Britney Spears May Never Perform Again

It's been weeks since #FreeBritney started trending on Twitter, and fans have rallied once again around the oft-embattled pop star who seems to be suffering at the hands of those empowered to control her life.

Last year, Britney's father Jamie, who was still her legal guardian thanks to his ongoing conservatorship, became ill, which led to Spears canceling her Vegas residency, Domination. Spears spent a month in a mental health facility and appeared in court May 10 for a hearing on her conservatorship where the judge ordered an examination of her mental state.

Now Spears' manager Larry Rudolph tells TMZ he thinks this might be the end of Spears' career as a live performer. "As the person who guides her career - based on the information I and all of the professionals who work with her are being told on a need-to-know basis - from what I have gathered it's clear to me she should not be going back to do this Vegas residency, not in the near future, and possibly never again," he said.

According to Rudolph, the turbulence in Spears' life recently "was the perfect storm. We had to pull her show because her meds stopped working and she was distraught over her dad's illness,"

Ultimately, Rudolph wants the decision about her career to be Britney's own. "Last summer, when she wanted to tour, she called me everyday. She was excited," he said. Now he says "she hasn't called me in months. Crickets. She clearly doesn't want to perform."

"I don't want her to work again 'till she's ready, physically, mentally, and passionately. If that time never comes again it will never come again. I have no desire or ability to make her work again," he said. "I am only here for her when she wants to work. And, if she ever does want to work again, I'm here to tell her if it's a good idea or a bad idea."

As fans, obviously we'd love to see Britney performing again, but more important that that is that she's healthy. That being said, we can only trust her managers and family so much -- they all have a financial stake in her whether or not she's ever back onstage. Until we hear the truth from Britney herself, this narrative remains controlled by the people controlling her.

Spears has a court date set for September 18.

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