UPDATE (8/9): Britney Spears’ lawyer, Mathew S. Rosengart, said Jamie Spears’ petition to end serving as the singer’s conservator “represents a massive legal victory for Britney Spears, as well as vindication,” in a statement shared with Rolling Stone.
“Having exposed his misconduct and improper plan to hold his daughter hostage by trying to extract a multi-million-dollar settlement, Mr. Spears has now effectively surrendered,” Rosengart continued. “There is no settlement. To the extent Mr. Spears believes he can try to avoid accountability and justice, including sitting for a sworn deposition and answering other discovery under oath, he is incorrect and our investigation into financial mismanagement and other issues will continue.”
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Britney Spears’ father, James “Jamie” Spears, has filed a petition to end serving as the court-ordered conservator of his daughter’s estate, as CNN reports. The filing marks a possible turning point in the contentious battle, which may signal a victory for the pop star.
In court documents filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, Jamie Spears referred to his daughter’s requests to terminate the 13-year conservatorship, which has governed Britney Spears’ life, from career choices to personal and financial decisions.
“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. She wants to control the money she has made from her career and spend it without supervision or oversight,” the petition states via CNN. “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.”
“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,” the filing said.
A lawyer for Britney Spears and a lawyer for Jamie Spears did not immediately return Rolling Stone‘s requests for comment.
Since 2008, the pop star’s life has been controlled by a conservatorship primarily overseen by her father. In late June, Spears addressed the court seeking to end the conservatorship. She claimed she was forced to work nonstop, was not allowed to get married, have children, or have her IUD removed, among other accusations under the conservatorship, which she called “abusive.”
Last month, Jamie Spears filed legal documents to remove himself from the conservatorship, despite him having questions on whether it would be in Britney’s “best interests.” Last week, the singer’s lawyer, Mathew S. Rosengart, accused her father of trying to “extort” $2 million to step down from her conservatorship in a court filing.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled for September 29th.
From Rolling Stone US
