Since the release of the controversial and eye-opening documentary Framing Britney Spears last week, the spotlight has intensified on the singer’s legal battle, and the conservatorship her father, Jamie Spears, has held her under for the past 13 years. Now, there’s been some progress in the case, with a judge ruling yesterday against Jamie’s bid to retain some of his financial control over the pop icon’s $60 million estate.
The good news comes after the most recent blow to Britney’s case, when she unsuccessfully attempted to remove her dad from the conservatorship role last November. There was, at the time, a small caveat to the loss, with the judge in the hearing ruling that, rather than continuing as sole conservator, a role he has held since Britney was admitted to hospital in 2008, private wealth management firm Bessemer Trust would join him as co-conservator instead.
While Britney and her family are notoriously private about her legal and personal affairs, the singer’s lawyer told the court that she was scared of her father, and — as Framing Britney Spears touches on — that she would refuse to resume her music career, which she paused in October 2018 after her hugely successful Vegas residency, while Jamie had legal control over it.
In a statement about yesterday’s decision by Judge Brenda Penny to deny Britney’s father the power to delegate her investments, Jamie Spears’ lawyer argued that November’s appointment of Bessemer as co-conservator essentially diluted some of his financial powers. Raising an objection, which was dismissed by the judge, Jamie’s lawyer Vivian Thoreen requested that the singer’s father have the power to delegate investment powers as he saw fit. She also argued that the court’s orders should be consistent with a previous decision in 2019, which gave Jamie sole conservatorship over his daughter’s estate and finances.
It’s all very technical, sure, but it seems at least a step in the right direction for the #FreeBritney movement, and for Britney’s quest to regain control of her own life and career. Another hearing is set to take place next month (17 March). In the wake of the documentary, fellow celebrities are joining fans in supporting Britney, but in typical Brit fashion, the star herself hasn’t commented directly on the saga, simply posting a cryptic social media post earlier this week, perhaps alluding to her legal struggles.
“Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories,” Britney wrote on Twitter. “We all have so many different bright beautiful lives. Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens.”
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