Tag: Britney Spears conservatorship

  • Britney Spears’ new attorney says father must step aside

    By Associated Press
    LOS ANGELES: A judge allowed Britney Spears to hire an attorney of her choosing at a hearing on Wednesday, June 14, 2021, in which she broke down in tears after describing the “cruelty” of her conservatorship.

    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny approved Spears hiring former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart, who called on Spears’ father to immediately resign as her conservator.

    “The question remains, why is he involved,” Rosengart said outside the courthouse.

    ALSO READ: Britney Spears breaks silence after guardianship hearing

    Britney Spears, taking part in the hearing by phone, told the judge she approved of Rosengart after several conversations with him. She then asked to address the court, but asked that the courtroom be cleared.

    As Rosengart began to argue for a private hearing, Spears interrupted him to say “I can talk with it open.””My dad needs to be removed today,” she said, adding that she would like to see him charged with abusing his position.

    She spoke so rapidly she was at times difficult for the court reporter and the dozens of media members in the courtroom to understand.

    She said she wanted the conservatorship to end immediately but not if it required going through any more “stupid” evaluations. She said she did not want another opportunity for “people to question my intelligence for the millionth time.”

    She described being denied things as basic as coffee, her driver’s license and her “hair vitamins” by the conservatorship.

    “If this is not abuse, I don’t know what is,” Spears said.

    She recalled that “I thought they were trying to kill me” in the early years of the conservatorship as she was being overworked and constantly examined.

    She began to sob as she talked about taking comfort in a therapy dog when she felt abandoned by her family.

    James Spears would not be stepping down as Rosengart challenged, his attorney Vivan Thoreen said in court, adding that he has only ever had his daughter’s best interests in mind.

    Thoreen said Britney Spears had many inaccurate beliefs, among them that “her father is responsible for all the bad things that have happened to her.”

    “Whether it’s misinformation, lack of correction, or being wrongly advised, I don’t know,” Thoreen said.Thoreen emphasized that for nearly two years James Spears has had control only over his daughter’s money, ceding power over her life choices to a court-appointed professional, Jodi Montgomery.

    ALSO READ: Britney Spears’ father Jamie breaks silence on singer’s allegations over conservatorship

    Thoreen argued that an evidentiary hearing was necessary to look into the allegations that Britney Spears made at the June 23 hearing, including that she was being forced to take medications and use an intra-uterine device for birth control.

    Thoreen said she found it odd Britney Spears would describe those circumstances, which the pop star called “abusive,” then approve of Montgomery continuing in her role as overseer.

    Montgomery’s lawyer, Lauriann Wright, responded that the last thing Britney Spears needed was to be put on the stand and cross-examined over the truth of what she said during her emotional testimony.

    “I don’t think it’s a secret that we’re dealing with someone with mental illness,” Wright said.

    Wright added that it’s been “strongly recommended by her medical team that her father Mr. Spears needs to be off the conservatorship.”

    Britney Spears has been under court supervision since February 2008. She was in the midst of a public meltdown at the time and her family sought the conservatorship for her protection.

    She has had throughout the proceedings a court-appointed attorney to represent her interests, Samuel Ingham III, but he resigned after the dramatic hearing three weeks ago in which the pop star told Penny: “I just want my life back.”

    Fans from the #FreeBritney movement outside the courthouse cheered the decision to appoint Rosengart, then cheered Rosengart himself when he walked out.

    In court, he called into question whether the conservatorship should ever have been put into place, and said he and a team of attorneys from his firm would be taking a close look at the details of the arrangement.

    “This is not working,” Rosengart said. “We know that.”

    Florida congressman Matt Gaetz made a brief appearance addressing the Spears supporters outside the downtown Los Angels courthouse, at one point shouting “Free Britney!”

    In Washington, D.C., a group of Spears supporters demonstrated on the National Mall in support of the singer.

