Britney Spears’ estranged father Jamie has filed a petition to end her conservatorship after 13 years, according to court documents obtained by HollywoodLife. The Spears patriarch, 69, filed the petition in Los Angeles Superior Court and stated that the pop star, 39, is “entitled to have this Court now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required.” Following the news, Britney’s lawyer Mathew S. Rosengart told HollywoodLife, “This filing represents a massive legal victory for Britney Spears, as well as vindication”.
In the petition, Jamie pointed to the fact that Britney’s circumstances have changed “to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist” as grounds for the termination. It also argued that Britney is not required to undergo psychological evaluation in order to terminate the conservatorship, something that the pop star has vehemently opposed in previous court testimonies.
Jamie’s filing read, “The conservatorship has helped Ms. Spears get through a major life crisis, rehabilitate and advance her career, and put her finances and her affairs in order. But recently, things have changed. Ms. Spears is now outspoken in her frustration with the level of control imposed by a conservatorship, and has pleaded with this Court to ‘let her have her life back.'”
The court documents also revealed why Britney is now capable of making her own life decisions. “The court [has] authorize Ms. Spears to select and retain counsel of her choosing, rather than appointing counsel for her,” Jamie’s docs explained. “In doing so, the court has recognized that Ms. Spears has both the capacity and capability to identify, engage and instruct counsel of her own choice, on her own, without the assistance of the conservator of the court. If Ms. Spears has the capacity and capability to engage counsel on her own she presumably has capacity and capability to handle other contractual and business matters.”
Jamie’s lawyer also pointed out that Britney has been photographed driving on her own recently, which means her temporary personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery — who Jamie asked to have removed from her position, as well — must feel she is independent enough to do so. Jamie also requested that Britney be able to choose her own doctors and manager her own medical care, including therapy, which she has not been able to do under the conservatorship.
The petition comes after Britney’s new lawyer Mathew Rosengart filed to have Jamie removed from the conservatorship at the end of July. He lambasted Jamie for having “profited handsomely” from his daughter’s estate since the implementation of the conservatorship back in 2008. And just last month, the pop star’s counsel accused Jamie of extortion, alleging that he demanded nearly $2 million from his daughter before agreeing to step down from the conservatorship.
The “Baby One More Time” singer has been vocal about her desire to remove her father from her conservatorship. During a bombshell hearing in June, Britney addressed the court for the first time and called for an end to the legal arrangement, which she called abusive. In a follow-up hearing in July, the pop star said she wanted her father charged with conservatorship abuse and accused her family of trying to silence her.
“I’m here to get rid of my dad and charge him with conservatorship abuse,” the star said during the hearing. “I want to petition the court to terminate the conservatorship, but I do not want to be evaluated.” Adding that she was “scared” of her father growing up, Britney added, “No, I am not perfect. I am not crazy. My family never cared.”