Britney Spears's Conservatorship Is Officially Terminated
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For nearly half of Britney Spears's decades-long career as a world-renowned pop star, the "Womanizer" singer hasn't held full control of her life.
Britney has been under a conservatorship helmed by her father, Jamie Spears, since the singer's infamous breakdown 12 years ago, which resulted in hospitalization and rehab. Though the stigma surrounding Spears's mental health battles has followed the singer since 2007, her career never faltered. Marking an official comeback with her 2008 album, Circus, Britney continued to release albums, tour, star in a years-long Las Vegas residency, and launch business ventures including her lucrative perfume and namesake lingerie lines.
Despite multiple comebacks, however, Britney's longtime fans have vocalized their dissatisfaction in seeing the pop star continue to be under a conservatorship at 38 years old. Wholeheartedly convinced that the singer herself also wants to be free from the legal binding, fans launched the #FreeBritney movement, utilizing social media to bring awareness to the discrepancies surrounding the conservatorship.
Below, we break down how Britney's conservatorship came to be, why fans want to see Britney "free," and whether or not the singer wants full control of her life back.
What is a conservatorship?
A conservatorship, according to the California Courts official website, is where a judge appoints an individual or organization to care for another adult who is deemed unfit to care for themselves or to manage their own finances. For Britney's case, Britney is considered the "conservatee" and her father, Jamie, the "conservator."
For the last 12 years, the details of Britney's conservatorship have been private, but the singer recently filed documents via her lawyer that request parts of her conservatorship be open to the public, according to TMZ.
She also shared that she supports her fans speaking out on her behalf. "[Britney] welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans," read a statement, per Britney's lawyer, proving that the #FreeBritney movement is not the social media hoax her father described it as.
Why was Britney's conservatorship put into place?
Britney was put under conservatorship following her very public breakdown in 2008. Following a year of seemingly erratic behavior—such as shaving her head and attacking a paparazzo's car with an umbrella—the singer was put under a "5150 hold" in a psychiatric hospital for a mental health evaluation.
At the time, Jamie petitioned courts for an emergency "temporary" conservatorship, alluding to the fact that his daughter was unable to properly care and manage herself amid her mental health struggles.
From there, Jamie was given the legal right to oversee and make decisions regarding Britney's finances, health, business deals, and personal life which he managed up until 2019.
Why are fans concerned about Britney's well-being?
Britney fans have long been wary of the conservatorship terms and have often questioned whether it was in Britney's best interest. Recently, the #FreeBritney movement made a resurgence because of an episode of the Britney's Gram podcast, during which an anonymous lawyer, formerly part of the firm that oversees Britney's conservatorship, expressed concerns over Britney's camp and her father running the pop star's life.
FreeBritney.net, launched in 2009, penned an overarching statement on why they believe Britney does not need a conservatorship this far into her life and career.
"During the twelve years of Spears' conservatorship she has repeatedly toured the world, released multiple albums, and worked on a variety of television shows," the site pointed out. "Her conservators decide whether or not she works, as she cannot enter into contracts for herself because she is legally not her own person. Britney Spears needs permission from her conservators to leave her house or spend any of her own money."
Fans have also gone out to the streets and protested on Britney's behalf, demanding an end to her conservatorship.
Britney's siblings and celebrity friends have spoken out about the conservatorship.
Britney's brother, Bryan Spears, did a rare interview in July. On Drew Plotkin's podcast As NOT Seen on TV, he spoke out about his sister's conservatorship.
"She's been in this thing for quite some time now. Obviously, there was a need for it in the beginning. Now they've made some changes, and all we can do is hope for the best," said Bryan. "She's always wanted to get out of it. It's very frustrating to have—whether someone's coming in peace to help or coming in with an attitude, having someone constantly tell you to do something has got to be frustrating. She's wanted to get out of it for quite some time."
Britney's younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, fervently shut down Instagram critics who claimed that she and her family weren't doing enough to support Britney through her alleged mental health struggles.
