The legal battle between Britney Spears and her father, Jamie Spears, is continuing to unfold in the California court system. On Tuesday, a judge ruled against the popstar’s request to have her father removed as the head of her conservatorship, a position he has held for the past 12 years. According to Britney’s lawyer, the Grammy winner lives in fear of her father and will not perform again until he is no longer in charge of her career.Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny denied
Britney Spears’ request on Tuesday to have her father removed from his position, although Judge Penny did say that she would consider a suspension or removal in the future. The popstar’s lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, told Judge Penny “My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father. She will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career.” Another hearing has been set for Dec. 16, according to an order filed in the case file.During Tuesday’s court hearing, which was done primarily via video conference and did not include the singer, Ingram argued that Britney is a “high-functioning conservatee” who deserves to be informed of her father’s business decisions, including replacing her business manager earlier this year. Ingram also stated that Britney and Jamie have not spoken ‘in a long time.’ Jamie Spears’ attorney, Vivian Lee Thoreen, said that Ingram has been blocking her client’s communication with his daughter and alleged that Jamie is only acting in the best interest of Britney.Jamie Spears’ conservatorship over his daughter began in 2008 when Britney was dealing with mental health issues and undergoing a very public breakdown. Along with attorney Andrew Wallet, the elder Spears oversaw all decisions pertaining to his daughter, including some that were widely criticized. Only one month after Britney was placed on an
involuntary psychiatric hold at UCLA, the popstar returned to work. Britney has acknowledged that her father stepping in help save her career and her life, but after 12 years feels she is more than capable of acting in her own best interest. The issue of the conservatorship has been raised in the courts several times before, but the recent ruling is one of the first times that the public has been privy to private information.Cracks in the arrangement became more public early last year, starting with Wallet’s resignation in March 2019. By September, Jamie Spears’ ongoing health issues were worsening, and he requested a temporary leave from his position. This request was granted, but only covered Britney’s personal life. Jamie Spears was still in charge of his daughter’s financial affairs. The change in roles occurred at the same time that Britney’s ex-husband, Kevin Federline,
filed a restraining order on behalf of his two sons against Jamie Spears after he alleged that the elder Spears had attacked one of his grandsons.Following the change in Jamie Spears’ conservator role, Jodi Montgomery, Britney’s state-appointed licensed conservator, stepped in. In August, the pop singer requested that Montgomery’s position be made permanent, a request that was denied. Instead, Jamie Spears’ conservatorship was extended through February 2021. Judge Penny did approve Britney’s request for a corporate fiduciary, the Bessemer Trust, to act as the co-conservator along with the singer’s father.In September, Ingram filed a motion to have all court records about the conservatorship made available to the public. “Britney herself is vehemently opposed to this effort by her father to keep her legal struggle hidden away in the closet as a family secret,”
Ingham wrote, giving more credence to the #FreeBritney movement, an organization that supports the popstar’s separation from her father. Previously, only Britney and Jamie, as well as their legal teams, were allowed to be present for the hearings. In 2019, Britney’s mother Lynn Spears, successfully petitioned to be allowed to be present for the hearings that involved her daughter and ex-husband.There are several contentious issues with the current conservatorship inside the Spears family. Britney wants to take a break from performing and have more say over her daily routine and her business affairs. Her father’s legal camp alleges that the pop singer is already heavily involved in decisions pertaining to her career. On Tuesday, Thoreen argued that through Jamie Spears’ conservatorship, his daughter has gone from being in debt to having a net worth of around $60 million. This figure is also a contentious issue as many members of the #FreeBritney movement allege the singer is worth closer to
$250 million.
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