriend, Iranian actor and model Sam Asghari, and have a baby, but the conservatorship won’t allow her to. She told the court she is being forced to use birth control against her will to prevent her getting pregnant.

“This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good,” she said. “I deserve to have a life.”

Spears said the law should be changed and she should not be under a conservatorship while she is able to work and provide for herself – something the #FreeBritney movement has long been arguing.

During her speech, the star revealed details and made claims that have been kept out of the public domain for years. When an attorney representing her co-conservator said the hearing and transcript should be kept sealed if private medical information was to be revealed, the star shouted to say her words should be made public.

“They’ve interfered with my life so I feel like it should be an open court hearing and they should listen and hear what I have to say,” she said.

This is not the first time Spears has spoken in court in the conservatorship case, but previous hearings have always been held in private. The last time she was known to have addressed the judge was in May 2019.

The singer said she has not felt heard in any of her previous appearances before the court as they were kept sealed from the public.

During the hearing, Spears claimed she was forced to take lithium against her will after rehearsals broke down for a planned Las Vegas residency in 2019, which was subsequently cancelled. All she had done was disagree with one part of the show’s choreography, she said.

“I’m not here to be anyone’s slave,” she told the court. “I can say no to a dance move.”

At the height of her fame, Spears was one of the biggest pop stars in the world, famous for hits including …Baby One More Time, Oops!… I Did It Again, I’m A Slave 4 U, Toxic and Womanizer.

The star said she is still hounded by the paparazzi, telling judge Brenda Penny that speaking to her had been a welcome change from her handlers, who always tell her “no”.

She continued: “I feel ganged up on and I feel bullied and I feel left out and alone. And I’m tired of feeling alone.”

After Spears’ testimony, Judge Penny praised her for her “courage” in speaking out. “I certainly am sensitive to everything you said and how you’re feeling and I know it took a lot of courage for you to say what you had to say,” she said.

The conservatorship has been in place since the singer suffered mental health problems in 2008. Known as a guardianship in many US states, the legal arrangement is normally a temporary measure for people with diminished ability who struggle to make decisions for themselves.

Jamie Spears and his lawyers say that the star and her fortune, which court records put at more than $50 million (about £36 million), remain vulnerable to fraud and manipulation and that he saved her from financial ruin.

Through her court-appointed attorney Samuel Ingham III, Spears has previously said that she fears her father and will not perform live again as long as he is in control.

She has so far been unsuccessful in her requests to remove him, although he does now play a smaller role, serving as co-conservator of her finances along with estate management firm the Bessemer Trust. In 2019 he also relinquished his role as conservator over his daughter’s life choices to a court-appointed professional.

His attorney Vivian Thoreen gave a statement on his behalf following the speech by Spears, saying: “He is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.”

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After a break in the hearing, Mr Ingham said Spears had told him that now she has spoken out on the record and made her feelings on the conservatorship clear, the star is in favour of keeping future proceedings private.

He also said he will discuss the issues of formally filing for termination of the conservatorship with the star and the introduction of a private counsel to represent her.

Judge Penny said a decision on terminating the conservatorship cannot be made until the formal request is lodged with the court.

Stars including Mariah Carey and Halsey were among those sharing messages of support online for Spears after the hearing.

“We love you Britney!!! Stay strong,” Carey tweeted, while Halsey wrote: “Bless Britney and I hope with my whole heart she is awarded freedom from this abusive system. She deserves it more than anything. I admire her courage speaking up for herself today.”