Tag: Britney Spears conservatorship hearing

  • Britney Spears’ dad will exit conservatorship, but not yet

    By Associated Press

    LOS ANGELES: Britney Spears’ father said in a court filing Thursday that he is planning to step down from the conservatorship that has controlled her life and money for 13 years, but his departure is not imminent.James Spears filed legal documents saying that while there are no grounds for his removal, he will step down after several lingering issues are resolved. The document gives no timetable for his resignation from his role helping oversee his daughter’s finances.”Mr. Spears continues to serve dutifully, and he should not be suspended or removed, and certainly not based on false allegations,” the filing said. “Mr. Spears is willing to step down when the time is right, but the transition needs to be orderly and includes a resolution of matters pending before the Court.” Those matters include the next judicial review of the pop singer’s finances, which has been delayed by months of public and legal wrangling over James’ Spears role and the legitimacy of the conservatorship by Britney Spears and, in recent weeks, her new attorney.

    ALSO READ: Britney Spears’ new lawyer files to remove father’s controlThe documents say that James Spears has been “the unremitting target of unjustified attacks” but “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 says James Spears will fight the petition to force him out but will work with the court and Britney Spears’ attorney Matthew Rosengart on the next phases. “We are pleased that Mr. Spears and his lawyer have today conceded in a filing that he must be removed,” Rosengart said in a statement. “It is vindication for Britney.”Spears said he was working on a plan to give up his role from before his daughter hired Rosengart last month. 

    For most of the existence of the conservatorship, which was established in 2008, James Spears oversaw his daughter’s personal affairs and money. In 2019, he stepped down as the so-called conservator of her person and maintained control of her finances. He was nevertheless the target of much of his daughter’s ire in a pair of speeches before the court in June and July, in which she called the conservatorship “abusive.” Spears in her June remarks said she had been required to use an intrauterine device for birth control, take medications against her will and prevented from getting married, having another child or even riding in her boyfriend’s car unsupervised.”This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good,” the 39-year-old Spears said at the time. “I deserve to have a life.”James Spears, 69, was fighting to remain in control in court filings as recently as last week. He said the allegations in his daughter’s testimony are “untested,” need investigation, and involve issues that have long been out of his control. He suggested that Jodi Montgomery, who took over for him as conservator of Britney Spears’ personal affairs, deserved scrutiny if her allegations were accurate.Rosengart said that while he welcomed the new move, he will not take the pressure off James Spears, who should not wait to step down. “We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter’s estate, and I look forward to taking Mr. Spears’s sworn deposition in the near future,” Rosengart’s statement said. “In the interim, rather than making false accusations and taking cheap shots at his own daughter, Mr. Spears should remain silent and step aside immediately.”Even after James Spears’ departure, the court will maintain the same control over Britney Spears that is has since the conservatorship was put in place in 2008. But he has been a lightning rod for the ire of fans in the #FreeBritney movement, whose voices have become increasingly prominent as they have been embraced by Britney Spears and Rosengart.And Rosengart has marked James Spears’ departure as a necessary first step before ending the arrangement entirely.The new filing adamantly defends the work of James Spears and the conservatorship and pushes back especially against allegations made by Britney Spears’ mother Lynne Spears in a recent declaration.”When this Conservatorship was initiated 13 years ago, Britney Jean Spears was in crisis, desperately in need of help. Not only was she suffering mentally and emotionally, she was also being manipulated by predators and in financial distress,” the documents say. “Mr. Spears came to his daughter’s rescue to protect her, and this Court made the determination that the protection provided by a conservatorship was necessary and in Ms. Spears’ best interests.”

    ALSO READ: Britney Spears wants father Jamie Spears to be immediately suspended from conservatorshipThe documents say that Lynne Spears was wrong in criticizing the hiring of a psychiatrist that she said James Spears chose for their daughter, and in saying that medications he prescribed were inappropriate.The doctor was actually chosen by Britney Spears herself and had the approval of Montgomery, her medical team, and Britney Spears’ previous attorney, the filing says. This same group, including the singer herself, approved of the medication the doctor prescribed, the filing says. It also criticizes Lynne Spears assuming a role at all, saying she is someone Britney Spears “has avoided speaking with for most of her adult life.”

  • Britney Spears’ request to suspend father Jamie Spears’ conservatorship duties denied

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: Despite Britney Spears’ bombshell testimony last week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge denied a request from the singer’s lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, to have Jamie Spears dropped as his daughter’s co-conservator.

    As per E! News, Jamie was named the conservator of Britney’s estate and person in 2008, when the singer suffered a very public breakdown. The wealth-management firm Bessemer Trust Company joined Jamie last year as co-conservator of the estate.

    “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,” the document read.

    ALSO READ | ‘Apologize for lying that I’ve been OK’: Britney Spears breaks silence after guardianship hearing

    This ruling follows Britney’s impassioned public testimony at the virtual court hearing about her conservatorship on June 23. During her hearing, the 39-year-old singer was highly critical of her father and alleged that he “loved the control to hurt his own daughter.”

    At the time, Jamie’s attorney issued a statement that read, “Mr Spears is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much.”

    On Tuesday, Jamie filed a petition that has been obtained by E! News and called for an investigation into Britney’s allegations of mistreatment against her conservatorship. In the document, Jamie also noted that he has not managed his daughter’s personal or medical affairs for the past two years.

    Back in November 2020, the court declined a previous request from Britney’s legal team to suspend Jamie as conservator of her estate. At that time, the judge also decided Jamie would be joined by Bessemer Trust Company as co-conservator.

    ALSO READ | Britney Spears conservatorship hearing: Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and others offer support 

    According to TMZ, the singer’s attorney wanted Jamie replaced by Bessemer Trust, which would have become the sole conservator of her estate, but the judge didn’t agree with that because there were no official papers filed at that time.

    Following that, Sam recently filed the papers requesting to let Bessemer Trust take the new role as the co-conservator. The judge approved that but also said Jamie will stay as co-conservator himself, denying the request to suspend him.

    TMZ has learnt that Britney’s lawyer will file another motion soon to remove Jamie as the songstress wants him to be out entirely.

    On a related note, Bessemer Trust is currently not acting as a co-conservator to Britney’s estate as certain documents are still pending to be filed before the judge’s order comes into effect.

    Therefore, Jamie has been and continues to be the sole conservator of Britney’s estate at present.