Britney Spears’ dad asks court to end her conservatorship: ‘He is trying to avoid accountability’
Jamie Spears, Britney’s dad, has reportedly had a leg amputated. (Chris Farina/Corbis via Getty Images)
Britney Spears’ father has asked a court to finally end her conservatorship.
Jamie Spears, 69, who has exercised sweeping control over his daughter’s finances and personal wellbeing for more than a decade, asked the court to “seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required”.
He said “recent events” made him question whether the arrangement is needed at all.
The paperwork filed Tuesday (7 September) states: “[Britney] 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.”
Jamie’s lawyer, Vivian Lee Thoreen, added in the filing: “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.”
Jamie Spears claims he ‘wants what is best’ for Britney. Her lawyer disagrees
Thoreen outlined how Britney has, in recent months, “demonstrated a level of independence that calls into question whether a conservatorship of the person is required”.
This ranged from news reports of her driving – which she had previously been unable to do – to hiring her own legal counsel, Matthew Rosengart.
“If Ms Spears has the capacity and capability to engage counsel on her own, she presumably has capacity and capability to handle other contractual and business matters,” Thoreen wrote in the filing.
Britney has not yet filed her own formal petition to end the conservatorship, a complex legal arrangement she has called “abusive” and compared to sex trafficking.
She has, however, asked California probate judge Brenda Penny to remove Jamie from his longstanding role as conservator of her estate.
Britney Spears with her father, Jamie, in Hollywood, California in 2008. (Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage)
Last month he agreed to step down from his role as financial conservator but did not provide a timeline of when he would do so.
Ahead of a 29 September hearing, Britney Spears’ lawyer Matthew Rosengart said in a statement to AP that the termination request is, indeed, a victory – but that the fight to hold Britney’s father accountable is not yet won.
“It appears that Mr Spears believes he can try to avoid accountability and justice,” he said, “including sitting for a sworn deposition and answering other discovery under oath.
“But as we assess his filing (which was inappropriately sent to the media before it was served on counsel) we will also continue to explore all options.”
Britney has indicated in court that she would like to see her father prosecuted for conservatorship abuse.
Jamie Spears has long insisted that the arrangement, first put in place in 2008 following Britney’s public mental health crisis, was vital for his daughter’s safety.
Since then he has exercised control over her business interests and finances. He also served as her personal conservator until 2019, when he stepped down temporarily due to ill heath, and was replaced by Jodi Montgomery, a licensed professional conservator.