"If you deal with mental illness or care for someone dealing with mental illness, then you know how important it is to respect the situation with privacy for the person, and the family trying to protect their loved ones, no matter how it may appear to the public, and as the public we must learn to do the same," wrote Jamie Lynn in an Instagram post. "[People] have no right to assume anything about my sister, and I have NO right to speak about HER health and personal matters. She is a strong, badass, unstoppable woman, and that's the only thing that is OBVIOUS."
Jamie Lynn was also recently named the trustee of Britney's fortune.
Britney's longtime friend Paris Hilton also recently spoke out regarding Britney's conservatorship, stating that she knows what it feels like to have little control over one's own life.
"I feel like if you are an adult you should be able to live your life and not be controlled. I think that maybe stems from me being controlled so much so I can understand how that would feel and I can't imagine right now if that was still happening to me," said Hilton in an interview on Andy Cohen Live. "After just working your whole life and working so hard, she's this icon and I just feel like she has no control of her life whatsoever and I just don't think that's fair."
Britney reportedly does not want her father to return as head of the conservatorship.
According to court documents obtained by People, Britney is "strongly opposed" to her father returning to his role as the sole conservator of her "affairs and finances." Instead, Britney has voiced that she "strongly prefers" Jodi Montgomery, who has run her conservatorship since her father's stepping down due to health issues in 2019, continue in that role.
Interestingly enough, in the latest court documents, Britney declared that her conservatorship is voluntary, and that she would rather have more gradual autonomy over her life.
In another filing, Britney voiced through her lawyer that she eventually does want to have "power and authorization to pursue opportunities related to professional commitments and activities including but not limited to performing, recording, videos, tours, TV shows, and other similar activities as long as they are approved by the conservator of the person and the Conservatee's medical team."
Per The New York Times, Britney's conservatorship has been extended to at least 2021, and the singer's requests—including permanently removing her father from his role—will not be approved or altered until next February.
Britney's mother supports her daughter gaining control of her life again.
Per Entertainment Tonight, Britney has enlisted the help of her mother, Lynne Spears, to earn back control over her life again. Lynne recently filed a request to be included as part of Britney's SJB Revocable Trust, which recently named Jamie Lynn as the custodian.
"Britney trusts Lynne and has asked her mother to be part of her conservatorship. She truly believes that her mother wants to help her have more autonomy when it comes to her money," a source told ET. "Britney is aware that how she is doing psychologically seems to directly correlate to her spending habits. She knows right now she might not be ready to be in complete control but she wants more freedom to spend how she pleases."
The source added, "She feels her desires will be taken more seriously. She trusts her mother. They went through some tough times in their relationship but they are now closer than ever."
Britney has been granted permission to expand her legal team.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Britney's petition to expand her legal team in her conservatorship battle has been approved. Her father argued against the request claiming that it would cost his daughter too much money.
"Clearly, James' objectives are either to filibuster the appointment of a corporate fiduciary indefinitely or to dominate the entire process himself, including the selection of the fiduciary," said Britney's lawyer, Samuel Ingham, in court last week. "The only way to assure that Britney's voice is heard will be for her to have qualified litigation counsel available in order to place her on a level playing field with James."
Though Jamie's legal team has requested that Britney testify herself in person in court, the singer's lawyer has expressed that her intention is to solely be represented by her legal team. Britney was not present for this most recent hearing, but her father and her mother were in attendance.
Britney reportedly wants her father "suspended immediately" from running her estate.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Britney's attorney, Sam Ingham, filed new documents on Tuesday, revealing that the singer has requested that her father be immediately removed as the sole conservator of her estate. The singer has requested that Bessemer Trust Company transition to be in charge of her assets.
Documents obtained by the outlet reveal that after Britney's business manager abruptly quit, her father appointed another manager without his daughter's approval or letting her know how much the new manager would cost the pop star.
"The Oct. 28 letter is a blatant attempt by [Jamie] to retain full functional control of her assets, books and records in the face of Britney's objections, Tristar’s resignation and the appointment of Bessemer Trust," read the documents. "His simple litigation strategy is to introduce a new gatekeeper who admittedly has a major working relationship with his legal team. Therefore, Britney will be filing a petition to remove James as conservator of the estate."