    The case had for several years operated with little drama, though questions about how its length and the singer’s feelings about the proceedings, arose in recent years. That has culminated into intense public scrutiny of the court proceedings, which have been conducted largely in secret due to medical and private information about the singer and her condition.

    There has also been focus on the complex network of lawyers and others involved in the conservatorship.

    Penny again gave little indication of what moves she’ll make next, scheduling another hearing for late September and expressing hope that the warring factions will find common ground for Britney Spears’ sake.

    “Everybody should be working collaboratively,” the judge said. “It’s not about anybody else, it’s about her.” 

  • Madonna slams Britney Spears’s conservatorship

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: American singer and songwriter Madonna can be counted among Britney Spears’s supporters in her battle to free herself from conservatorship.

    According to Deadline, the pop artist recently spoke out on her Instagram Story to end the hold Spears’s father has on her life and career.

    The two artists go way back, having collaborated on the song ‘Me Against the Music’ in 2003 and roiling the culture by sharing a memorable kiss at that year’s MTV Video Music Awards.

    On Instagram, Madonna said, “Give this woman her life back. Slavery was abolished so long ago! Death to the greedy patriarchy that has been doing this to women for centuries. This is a violation of human rights! Britney we coming to get you out of jail!”

    Madonna was wearing a tank top with Spears’s name on it in the message.

    Many pop stars have spoken out in support of Spears since her emotional testimony last month in her conservatorship hearing. Spears is seeking to end the hold her father, Jamie Spears, has over her, which extends to finances and even her ability to have a child.

    Spears’s custody case has its next hearing on July 14. Since her June court date, Spears’s court-appointed lawyer has asked to resign and her co-conservator of her estate, Bessemer Trust, has exited.

    As per Deadline, her mother, Lynne Spears, has filed court documents this week asking that her daughter be allowed to hire her own attorney. 

  • Britney Spears’ co-conservator wealth management firm Bessemer Trust files to resign

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: The financial institution- Bessemer Trust that was appointed by the judge to become co-conservator of Britney Spears’ and work with her father Jamie has filed to resign from the arrangement.

    Variety has reported that the legal documents to resign from the conservatorship were filed in the court on July 1.

    According to the documents, the company has requested to withdraw from the arrangement due to “changed circumstances”. The firm stated that earlier it had been told to them that the singer’s conservatorship was voluntary and under her consent, but her recent testimony in court last week made it clear that she is opposed to it.

    She has stated multiple times that she wants to remove her father as her conservator; but her most recent request, which pre-dated last week’s statement, was denied by Judge Brenda Penny on Wednesday.

    “As a result of the conservatee’s testimony at the June 23 hearing, however, Petitioner has become aware that the Conservatee objects to the continuance of her Conservatorship and desires to terminate the conservatorship. Petitioner has heard the Conservatee and respects her wishes,” the court filing stated.

    Variety has learnt that the wealth management firm was approved by the court to be added as co-conservator of Britney’s estate last year, but had not taken any action or payment as co-conservator and had not received any of the assets of her nearly USD 60 million estates.

    Recently on Wednesday, Britney’s father- Jamie’s attorney filed paperwork on his behalf, pointing the finger at Jodi Montgomery saying he loves his daughter, is very concerned and has done nothing wrong.

    This came after Britney’s recent bombshell testimony through which she publicly addressed the court about her 13-year conservatorship, for the first time. While speaking to the judge, the songstress said that her dad enjoys controlling her life, and stated that she believes her conservators, including her father, should be in jail and that she wants to sue her family.

    She also claimed that she wanted to get married and have babies but not able to do as her conservators control her personal decisions too.

    Her case has garnered an enormous amount of global attention, with pressure mounting to support the pop star and remove her father from the conservatorship.

    Variety reported that according to the Wednesday court filing, Britney is “substantially unable to manage his or her financial resources or to resist fraud or undue influence.”

    ALSO READ | Britney Spears’ father Jamie breaks silence on singer’s allegations over conservatorship

    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.

    Meanwhile, despite Britney’s bombshell testimony, last week, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge recently has denied the request from the singer’s lawyer, to have Jamie Spears dropped as his daughter’s co-conservator. 

