Britney Spears's 'real mom' Felicia Cullota to appear in Netflix's Britney vs Spears documentary

Netflix has dropped its first trailer for Britney vs Spears—and it looks like a very special person is set to appear in the highly-anticipated feature film. 

The groundbreaking Britney Spears Netflix documentary, which was directed by Emmy-nominee Erin Lee Carr, will investigate the details of the singer's infamous conservatorship and her ongoing pursuit of financial freedom. The program is set to hit screens on 28 September, one day before Britney is scheduled to appear in court. 

In the dramatic trailer for Britney vs Spears, a number of people are interviewed about the Grammy-award winner’s legal battles and her complicated relationship with her immediate family. One of these individuals expected to appear in the documentary is Felicia Cullota, Britney's former assistant and longtime supporter. 

Who is Felicia Cullota? 

Often dubbed Britney's 'real mom' by the superstar's loyal fans, Felicia's relationship with the Spears family goes way back. Also a Louisiana native, the former dental hygenist has known Britney since she was five years old. Felicia was asked by Lynn Spears to become her daughter's chaperone after she was signed to her first record deal in New York at the age of 15, and the rest is history. The 56-year-old soon become Britney's most trusted assistant, remaining by her side up until her 2018 Las Vegas residency. 

"Felicia was and is so sweet and bubbly, and she had the diligence and responsibility, we felt, to be the adult figure when we could not," Lynn wrote in her 2008 memoir, Through the Storm. 

Felicia spoke out about Britney's conservatorship in the 2020 documentary, Framing Britney Spears, admitting, "To be honest, I didn't then nor do I now understand what a conservatorship is."

"Especially for somebody's Britney's age and somebody capable of so much I know, firsthand, she's capable of," she added. 

While Felicia is not seen in the Britney vs Spears trailer, Variety has reported that Netflix has released press photos of her participating in the documentary. 

Britney vs Spears trailer—what we know 

Britney vs Spears promises to lift the lid on Britney's controversial conservatorship by painting a "thorough portrait of the pop star’s trajectory from girl next door to a woman trapped by fame and family and her own legal status", according to its Netflix press release. 

A voiceover in the trailer for the film asks, “What was going on inside the conservatorship, and why was she still in one, if she was, quote, ‘okay’?” The loaded question is followed by claims that Britney could not trust her parents and that her father had a financial incentive to maintain the legal arrangement. 

Audio from Britney’s bombshell court hearing in June, in which she shared an emotional testimony to petition the end of the conservatorship, is also played.

What is Britney's conservatorship all about? 

Britney’s conservatorship ordeal dates back to 2008, when her father, Jamie Spears, was granted control over her estate after a Los Angeles judge ruled she was mentally incapable of managing her financial affairs. The Toxic singer has been living under this conservatorship now for over 13 years, despite desperately campaigning to be released. 

She revealed disturbing details about the arrangement during a court appearance in June, blasting its conditions as "abusive" and detrimental to her wellbeing. Britney’s father stepped down as conservator in August in response to mounting pressure from his daughter’s lawyers and fans, marking a major milestone in the road towards full independence. However, with the conservatorship still in place, Britney’s journey to freedom is far from over.