Jamie Spears' lawyer comes to his defence, says he 'saved' Britney's life

As the battle over Britney Spears' conservatorship continues, and people are following her story more than ever thanks to the recent Framing Britney Spears documentary (coming to Crave in Canada Feb. 26), there are a lot of eyes on Jamie, her father and co-conservator of her estate.

Jamie was appointed Spears' co-conservator in 2008 along with lawyer Andrew M. Wallet, who resigned from the position in 2019, leaving her father the sole conservator since. Wallet, by the way, was commanding a hefty six-figure salary for his role after petitioning for it, and suddenly parted ways with the conservatorship after Spears cancelled her Las Vegas residency in January 2019 and announced that she would be going on an "indefinite work hiatus." 

In 2020, Spears' legal team filed a request for Bessemer Trust Co. to be appointed conservator of her estate in place of Jamie. Despite her lawyer telling the court "it's no secret" she "doesn't want her father as conservator," he was made co-conservator – along with the organization. This means they have equal power over managing her finances, and must work on an investment plan and budget proposal for her future.

With so much speculation and backlash surrounding this decision and propelled by the recent #FreeBritney social-media movement and the New York Times' documentary, which explores the conservatorship itself and the way Spears was treated by the media throughout her career, it seems Jamie felt a little – shall we say – defensive.

That led to an interview with Vivian Thoreen, his lawyer, sharing his side of the controversy on Good Morning America on Thursday morning.

"I understand that every story needs a villain, but people have it so wrong here," Thoreen said. "This is a story about a fiercely loving, dedicated and loyal father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation. People were harming her, and they were exploiting her. Jamie saved Britney's life."

It's quite an impassioned defence in the face of the social-media whipping he's been receiving for some time.

Thoreen added that "Jamie serves as Britney's conservator because he loves her" and "wants the best for Britney."

"I think we have to remember how this conservatorship was started," she said. "And that Britney needed help and that's why the conservatorship was put into place and why Jamie was appointed. ... Britney's assets were clearly being mismanaged and she was being taken advantage of financially by some of those around her."

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Based on court documents filed in November 2020, Jamie's legal team claimed he'd saved Spears' estate from falling into debt and facing up to millions in lawsuits, along with helping her to raise her profitability.

But another part of fans' concern over his handling of her person and career is his alleged control over if and when she can create music and perform. According to Us Weekly, Spears' lawyer said in November 2020 that she had told him she's "afraid of her father" and that she "will not perform as long as her father is in charge of her career."

Thoreen denies these allegations, saying, "When she is up for performing, she has performed. When she wants to record an album, she can record an album. And when she wants to live her life the way she wants, like a normal person, he has collaborated with her to do that, as well."

"Throughout 2020, Britney and her father had many conversations," she added. "And in fact, early on in the pandemic, they spent two weeks with other family members hunkered down in Louisiana. Britney and Jamie went on long drives together, they played and worked in the family garden, and every night Jamie cooked southern comfort food that the family ate and enjoyed together. And in that time, Britney never expressed those words to her father. She's never asked him to step aside."

Thoreen continued, "Like any other family, issues come up from time to time. But this, in no way, takes away from the love and support that they have for each other. Britney knows that her daddy loves her, and she knows that she can call on him anytime — conservatorship or not."

Britney's father, she said, has served as her conservator with "the kind of dedication and diligence that only a family member – that only a parent who loves his daughter unconditionally – can."

How very daddy dearest. When asked why Spears has yet to make a statement on all of the years-long speculation over her conservatorship, Thoreen simply said, "You'll have to ask Britney."

Such a task may not be so simple. After recent rumours of Spears wanting to create her own documentary to share her perspective, People reported the doc "isn't happening" as the conservatorship would have to sign off on it, and that's unlikely.

Expect the battle and war of words to continue as the conservatorship runs until Sept. 3, 2021, while the next court date to discuss it is set for March 17.

Watch Framing Britney Spears on Crave February 26.

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