What to Know
- A conservatorship that largely controls Britney Spears’ life and money has been controlled by father Jamie Spears for most of the last 13 years.
- Wednesday’s court hearing in LA could mark a turning point with the judge considering whether to end the conservatorship or possibly remove Jamie Spears as conservator.
- The conservatorship sage included dramatic June 23 courtroom testimony from Britney Spears, who said she was being compelled under the conservatorship to take medications and to use an intrauterine device for birth control.
A judge in Los Angeles Wednesday will consider the future of a conservatorship that has controlled Britney Spears’ life and money for more than a decade.
The hearing could be a turning point in the case and follows a rush of major court filings stemming from a June courtroom hearing that included stunning testimony from the 39-year-old pop star. The court hearing is expected to begin early Wednesday afternoon in Los Angeles.
The latest round of legal flings include a Sept. 7 petition filed by her father in a request to end the conservatorship. The complicated legal agreement was established in 2008 and controlled by Jamie Spears for most of the 13 years since.
In a Sept. 22 filing, Britney Spears’ attorney said she agrees, marking the first time she has called for an end to the arrangement in court documents after requesting its termination in previous court hearings.
On Wednesday, Judge Brenda Penny, who has remained largely neutral in her oversight of the case, will hear from all sides and may decide whether to remove James Spears or to put the conservatorship on a path to termination.
The Sept. 22 document emphasizes that the most important issue for Britney Spears is that her father should be suspended from his role as conservator by the case’s next hearing date on Wednesday.
“Mr. Spears cannot be permitted to hold a position of control over his daughter for another day,” the document states, referring to his removal as “a necessary first — and substantial — step towards Ms. Spears’ freedom and ending the Kafkaesque nightmare imposed upon her by her father, so that her dignity and basic liberties can be restored.”
In another filing Monday, Spears’ father said he opposes his temporary replacement as conservator, certified public account John Zabel. Jamie Spears repeated his support for termination of the conservatorship, but said Zabel “does not appear to have the background and experience” necessary to take over the estimated $60 million estate.
The late filing adds another issue for the judge to consider in a case fraught with legal maneuvering.
James Spears stepped aside as conservator of his daughter’s person in 2019, maintaining only his role as conservator of her money. He and his attorneys have said that renders many of his daughter’s complaints about his control meaningless.
Jodi Montgomery, a court-appointed professional, now acts as conservator of Britney Spears’ person. The Sept. 22 filing from Britney Spears said Montgomery also consents to ending the conservatorship.
The conservatorship battle included dramatic June 23 courtroom testimony from Britney Spears, who said she was being compelled under the conservatorship to take medications and to use an intrauterine device for birth control against her will.
James Spears has denied acting in anything but his daughter’s best interest, and has declined demands that he resign immediately. He has said in court documents that he does have a plan to eventually step down.
The conservatorship was established in 2008 when Britney Spears’ began to have very public mental struggles as media outlets obsessed over each moment, hordes of paparazzi aggressively followed her everywhere, and she lost custody of her children.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/3kQifbJ
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