Britney Spears’ father Jamie has filed papers to end the conservatorship, which saw him overseeing the pop star’s finances and personal life for more than 13 years. Describing their relationship as “abusive,” the pop star has sought to remove her father from this role twice within the last two years and has refrained from performing, putting her career on hold, under his management within this time.
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In his letter to a Los Angeles court on Sept. 7, Spears, 69, stated that his daughter “is entitled to have this court now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required. It continued, “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 conservatorship was imposed in 2008 after concerns over the singer’s mental health were brought up, and a court-ordered agreement gave Jamie control over his daughter’s estate and financial affairs, as well as aspects of her personal life. Jamie stepped down as Britney’s personal conservator in 2019 due to health issues, ceding control of his daughter’s personal decisions and health care to court-appointed conservator Jodie Montgomery, while continuing to manage her business affairs.
In August 2021, Jamie Spears first agreed to step down as conservator of Britney’s estate, as long as a fitting replacement would be put in place. At this time, Britney was also granted access to hire her own lawyer, something the artist had been deprived of under the conservatorship.
Jamie Spears’ filing comes two months after Britney asked the court to formally have the conservatorship abolished, referring to her father’s treatment as “cruelty” and “conservator abuse,” adding that he has threatened to keep her from seeing her children and she has not been able to get married or have children under these restrictions.
“Ms. Spears has told this Court that she wants control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship,” read Jamie Spears’ most recent petition. “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.”