A Los Angeles court has rejected Britney's bid to remove her father as head of her conservatorship.
Los Angeles superior court judge Brenda Penny did not approve Britney's request to remove her father as head of her conservatorship, reported Variety. Though the judge did not dismiss future petitions of her father's removal, the result of the ruling now means that Britney refuses to perform or work again until her father steps down or is removed.
"My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father," said Samuel Ingham, Britney's attorney. "She will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career."
Britney's dad reveals that he and Britney have not spoken since August.
Britney's father, Jamie, opened up regarding their conservatorship battle in a new and rare interview on CNN. During the conversation, Jamie revealed that he has not spoken to Britney since her legal team filed to remove him as head of her conservatorship back in August. He claimed that he and his daughter were on good terms ahead of the filing.
"I love my daughter and I miss her very much. When a family member needs special care and protection, families need to step up, as I have done for the last 12-plus years, to safeguard, protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally," Jamie told CNN. "I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family."
Jamie's interview comes ahead of a hearing this week, when a judge will oversee how he has handled his daughter's finances over the years.
Britney's boyfriend, Sam Asghari, thanks fans for their support in a rare public statement.
Following the release of the new documentary Framing Britney Spears, the pop star instantly received a massive outpouring of support from longtime fans and fellow celebrities who are demanding an end to Britney's conservatorship. Acknowledging the outcry from fans, the singer's boyfriend, model and actor Sam Asghari, released a rare statement to People magazine regarding his relationship with the star and, seemingly, his support of the #FreeBritney movement.
"I have always wanted nothing but the best for my better half, and will continue to support her following her dreams and creating the future she wants and deserves," Asghari told the outlet. "I am thankful for all of the love and support she is receiving from her fans all over the world, and I am looking forward to a normal, amazing future together."
Jamie Spears loses a court bid to be the sole conservator on Britney's estate.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny ruled on Thursday that wealth management and investment advisory firm Bessemer Trust will continue to serve as co-conservator of Britney's financial estate, reported People. Jamie's objection to the shared control of his daughter's finances and investments decision was denied.
Per Variety, Britney's lawyer, Samuel Ingham, argued that the original order of a co-conservatorship meant "an equal division of responsibility," between Jamie and Bessemer Trust, "in the hopes that they would sit down and figure out together the best way to handle this complex estate for the benefit of my client."
"It's no secret that my client does not want her father as co-conservator, but we recognize that removal is a separate issue," Ingham added.
The next court hearing between Britney and her father is scheduled for March 17.
Jamie's lawyer speaks to Good Morning America, says Jamie "saved Britney's life."
In an exclusive interview with Good Morning America, Jamie Spears's lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, detailed the Spears family patriarch's side of the story.
"I understand that every story wants to have a villain, but people have it so wrong here," said Thoreen during the interview. "This is a story about a fiercely loyal, loving, and dedicated father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation. People were harming her and they were exploiting her."
The attorney continued, declaring that Jamie stepping in to oversee his daughter's personal and professional decisions not only "saved Britney's life" but also helped improve her financial situation tremendously. According to Thoreen, at the time of the conservatorship's start in 2008, Britney's assets were worth only $2.8 million. She's now valued at a cool $60 million following a successful career comeback that included releasing four full length studio albums, a popular Las Vegas show residency, and endorsement deals.
"[He's] worked tirelessly to protect her," said Thoreen. "He has collaborated with her to help her regain custody of her children. He has brought her finances back from disaster. And he's created a safe environment for her to live her life the way she wants, away from the media that cause her so much pain."
Thoreen also provided previously unseen footage of Britney spending time with her family in Louisiana, presumably following the announcement of the cancellation of her Britney: Domination concert series in Las Vegas in 2019, sharing with fans that she would be taking time off from performing.
Jamie's lawyer speaks out again.
In a new interview with CNN, Jamie Spears's attorney, Vivian Lee Thoreen, said that her client's ultimate wish is for Britney to no longer need to be under the constraints of a conservatorship.
