How Britney Spears lost control of her life 8 years ago and then made an incredible career comeback

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In early 2008, after having lost custody of her children, Britney Spears suffered a public breakdown that led to the collapse of her career.

Following days of odd behavior in the spotlight — including reckless driving, shaving her own head, and attacking paparazzi with an umbrella — Spears was admitted to UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric hospital in January 2008. 

While Spears was in the hospital, her father, Jamie, was granted a "temporary conservatorship" that allowed him to control her treatment and daily life. The legal judgment stabilized Spears' career at the time, and it still controls her personal life and finances to this day. 

Since 2008, however, Spears has signed a lucrative Las Vegas performance contract and released three albums to varying degrees of success.

On Friday, Spears will release her ninth LP, "Glory," which many are deeming yet another comeback for the singer, following the relative failure of 2013's "Britney Jean," which was the lowest-selling album of her career.

The story of Britney Spears is, essentially, a series of comebacks.

Read on to see how Britney Spears made an impressive return to form from her low point:

In late 2007, around the time her album "Blackout" came out, Britney Spears was embroiled in a custody battle with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. After a judge found that she engaged in "habitual, frequent, and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol," Spears temporarily lost custody of her children.

Gus Ruelas/AP

Source: CNN

In January 2008, following an infamous public breakdown, Spears was admitted to the UCLA Medical Center for emergency psychiatric treatment. Her father was then granted a legal conservatorship over her personal life and finances.

Valerie Macon/Getty

Source: The New York Times

Spears largely retreated from the spotlight, doing very little promotion for "Blackout." There was never a tour for the album.

Jive Records

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