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

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: Britney Spears has finally broken her silence after the shocking testimony she presented against the 13-year conservatorship she has been under at her latest court hearing on Wednesday. The 39-year-old took to her Instagram handle on Friday, to apologize to fans for pretending her life was perfect when she was actually struggling.

    Britney wrote, “I believe as people we all want the fairy tale life and by the way I’ve posted … my life seems to look and be pretty amazing … I think that’s what we all strive for!!!! I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years … I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me … but honestly who doesn’t want to capture their Instagram in a fun light.”

    She also admitted that the videos of herself dancing, painting and even answering questions from fans, were all posted to mask her real pain.

    Britney continued, “Believe it or not pretending that I’m ok has actually helped”. She posted an Albert Einstein quote that read, “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”

    She concluded her long IG note saying, “Instagram has helped me have a cool outlet to share my presence … existence … and to simply feel like I matter despite what I was going through and hey it worked … so I’ve decided to start reading more fairy tales!!!”

    The social media post comes just one day after Britney’s explosive court hearing in Los Angeles on Wednesday where she alleged her team of forced labour and sex trafficking, demanded her conservatorship to end and to be allowed to get married and have children.

    According to TMZ, the songstress’s legal team has yet to submit an official petition to the court.

  • Britney Spears conservatorship hearing: Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey and others offer support 

    By PTI
    LOS ANGELES: Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Halsey and more celebrities have come out in support of Britney Spears after the singer made an impassioned plea in a US court to end her longstanding conservatorship.

    On Wednesday, Spears asked a judge to end court conservatorship that has controlled her life and money since 2008.

    In a statement made via a remote connection, Spears, 39, labelled the conservatorship as “abusive” and said it did more harm than good to her.

    ALSO READ | Britney Spears wants conservatorship to end, wishes to sue family

    Timberlake, who dated Spears in the early 2000s, took to Twitter and said he fully support Spears in her battle to end the conservatorship.

    “After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was, what’s happening to her is just not right,” he wrote.

    After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time.Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was… what’s happening to her is just not right.No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.
    — Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 24, 2021

    In another post, Timberlake said that no person should be held “against their will”.

    Timberlake added that he and wife Jessica Biel send “our love” and “absolute support” to the singer.

    “We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live,” he tweeted.

    Jess and I send our love, and our absolute support to Britney during this time. We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live.
    — Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 24, 2021

    Carey also took to Twitter and wrote, “We love you Britney!!! Stay strong.”

    We love you Britney!!! Stay strong
    — Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) June 23, 2021

    Singer Halsey used the hashtag #FreeBritney and said she hopes that the singer is freed from the “abusive system”.

    Additionally, fuck anyone who thinks they have the authority as an institution or individual to control a person’s reproductive health. #FreeBritney
    — h (@halsey) June 23, 2021

    “She deserves it more than anything. I admire her courage speaking up for herself today,” she added.

    Bless Britney and I hope with my whole heart she is awarded freedom from this abusive system. She deserves it more than anything. I admire her courage speaking up for herself today.
    — h (@halsey) June 23, 2021

    Rose McGowan wrote on Twitter that Spears “has every right to be angry”.

    Britney Spears has every right to be angry. How would you feel if your life was stolen, dissected, mocked? I pray she gets to live your life on her terms. STOP CONTROLLING WOMEN. #FreeBritney – The Hollywood Reporter https://t.co/qyV9oNnLQt
    — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) June 23, 2021

    “How would you feel if your life was stolen, dissected, mocked? I pray she gets to live your life on her terms. STOP CONTROLLING WOMEN. #FreeBritney,” she added.

    A win for one woman is a win for all. A win for one human is a win for all. Let Freedom Ring! #FreeBritney pic.twitter.com/Rgn1NFpiIX
    — Rose McGowan (@rosemcgowan) June 23, 2021

    Actor Jameela Jamil tweeted, “Wishing All the luck in the world to Tahani’s good friend, Britney Spears today.”