"[Jamie] would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship," Thoreen told CNN. "Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney. If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it."
Thoreen also stated that Jamie doesn't claim to be a "perfect" parent but believes in the decisions he's made for his daughter's personal life and career over the years.
"Jamie is not suggesting that he is the perfect dad or that he would receive any 'Father of the Year' award. Like any parent, he doesn't always see eye-to-eye on what Britney may want," continued Thoreen. "But Jamie believes every single decision he has made has been in her best interest."
Britney's lawyer, Samuel Ingham, did not release a response to Jamie's latest claims, stating that he "can't comment on a pending case."
Britney requests that her temporary co-conservator, Jodi Montgomery, be appointed full time.
Britney is officially taking the necessary legal steps to remove her father as the head of her conservatorship. Per People, the pop star has officially "requested the resignation" of Jamie Spears and instead is asking that her temporary co-conservator, Jodi Montgomery, be named her permanent conservator. In the court filings obtained by People, the documents also state that Britney "reserves the right to petition for the termination of this conservatorship."
Jamie Spears is requesting that Britney foot the bill for his lawyers.
In a new court document obtained by Entertainment Tonight, it's been revealed that Britney's father is requesting that she pay nearly $2 million dollars to cover the cost of his attorneys amid their tense conservatorship battle.
Per ET, the document declares a support of petition for order "allowing and approving payment of: 1.) the compensation to conservator and attorneys for conservator and 2.) reimbursement of costs." In addition, Jamie is requesting the approval of his compensation as conservator, which includes a whopping $16,000 a month stemming from November 2019 to February 2021.
Britney's mother, Lynne Spears, formally objects to Jamie's request to have Britney pay his legal fees.
Per People, Lynne Spears is fighting back against Jamie Spears's formal request to have his daughter foot the bill for his legal fees amid their conservatorship battle. In documents obtained by the outlet, Lynne describes Jamie's request to have the four months' fee of $890,000 from Jamie's law firm, Holland & Knight, as "procedurally and substantively improper."
Lynne also claimed in the document that the firm's request for compensation was not "performed in good faith for the benefit" (referring to Britney) and requested the court review the attorney costs and that $224,000 immediately be repaid to Britney's estate. The amount comes from what Lynne describes as funding a "largely constituted national media tour" that was enacted to "promote [Jamie's attorney] Ms. [Vivian Lee] Thoreen and/or to combat media coverage that cast Mr. Spears in a negative light."
Britney's mother described the efforts on behalf of Jamie's legal team as "directly contrary to [Britney's] wish for privacy."
Britney is expected to address the court remotely for her next hearing.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Britney is expected to appear remotely in court when she speaks out regarding her conservatorship for the first time later this month. ET understands that it's due to current COVID-19 protocols that the singer will be addressing the court from home.
In April, Britney's lawyer shared that the pop star wanted to formally address the court herself regarding her ongoing battle with her father. "The conservatee has requested that I seek from the court a status hearing at which she can address the court directly," Britney's court-appointed lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, said.
Spears is currently scheduled to address the court on June 23.
Britney has been fighting to end her conservatorship for years now.
According to a new report from The New York Times, Britney has been quietly advocating to end her conservatorship for far longer than the public has been aware.
Per court records obtained by the Times, Spears has described her conservatorship as becoming an “oppressive and controlling tool against her” and that the overarching system that controls her personal and professional life as having “too much control.”
“She is ‘sick of being taken advantage of,’ and she said she is the one working and earning her money but everyone around her is on her payroll,” an investigator reportedly recorded following an investigative conversation with the pop star.
Some of the most disturbing allegations, per an obtained court transcript, reveal that the pop star has previously addressed the court—albeit privately—saying that she was admitted against her will to a mental health clinic “as punishment” and forced to perform while sick, calling the latter one of the “scariest moments of her life.” Britney also reportedly pleaded to the court to recognize and understand that “there was nothing wrong with her.”
Britney speaks out in court, delivering a 24-minute address.
On June 23, Britney spoke out in court for the first time regarding her experience under her conservatorship. During a virtual address, she expressed a number of grievances pertaining to her well-being while her personal and professional life is run and overseen by her father and the conservatorship team.
