Since 2008, pop singer Britney Spears has been under a legal conservatorship that has ruled every aspect of her life. For much of that time, Jamie Spears, her father, has had complete control over her personal, medical, and financial decisions. He established the conservatorship 13 years ago — and whom she has claimed is exploiting her.
On Wednesday afternoon, Superior Court judge Brenda J. Penny ruled that Jamie Spears be removed as the conservator of his daughter’s estate. For the time being, a certified public accountant will take on that responsibility. Penny was only the conservator of Spears’ assets on an interim basis, and she would be replaced by Zabel as the new temporary conservator of Spears’ estate until a future court hearing, which is set for November 12. The court will then decide whether or not to terminate the guardianship, which should take place before the end of the year.
Penny granted Britney Spears’ most adamant demand: to remove her father as soon as possible. According to the AP, the judge said at the hearing, “The current arrangement is untenable. It reflects a toxic environment which necessitates the suspension of James Spears.”
Jodi Montgomery has been the conservator of Britney Spears’ person since 2019, which means she is a licensed personal fiduciary and care professional. (Montgomery has stated that her judgments are ultimately directed by Jamie Spears because he is in charge of his daughter’s bills and expenses, according to her own court papers.)
In June, Spears appeared in person at a hearing to ask for the conservatorship to be ended without having to undergo any further medical testing. In the devastating comments, which went viral instantly, Spears charged her father with abusing her, claiming she was being exploited and “bullied” by the conservatorship — particularly by her father.
Penny denied Britney Spears’ request to have Jamie Spears removed as conservator of her finances less than a week after the singer delivered an emotional statement in court.
Her father, Jamie Spears, has stated in a court filing that he is willing to give up his position as head of the family. However, he did not provide a timetable, instead promising to do so “once the moment is right.”
Mathew Rosengart, the current lawyer for Britney Spears, has been demanding that her father be removed as quickly as possible and that the conservatorship be completely ended. Rosengart has claimed in legal documents that the tenor of the investigation has improved his case, according to two New York Times documentaries now available on Hulu: Framing Britney Spears and Controlling Britney Spears.
The second Times documentary, which aired last Friday, was released just days before Wednesday’s hearing.According to a recent Daily Mail report, the FBI is now investigating whether or not Spears’ ex-security specialist was correct in his claims that her security firm monitored her at her father’s request by placing listening devices in her bedroom and mirroring all of her text and phone conversations. According to the New York Times, surveillance recorded conversations Spears had with her former lawyer, as well as her children, lover, and mother.
In a court filing Monday, Rosengart stated: “Mr. Spears has gone beyond amazing bounds. While they do not constitute proof, the claims merit serious consideration, especially as California is a ‘two-party’ consent state.”
According to earlier testimony, the father of Britney Spears has appeared to “profit nicely” from being her conservator for more than a decade. Rosengart also claims that “serious concerns abound” about Mr.Spears’s behavior, including conflicts of interest, conservatorship abuse, and the apparent squandering of his money.
Mr. Spears has repeatedly denied the allegations against him, in particular his decisions about his daughter and her fortune. “As Mr. Spears has stated many times, all he wants is what’s best for his daughter,” his lawyer Vivian L. Thoreen stated in a filing this month. “Mr. Spears believes that if Ms. Spears wishes to terminate the conservatorship and believe she can care for her own life, she should be given that opportunity.”
Britney Spears’ lawyer has continued to attack her father’s motives, saying that “Mr.Spears is concerned that Mr. Spears might become the third generation of his family not to inherit anything from Ms. Spears.” The conservatorship “is all about control and protection for Jamie, not Britney,” Rosengart wrote in an e-mail to the Times.
“Mr. Spears has spent years abusing his conservatorship over Ms. Spears to benefit himself and his family, while denying her basic medical care, dental treatment, and even showers,” Rosengart declared in an e-mail to the media.
Free Britney might finally become a reality, but it seems to take a while. Hopefully soon, Britney and her lawyers can find a more efficient way of getting the job done and she will finally be free of the terror that is Jamie Spears.
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