    Wishing All the luck in the world to Tahani’s good friend, Britney Spears today. It is the most bizarre theft of freedom that has happened right in front of our eyes for over a decade now, and I hope she finds assistance with organizing her life that she is comfortable with now.
    — Jameela Jamil (@jameelajamil) June 23, 2021

    “It is the most bizarre theft of freedom that has happened right in front of our eyes for over a decade now, and I hope she finds assistance with organising her life that she is comfortable with now,” she added.

    In her statement at the court, Spear condemned her father Jamie Spears, accusing him of controlling her “100,000 percent”.

    “It makes no sense to make a living for so many people and be told I’m not good enough, that I’m great at what I do and I allow these people to control what I do, it makes no sense at all,” she said.

    Spears also claimed that she has been denied the right to have more children, and put on the psychiatric drug lithium against her wishes.

    “Lithium is a very, very strong [medication] and completely different medication than what I’ve been on. You can go mentally impaired if you take too much, stay on it longer than five months,” Spears said.

    “I felt drunk. I couldn’t even stick up for myself. I couldn’t even have a conversation with my mom or dad about anything. I told them I was scared and they had six different nurses come to my home to monitor me while I was on this medication that I didn’t want to be on to begin with,” she added.

    The singer also addressed why she has not brought up these issues on social media.

    “I thought I might become happy because I’ve been in denial. I’ve been in shock. I am traumatised. You know, fake it til’ you make it. But now I’m telling you the truth, OK. I’m not happy. I can’t sleep. I’m so angry it’s insane and I’m depressed,” Spears added.

    Spears has spoken in court in the conservatorship previously also but the courtroom was always cleared and transcripts sealed.

    The last time she was known to have addressed the judge was in May 2019.

    The conservatorship was put in place as she underwent a mental health crisis in 2008.

  • Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey show support for Britney Spears after conservatorship hearing

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: Celebrities from Hollywood and the music fraternity have come out strongly in support of Britney Spears, after her bombshell testimony for the judge in her conservatorship case.

    Appearing before Judge Brenda Penny, Britney spoke out against the 13-year conservatorship and stated why the conservatorship held by her father Jamie Spears needs to end, telling the judge, “I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy. It’s a lie. I’ve been in denial.”

    The songstress’s ex-boyfriend, actor and singer Justin Timberlake took to his Twitter handle to support her saying she’s being done wrong by her family, her conservators, and the courts, especially when it comes to controlling her own body.

    ALSO READ | Britney Spears wants conservatorship to end, wishes to sue family

    “After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time. Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was… what’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body. No one should EVER be held against their will… or ever have to ask permission to access everything they’ve worked so hard for. Jess and I send our love, and our absolute support to Britney during this time. We hope the courts, and her family make this right and let her live however she wants to live,” he tweeted.

    After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time.Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was… what’s happening to her is just not right.No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body.
    — Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) June 24, 2021

    Joining the #FreeBritney campaign, actor and director Rose McGowan tweeted, “Britney Spears has every right to be angry. How would you feel if your life was stolen, dissected, mocked? I pray she gets to live your life on her terms. STOP CONTROLLING WOMEN.” She also took to Instagram to share a video telling Spears to “fight on” and to “keep fighting. We are with you.”

    Superstar Mariah Carey also shared her support for the singer on Twitter by writing, “We love you Britney!!! Stay strong.”

    Singer Brandy Norwood tweeted, “Sending all my love and support to Britney Spears and her fans.”

    American TV personality Meghan McCain also tweeted her support in several posts, writing, “How is what has been done to Britney Spears not a human rights crime? Isolation, controlling her capacity to reproduce without her consent, forcing her to work under inhumane conditions. If she were any other person the people who did this to her would be in jail.”

    Britney also revealed that she wants to have another child, which she said she has been unable to do.

    She said, “I’m not able to get married or have a baby, I have a IUD inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have children any more children,” as per The Hollywood Reporter.