"I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry it's insane. And I'm depressed," Britney said, per Variety and CNN. "My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management … they should be in jail."
Britney also admitted to lying about her emotional well-being over the years for fear of the public and courts not taking her claims seriously.
"I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive," Britney said.
"It's not okay to force me to do anything I don't want to do," the singer continued. The pop star further expressed that her ultimate desire is to be able to make basic life decisions on her own, such as going on a car ride with her longtime boyfriend, Sam Asghari, and having another child, which she alleges she's not currently permitted to do.
Kevin Federline, Britney's ex-husband, just wants the singer to be "happy and healthy" for the sake of their two sons.
Kevin Federline just wants the best for Britney Spears. The singer's ex-husband's attorney recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight to share his client's thoughts on the ongoing conservatorship battle between Britney and her father, Jamie.
"What is best for her, Kevin supports her in being able to do that. ... It doesn't matter how positive of an effect a conservatorship has had if it's having a deleterious effect and detrimental effect on her state of mind," Federline's divorce attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said. "So he supports her having the best environment for her to live in and for his children to visit with their mother in. […] Kevin feels that the best thing for his children is for their mother to be happy and healthy."
Kaplan continued, "He wants her to be a happy person because that would make her a happy mother and obviously I think one of the takeaways we could all [hear] from her comments is that she is under a tremendous amount of pressure. And people under pressure sometimes don't make the same decisions that they would if they were completely left to their own free will. If she is able to handle herself in a way that does not jeopardize herself or her children should they be in her custody, Kevin is very comfortable with the conservatorship being dissolved."
Britney's temporary conservator, Jodi Montgomery, is reportedly preparing Britney to "eventually get out of the conservatorship."
According to People, Britney's temporary conservator Jodi Montgomery, who took over for Jamie Spears when he stepped down in September 2019 citing health reasons, has been "working with a team of experts concentrated on giving Britney the tools to get better."
The source continued, "The hope is that [Britney] can eventually get out of the conservatorship."
During Britney's emotional court address last week (on June 23), the pop star alleged that Montgomery, along with other members of her conservatorship team, were taking their control over her life too far.
"[Jodi] made me feel like my dad does. Very similar, her behavior and my dad, but just a different dynamic," Britney said.
The judge denies Britney's request to have her father removed from her conservatorship—again.
Judge Brenda Penny has shut down Britney's months-old request to have her father removed from his current 50-percent control over her conservatorship, per E! News and Variety. What's important to note is that this decision was not based on Spears's recent passionate plea to have her conservatorship terminated—Spears has still yet to officially file the paperwork to request an end to her conservatorship.
"The conservator's request to suspend James P. Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company of California, N.A. as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice," a statement read via court document obtained by Variety.
This isn't the first time a judge has shut down the singer's request to have her father removed; she first filed a request for his removal back in November 2020, which was also denied by the judge.
Britney called 911 to report herself a victim of conservatorship abuse the day before her court address.
According to the New Yorker, Britney called 911 on the night before she gave her emotional court address last week (June 23) to report herself a victim of conservatorship abuse. After the call, members of Spears' team texted each other frantically, and discussed "how to prepare in the event that she went rogue." The 911 call was confirmed by law enforcement in Ventura County, California, but the county has sealed the records of the call, citing an ongoing investigation.
The in-depth New Yorker investigation also provides details on the events that led up to Britney's conservatorship, its establishment, and Britney's efforts to end the conservatorship over the years. According to the New Yorker, Britney attempted to have her father removed from the conservatorship as early as February 2008, contacting a lawyer while she was still in the hospital. The lawyer, Adam Streisand, represented Britney in a court hearing, "attesting that Spears had a ‘strong desire’ that Jamie not be a conservator."
Britney's manager resigns following her harrowing court address.
Britney's longtime manager, Larry Rudolph, who helped steer the pop star's career since her musical debut at 16 years old, is stepping down as part of the singer's team.
