Britney Spears proclaims ‘Free Britney’ and cartwheels after winning crucial court victory
Britney Spears on stage. (Tim Mosenfelder/Getty)
Britney Spears is celebrating after a judge allowed her to enlist the help of high-powered Hollywood lawyer, Mathew Rosengart.
Rosengart, 58, was confirmed as Britney’s new legal representative on Wednesday (14 July) at a hearing in Los Angeles, signalling a new phase in the battle to end the conservatorship that controls the singer’s life.
Known as the “go-to litigator for Hollywood’s elite and corporate America,” Rosengart replaces Britney’s longtime court-appointed lawyer Samuel Ingham, whom she criticised in June for not doing enough to help her end the conservatorship.
Describing Ingham’s counsel, the star said: “My attorney says I can’t [end the conservatorship] – it’s not good, I can’t let the public know anything they did to me… He told me I should keep it to myself, really.”
The bombshell testimony triggered a flurry of court filings and prompted Ingham to resign, clearing the way for Britney to hire Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor who has worked with celebrities including Sean Penn and Steven Spielberg.
Britney took to Instagram to celebrate the happy ruling with a video of herself doing cartwheels and riding a horse.
“Coming along, folks… coming along,” she wrote in the caption alongside a middle finger emoji. “New with real representation today… I feel GRATITUDE and BLESSED!!!! Thank you to my fans who are supporting me… You have no idea what it means to me be supported by such awesome fans!!!! God bless you all!!!!!
“Pssss this is me celebrating by horseback riding and doing cartwheels today.” She concluded her post with the hashtag “#FreeBritney”.
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Rosengart signals new direction in Britney Spears conservatorship case
Addressing the court on Wednesday, Britney said frankly: “I’m here to get rid of my dad and charge him with conservatorship abuse.”
The singer went on to say she wants her father investigated for his actions against her, adding: “This conservatorship has allowed my dad to ruin my life.”
Rosengart is expected to bring a more more aggressive approach to Britney’s case as he steps up her attempts to end the conservatorship. In his first hearing as her lawyer he argued why she should be allowed to choose her own representation, telling the court it was “a constitutional right”.
He told the judge his new client’s “powerful, compelling, honest” testimony from last month proved she was “more than capable of hiring her own counsel”.
Outside the courthouse, Rosengart called on Spears’ father to resign, asking pointedly: “The question remains, why is he involved?”
Wednesday’s hearing also saw Bessemer Trust – who had previously been named a co-conservator of Spears’ estate but has since requested to back out of the case – be officially scrubbed from the conservatorship.
