Britney Spears conservatorship: judge denies request to remove singer’s dad as conservator

A judge has denied Britney Spears’ request to remove her father from his role in overseeing her conservatorship, a court filing reveals.

The decision comes just a week after the pop star delivered a dramatic testimony calling for the end of the conservatorship, which she described as “abusive”.

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At a glance: 5 key points

- Ms Spears’ lawyer, Samuel Ingham, asked a Los Angeles court to remove her father, Jamie Spears, from his position managing his daughter’s multimillion dollar estate.

- Jamie Spears has overseen his daughter’s estate for 13 years, but has not been in charge of her personal affairs since September 2019, when he stepped down from that role due to ill health.

- Ms Spears was placed under the complex legal arrangement, which is normally reserved for the old and infirm, after suffering a series of mental breakdowns.

- The mother-of-two described the conservatorship as “abusive” in a court hearing on 23 June and said she wanted it to end without the need for a medical assessment.

- Ms Spears said that she was required to use a contraceptive device and has been barred from marrying her boyfriend, Sam Asghari.

What’s been said

Mr Inghamd said that Ms Spears, 39, was scared of her father and wanted him removed from the conservatorship which has controlled her life since 2008, with the singer instead wanting private wealth management firm the Bessemer Trust appointed as “sole conservator”.

However, court documents filed in Los Angeles show Judge Brenda Penny refused the request while rubber-stamping Bessemer Trust’s role as co-conservator of the estate.

The legal document states: “The conservatee’s request to suspend James P Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company Of California, N.A. as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice.”

Earlier, Mr Spears, 68, filed court documents of his own, denying he was responsible for the restrictions apparently placed on his daughter’s private life.

He was replaced as conservator of Ms Spears’s person on a temporary basis by Jodi Montgomery, the singer’s care-giver, but his lawyers said he was “concerned” by Mr Ingham’s request to make Ms Montgomery’s position permanent.

The court filing said: “Based on her statements to the court, Mr Spears is concerned that the petition to appoint Jodi Montgomery filed by Ms Spears’ court-appointed counsel Samuel D Ingham III does not reflect her wishes.

“Ms Spears told the court on June 23 that she is opposed to being under a conservatorship and revealed her ongoing disputes with Ms Montgomery about her medical treatment and other personal care issues.”

Lauriann Wright, Ms Montgomery’s lawyer, released a statement in response which said she has been a “tireless advocate for Britney and her well-being”.

Ms Montgomery does not have control of Ms Spears’ financial assets, but is responsible for her personal care.

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