Per Deadline, Rudolph released a statement saying that he hasn't been in contact with Britney in more than two years and alluded to the singer expressing her desire to retire from performing, thus no longer needing his services.
"It has been over 2 1/2 years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus," Rudolph wrote in a letter to her conservators obtained by Deadline. "Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire.”
He continued, "As you know, I have never been a part of the conservatorship nor its operations, so I am not privy to many of these details. I was originally hired at Britney’s request to help manage and assist her with her career. And as her manager, I believe it is in Britney’s best interest for me to resign from her team as my professional services are no longer needed. Please accept this letter as my formal resignation.
"I will always be incredibly proud of what we accomplished over our 25 years together. I wish Britney all the health and happiness in the world, and I’ll be there for her if she ever needs me again, just as I always have been," he concluded.
Though Britney didn't mention plans to officially retire during her 30-minute address to the court last month, she did allege that anyone involved in her conservatorship or management team should be punished for what she deemed an abuse of power over her personal and professional life.
"My dad and anyone involved in this conservatorship and my management who played a huge role in punishing me—ma'am, they should be in jail," Britney said during her address.
Britney's lawyer of 13 years resigns.
Variety reported that Britney's court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham III, has officially requested to resign from representing the pop star in her ongoing conservatorship battle. In court records obtained by the outlet, Ingham formally requested that he step down from representing the pop star, writing, "Samuel D. Ingham III hereby resigns as court-appointed counsel for Britney Jean Spears, conservatee, effective upon the appointment of new court-appointed counsel."
Ingham expressed during Britney's last court hearing that he would resign if that was the pop star's wish. Britney expressed during her emotional testimony in June that although she and Ingham built up a relationship throughout the years, he was allegedly not supportive of her coming forward to speak out about her experience under the conservatorship.
"My lawyer, Sam, has been very scared for me to go forward," Britney told the judge. "He told me I should keep it to myself." Britney also noted that Ingham did not inform her of her rights to request to terminate her conservatorship over the years.
Judge Brenda Penny grants Spears permission to hire her own legal representation.
Britney Spears can officially hire her own layer, according to the New York Times. Judge Brenda Penny granted the pop star permission to have prominent Hollywood lawyer Mathew S. Rosengart begin representing Spears as she continues to fight for an end to her conservatorship.
Lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill to free Britney and victims of conservatorship abuse.
Amid Britney Spears's ongoing conservatorship battle, members of Congress introduced a bill proposing protections for people under such legal arrangements. Democratic Representative Charlie Crist of Florida and Republican Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina presented the Freedom and Right to Emancipate from Exploitation Act (a.k.a. the FREE Act) to "allow a person under a legal guardianship or conservatorship the right to petition the court to have their court-appointed guardian replaced with a public guardian," CNN reported.
"Under the FREE Act, we would Free Britney along with the countless number of seniors and persons with disabilities being abused and exploited by the broken system," Crist said.
Britney officially files to remove her father as her conservator.
A detailed petition was filed by Britney Spears's new lawyer, Mathew S. Rosengart, to officially remove Jamie Spears as the top overseer of the singer's conservatorship and her estate, according to The New York Times. The filing comes just two weeks after Rosengart was granted permission by Judge Brenda Penny to represent the pop star going forward. The official filing also noted that "serious questions abound concerning Mr. Spears's potential misconduct, including conflicts of interest, conservatorship abuse and the evident dissipation of Ms. Spears's fortune," while vouching for Jamie's removal.
Rosengart also mentioned that since Britney has been given the green light to choose her own legal representation in her court battle, the same should be done in terms of who heads her conservatorship. Spears is reportedly requesting that Jason Rubin, a California public accountant, be named as her conservator in place of her father.
"Any father who genuinely loves his daughter and has her best interests at heart should willingly step aside in favor of the highly respected professional fiduciary nominated here," Rosengart wrote in the petition, which was also supported by Britney's personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, and her mother, Lynne Spears.
Britney's medical team reportedly supports Jamie Spears's removal.
According to an official filing from Britney's personal co-conservator, Jodi Montgomery, the pop star's medical team supports the removal of her father from the helm of her conservatorship. Montgomery also supports replacing Jamie with Britney's choice of replacement, Jason Rubin, a certified public accountant.
