Britney Spears: judge denies request to remove father from conservatorship
A judge has denied Britney Spears’s request to remove her father from his role overseeing her conservatorship, a court filing reveals.
The singer’s lawyer, Samuel Ingham, asked a court in Los Angeles to oust Jamie Spears from his position managing the multimillion dollar estate.
When calling for Jamie Spears to be removed in November last year, Ingham said Spears, 39, was scared of her father and wanted him gone from the conservatorship that she says has controlled her life since 2008.
In court filings, Britney Spears said she wanted private wealth management firm the Bessemer Trust appointed as “sole conservator”.
However, 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, NA as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice.”
The filing was dated 30 June, a week after the pop superstar delivered dramatic testimony calling for the end of the conservatorship.
She was placed under the complex legal arrangement – usually reserved for the very old and infirm – after suffering a series of mental breakdowns.
Spears told a court on 23 June that the conservatorship was “abusive”, and that she wanted it to end without the need for a medical assessment. She said she has been forced to work against her will, and that the conservatorship stopped her from removing a contraceptive device in order to try for another child.
Earlier, Jamie Spears, 68, filed court documents of his own, denying he was responsible for the restrictions apparently placed on his daughter’s private life.
He has overseen her 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.He was replaced as conservator on a temporary basis by Jodi Montgomery, Britney Spears’ caregiver.
In a court filing, lawyers for Jamie Spears said he was “concerned” by Ingham’s request to make Montgomery’s position permanent.
It 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, Montgomery’s lawyer, released a statement in response: “I can state unequivocally that Jodi Montgomery has been a tireless advocate for Britney and for her wellbeing.
“While she does not control Britney’s financial assets, she is responsible for her personal care, and if Britney wants any issue brought up to the court, Ms Montgomery is and has always been ready, willing, and able to do so.”