Britney Spears' Father Jamie Is Suspended as Conservator of Her Estate After 13 Years
A judge has suspended Britney Spears' father from the legal
arrangement that gave him control of her life after Spears accused him of years
of abuse.
Jamie Spears was appointed her guardian in 2008, amid
concerns over her mental health. On Wednesday, a judge handed the role to a man
appointed by Spears.
Earlier this month, Mr Spears had filed to end the
conservatorship after his daughter requested another guardian.
Fans around the world have supported her through the
#FreeBritney campaign.
A conservatorship is granted by a court for individuals who
are unable to make their own decisions, like those with dementia or other
mental illnesses.
Spears' is split into two parts - one for her estate and
financial affairs, the other for her as a person. Under this legal agreement,
she has not controlled her finances since 2008.
Jamie Spears was initially in charge of both parts of the
conservatorship but stepped down as his daughter's personal conservator in 2019
for health reasons. Jodi Montgomery, a care professional, replaced him in that
role on what has been a temporary basis.
In a court hearing in Los Angeles, Judge Brenda Penny
formally ended the conservatorship that the star had with her father, but left
in place a separate conservatorship with an accountant chosen by Spears' legal
team.
Mr Spears had argued that this accountant, John Zabel, was
not qualified to oversee the singer's $59m (£46m) fortune.
Judge Penny ruled that the singer's care be turned over to
Mr Zabel "forthwith", adding that it "is in the best interest of
the conservatee".
The singer's lawyers also requested that a new hearing be
held in the next 30 to 45 days to decide whether to end Spears' conservatorship
altogether.
Spears' struggles with mental health and the courts have
attracted massive public interest, with three documentaries on her life
released in just the past week alone.
Ahead of the hearing on Wednesday, fans held a rally outside
the court where they sang her classic "Hit Me Baby One More Time".
Fans in London's Trafalgar Square also held a Free Britney rally on Wednesday.
Spears did not call into the hearing, which is continuing
later on Wednesday.
Why did the judge remove Jamie Spears?
After quietly simmering for years, the case exploded this
summer amid a flurry of legal filings.
On 23 June, Spears delivered a 20-minute emotional testimony
in court, blasting the arrangement with her father.
She accused him of holding her in a mental health facility
against her will and forcing her to use medications and birth control to
prevent her from getting pregnant.
"I just want my life back," she said. "I
truly believe this conservatorship is abusive."
Spears spoke in court again on 14 July, telling the judge:
"I would like to charge my father with conservatorship abuse."
"If this is not abuse, I don't know what is," she
added.
Conservatorship abuse can involve financially exploiting or
imposing excessive personal restrictions on someone in your care.
Mr Spears and his lawyers have denied all allegations of
abuse, saying in court filings that "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," his lawyers told the judge earlier this month.
Mathew Rosengart, a lawyer hired by Ms Spears in July, has
accused Mr Spears of trying to extort $2m from his daughter as a condition of
ending the conservatorship.
In a surprise move in September, Mr Spears himself filed to
end the 13-year arrangement. It came about two months after he offered to step
down and allow another guardian to replace him.
During Wednesday's hearing, Mr Rosengart argued that Spears'
should continue to be temporarily overseen by Mr Zabel until Mr Spears' alleged
abuse is fully investigated. Mr Spears' lawyer, Vivian Thoreen objected,
calling Mr Zabel a "stranger" to the case.
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