"[Jamie] should not continue to act as the Conservatee's Conservator of the Estate, because his doing so is not in the best interest of the Conservatee," the filing reads, per People. "Because the paramount concern for this Conservatorship is doing what is in the best interest of the Conservatee, Petitioner hereby joins Conservatee in the Removal Petition."
The filing also states, "Ms. Montgomery respectfully notes that Ms. Spears's medical team agrees that it is not in the best interest of the Conservatee for Mr. Spears to be and remain Conservator of the Estate."
Jamie Spears officially steps down as Britney's conservator.
According to Variety and CNN, Jamie Spears is finally relinquishing control of Britney Spears's life. Jamie officially filed to step down as conservator of his daughter's estate on August 12, stating via his attorney that he wanted to avoid a "public battle" with his daughter over the conservatorship.
"It is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears’ best interests," the court doc reportedly reads. "Nevertheless, even as Mr. Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests."
The filing continued, “So even though he must contest this unjustified Petition for his removal, Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator. As the Court has likely surmised, before Ms. Spears’ new attorney arrived, Mr. Spears had already been working on such a transition with Ms. Spears’ former court-appointed counsel, Sam Ingham.”
Jamie Spears files to terminate Britney's conservatorship.
In new court documents obtained by CNN, it was revealed that Jamie Spars has officially filed to terminate Britney Spears's 13-year long conservatorship. According to the filing, Jamie credited his daughter's multiple pleas in court this summer as influencing his decision to bring an end to the legal arrangement.
"Recent events related to this conservatorship have called into question whether circumstances have changed to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist," reads the filing. "Ms. Spears has told this Court that she wants control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship. She wants to be able to make decisions regarding her own medical care, deciding when, where and how often to get therapy. She wants to control the money she has made from her career and spend it without supervision or oversight. She wants to be able to get married and have a baby, if she so chooses. In short, she wants to live her life as she chooses without the constraints of a conservator or court proceeding."
The petition continued, "As Mr. Spears has said again and again, all he wants is what is best for his daughter. If Ms. Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr. Spears believes that she should get that chance."
Britney's lawyer is expecting her conservatorship to end this year.
In court documents obtained by Variety, Spears's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, stated that he expects the pop star's conservatorship to be completely terminated "completely and inevitably" this fall. Rosengart also stated that his top priority remains removing Jamie Spears from the conservatorship completely and is urging Judge Brenda Penny to replace him with someone who could serve on a "temporary, short-term" basis.
Rosengart also mentioned in the filing that following the star's announcement of her engagement to longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari, she does plan to prepare a prenuptial agreement that requires involvement from her conservator, and she does not want her father involved in the process. Per Rosengart's filing, Britney reportedly "fully consents" to seeing her conservatorship come to an end.
Judge Brenda Penny officially suspends Jamie Spears as the conservator of Britney's estate.
According to CNN, during a September 29 court hearing and following a passionate address from Britney Spears's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, Jamie Spears was officially suspended as the conservator of his daughter's estate. Certified public accountant John Zabel has been named a temporary conservator following Jamie's suspension. Jodi Montgomery also remains the conservator of Britney's person.
"This man does not belong in her life for another day," Rosengart told the court, per People. "He must be suspended today. Britney Spears is pleading for it. This is a very easy decision. ... My client will be so extraordinarily distraught if Mr. Spears remains conservator for one more day. ... If he cares about his daughter, he will resign today."
Following her decision, Penny told the courtroom, "[This decision is] in the best interest of the conservatee, which is my goal."
November 12, 2021: Britney Spears's conservatorship is terminated.
According to CNN, Judge Brenda Penny officially ruled to terminate Spears's conservatorship. The ruling comes after almost 14 years of Spears being under the legal arrangement, and ahead of her 40th birthday next month.
"The court finds and determines that the conservatorship of the person and the estate is no longer required therefore effective today…it's hereby terminated," said Judge Penny said in court.
Watch this space for updates.
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