Britney Spears has lost a court battle to remove her father Jamie Spears, as conservator of her estate. Samuel Ingham, a lawyer representing the pop superstar, said she was "afraid" of her father and that she would not perform again if he remained in the role.
Jamie Spears has been Britney's legal guardian for 12 years due to concerns surrounding her mental health.
Britney Spears has not controlled her financial affairs or career decisions since 2008 due to a court agreement. Usually a conservatorship is granted for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, such as those with mental illnesses or dementia.
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For over a decade Britney's father and attorney have controlled and managed her assets and personal life. They have the ability to communicate with doctors about her treatments and can restrict her visitors.
According to Britney's lawyer she has not spoken to her father in a long time and they have no "viable working relationship".
Vivian Thoreen, a lawyer representing Jamie Spears, said Britney's father acted in the best interests for his daughter, who is one of the best selling music artists of all time. She argued that when Jamie Spears became his daughter's conservator, Britney was facing tens of millions of dollars in lawsuits. However due to his guidance Britney's business operation was now worth 60m (£45m), Thoreen argued.
In the last 12 years whilst under the conservatorship, which was made permanent in October 2008, Britney has kept busy. She has released four studio albums, a greatest hits album, embarked on the Femme Fatale world tour, completed a four-year Las Vegas concert residency and served as a judge on The X-Factor in the US.
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Initially, and for the first 11 years, Britney's dad was co-conservator along with lawyer Andrew M Wallet. However, Andrew resigned in 2019 which gave Jamie sole conservatorship.
Jamie did however step down for a period of time last year due to health problems, but was due to resume the position this year. Britney asked that her father would not be reappointed which ultimately led to Tuesday's court hearing.
Many of Britney's fans have campaigned for the singer to have more control over her career and her personal life. The #FreeBritney campaign was launched as far back as 2009 and some fans have even asked the White House to end the conservatorship, with a petition reaching over 184,000 signatures. Celebrities including Paris Hilton, Miley Cyrus and Bella Thorne have supported the #FreeBritney movement.
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The judge said she would consider appeals in the future for the dismissal or outright removal of Jamie Spears as his daughter's conservator.
Topics: News, Music, Mental Health, Celebrity News, Britney Spears