After 13 long years, it appears the conservatorship that Britney Spears has lived under will be no more. CNN reports that Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, unexpectedly filed a petition to remove himself as the conservator of the pop icon’s estate. “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,” the filing states.
“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,” the filing continues. “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 filing states that the elder Spears only wants “what is best for his daughter,” but this is a far cry from Britney’s testimony during a July hearing in which she called her conservatorship “f*****g cruelty” and didn’t shy away from explaining the toll the conservatorship had taken on her. “If this isn’t abuse, I don’t know what is,” she said (via CNN). “I thought they were trying to kill me.”
Matthew Rosengart, Britney Spears’ attorney, called the petition a “vindication” and a “massive” legal victory for the “Toxic” singer (via CNN). However, it appears her legal team isn’t done with her father just yet. “It appears that Mr. Spears believes he can try to avoid accountability and justice, including sitting for a sworn deposition and answering other discovery under oath,” Rosengart said, adding that Britney will “continue to explore all options.”
What’s Next For Britney Spears?
Family law attorney David Glass says what happens next all depends on Jamie Spears’ successor, Jodi Montgomery, and the judge presiding over the case. “It turns out [Jamie] is asking for the entire conservatorship to be vacated, which is a huge move,” Glass told Fox News.
“It potentially creates pressure on [conservator] Jodi Montgomery to either explain how Britney is still mentally ill or go along [with the disbandment].” He added that Judge Brenda Penny “still has to approve the move” and may “require some mental health expert to testify.”