    The singer appeared live via Zoom, in the Downtown L.A. courtroom, to voice her issues with her father, Jamie Spears.

    Earlier on Wednesday, Britney’s boyfriend Sam Asghari hinted at the termination of conservatorship as he donned a “Free Britney” message shirt. The ‘#FreeBritney’ movement also gathered outside the courthouse to support her.

    On a related note, Jamie already stepped down as co-conservator of Britney’s back in 2019, Jodi Montgomery is now her permanent personal conservator, but according to the earlier reports the singer wants him out as the co-conservator of her estate as well, so he can no longer manage her business affairs.

    The 39-year old singer had stated earlier that she will not perform again as long as Jamie is part of the conservatorship and will focus on her other priorities till then.

  • Britney Spears wants conservatorship to end, wishes to sue family

    By ANI
    WASHINGTON: Britney Spears spoke out against the 13-year conservatorship she has been under at her latest court hearing on Wednesday, and told the judge that she had “lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I’m happy. It’s a lie. I’ve been in denial.”

    Britney Spears railed on her dad and her management team during Wednesday’s explosive court hearing as per TMZ by saying that she wants the conservatorship to end now, and not only this, but she wants to sue her family because of their abusive behaviour.

    She also said she wants to get married and have another baby but she is being blocked by the conservatorship. Britney claimed that she has an IUD but the conservator is not letting her have it removed.

    “I am not here to be anyone’s slave,” she said during the court hearing according to TMZ.

    She said she does not need any medical evaluation now, further claiming that her family did nothing to protect her. She was sent to a small home in Beverly Hills for rehab once and it cost “USD 60,000”.

    The singer claimed they were trying to hurt her and her dad “loved it.” TMZ reported that she was “forced” to do her Vegas residency as during the show she told her management she didn’t want to do it but she was forced to do the tour and the next thing she knew they changed her medication, putting her “on Lithium”, which had a terrible effect on her. She said she was “scared and her whole family did nothing.”

    Britney said even her therapist was uncaring as after she wanted to put an end to Vegas, the therapist said she was being difficult and not taking her medicines. That’s when she was put on Lithium.

    The Grammy winner said, she pled for a break from Vegas after four years but rather than being heard, she was told she was uncooperative, which was absolutely not true.

    Speaking about why she is now asking to end the conservatorship, she said she has absolutely no privacy and when she was at home there were times she couldn’t see her boyfriend or kids. The caretakers of the conservatorship would violate her privacy and watch her change while she was naked, TMZ reported.

    “I don’t want to work for the people I pay,” Britney said adding even if she is sick she is required to go to at least 3 meetings a week. She wants that limited to 1 therapy session a week.

    The ‘Gimme More’ star said she should be able to sue a conservator who threatens that if she doesn’t do what they say in terms of therapy they can withhold her money and deny her a vacation in Maui.

    Britney claimed, “The conservatorship from the beginning … it makes no sense. I pay people money and they control me. I worked since I was 17 years old and this conservatorship is abusive. I don’t feel I can live a full life. I don’t even believe in therapy. I always thought I could take it to God.”

    She also claimed that she is being hounded by paparazzi and the conservatorship is not protecting her or giving her any privacy.

    Britney said she wants to end the conservatorship and does not want to be evaluated as a pre-condition.

    The ‘Glory’ star does not understand why she “cannot do therapy sessions at home” and is “upset with Jodi Montgomery”, her personal conservator, who she says “has become heavy-handed.”

    TMZ reported that the judge thanked Britney and said it took a lot of courage to speak out.

    Britney’s lawyer was asked if he wanted to file a petition to end the conservatorship, but the lawyer said there were confidentiality issues. He said if the songstress wants to file a petition he would do that, but she has not asked as of yet.

    The judge said she would “entertain any request to end the conservatorship and start the process of holding hearings.”

    The sources told TMZ that for answers, the judge will look to a throng of doctors, psychiatrists and others who have evaluated her over the years. “In the past, the medical professionals determined her condition made the conservatorship necessary, and they have weighed in over the last 13 years in court.”

