(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.
In her post, which featured a video doing cartwheels and horseback riding, she wrote in part, "Thank you to my fans who are supporting me ... You have no idea what it means to me be supported by such awesome fans !!!! God bless you all !!!!!"
Spears also referenced the hiring of her new attorney, Mathew Rosengart.
CNN spoke to three of the founders of Free Britney LA, a group or Spears fans who support the singer's wish to bring her conservatorship to an end, about what Spears' public acknowledgment meant to them.
"I was overjoyed to see Britney horseback riding and doing cartwheels on Instagram just hours after the judge approved her choice of counsel," Leanne Simmons told CNN. "I can only imagine how hopeful she must feel now that she has a lawyer of her own choosing. Regardless of who has the final say on her social media posts, the caption ended with #FreeBritney and that was certainly a proud moment for the movement."
Megan Radford said, "It's always been hard to know for sure if Britney actually manages her social media or not, but it seems like she's getting more control after her testimony on June 23. Seeing her use the #FreeBritney hashtag was surreal. Britney Spears has officially joined the #FreeBritney movement. There's no stopping us now."
Junior Olivas echoed her feelings, "I was honestly shocked to see the hashtag #FreeBritney on her instagram! It made me wonder if something had changed with her social media. Her social media in itself is such a mystery. We know lots of people have access to it. But when I first read it, in my opinion it felt real, like a real caption by Britney. It made me happy."
During Spears' most recent hearing, she cried as she told Judge Penny that she wants to charge her father, Jamie Spears, with conservatorship abuse.
She also called her situation "f***ing cruelty."
The next hearing is scheduled for September 29.
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