    TMZ reported that the singer appeared live, via Zoom, in the Downtown L.A. courtroom, to voice her issues with her father, Jamie Spears.

    Earlier Wednesday, Sam Asghari hinted at the termination of conservatorship, Britney would ask for in the court hearing as he donned a “Free Britney” message shirt. The ‘#FreeBritney’ movement also gathered outside the courthouse to support her, as per TMZ.

    On a related note, Jamie already stepped down as co-conservator of Britney’s person back in 2019, Jodi Montgomery is now her permanent personal conservator, but according to the earlier reports the singer wants him out as the co-conservator of her estate as well, so he can no longer manage her business affairs.

    The 39-year old singer had stated earlier that she will not perform again as long as Jamie is part of the conservatorship and will focus on her other priorities till then.

  • Singer Britney Spears to address court in guardianship battle with father

    By AFP
    LOS ANGELES: Under a controversial legal guardianship since 2008, US pop singer Britney Spears is scheduled to address a Los Angeles court on Wednesday in the battle over her father’s control of her affairs.

    The 39-year-old star’s finances and personal life have been largely managed by Jamie Spears since her highly public breakdown more than a decade ago, leading some adoring fans to launch a “FreeBritney” online campaign in recent years.

    Spears has rarely spoken directly about the issue herself in that time, but will get her chance to address the judge remotely via an internet link on Wednesday.

    “Britney wants to address the court directly,” her lawyer Samuel Ingham said in April, without specifying exactly why the singer wanted to be heard in person by Judge Brenda Penny.

    But it is widely expected that Spears wants to tackle the terms of her guardianship, and specifically the commanding role of her father, with whom she has long had a difficult relationship.

    Spears filed last year to remove him from the conservatorship and give sole power over her estate to a financial institution. Her court-appointed lawyer said she was “afraid” of her father.

    – ‘Too, too much!’ – 

    Devoted Spears fans have long scoured her social media accounts for hints about her well-being, and any signs that she may be eager to throw off the guardianship.

    Confidential records published Tuesday by the New York Times say Spears told a court investigator that the conservatorship had “become an oppressive and controlling tool against her” as far back as 2016.

    ALSO READ | Documentaries about my life are so hypocritical: Britney Spears

    Spears reportedly said the guardianship system had “too much control… Too, too much!” and was prevented from making her own decisions on friendships, dating, spending and even the color of her kitchen cabinets.

    According to the report, Spears told the investigator that she wanted the conservatorship terminated as soon as possible, and that she is “sick of being taken advantage of.”

    Spears is currently responsible for footing the legal bills for both sides — including the hefty fees charged by the attorneys opposing her in the case.

    – ‘Embarrassed’ –

    The controversy surrounding Spears’ legal case exploded following the February release of the documentary “Framing Britney Spears”, which chronicled her initial breakdown and her father’s ensuing appointment as her guardian.

    Following her 2006 divorce from Kevin Federline, and the loss of custody of her children the following year, Spears was snapped by paparazzi barefoot at a gas station, and notoriously shaved her head.

    Under her father’s guardianship, Spears swiftly returned to performing. She released three albums, appeared on various television shows and even took up a Las Vegas residency.

    But in January 2019 she abruptly announced she was suspending her performances until further notice.

    Spears said she was “embarrassed” by her portrayal in the documentary, in which fans say she is essentially being held prisoner and claim she has been sending coded pleas for help.

    Jamie Spears’ lawyers say he has done an excellent job of managing his daughter’s finances.

    But a judge ruled in February that both Spears’ father and Bessemer Trust would oversee the pop star’s finances, denying Jamie Spears’ bid to keep sole power to delegate investments.

  • Britney Spears won’t ask judge to end conservatorship but request father’s removal from case: Report

    Britney is currently being managed by her new permanent personal conservator- Jodi Montgomery with whom she gets along well, as per a media report.