Britney Spears’ legal team has announced plans to request new changes to the pop star’s conservatorship, which would see temporary conservator Jodi Montgomery take on the role permanently.
In a hearing on Wednesday (March 17), Spears’ lawyer, Samuel Ingham, announced his intent to file the petition amid the ongoing legal battle over who controls her career and finances. Her father, Jamie Spears, has been her conservator since 2008, following her five-day admission to a psychiatric hospital. Montgomery, meanwhile, assumed the role temporarily when Jamie took a break due to health issues in 2019.
Spears has previously requested that her father is removed as her sole conservator, proposing Montgomery as his replacement in August last year. Court documents filed at the time stated that the singer is “strongly opposed” to his position as “conservator of her person”.
Jamie Spears has since defended his role as conservator, and Spears’ request to have him removed has been rejected. However, the financial company Bessemer Trust has been appointed as a co-conservator, with a judge denying Jamie’s request for more control over his daughter’s estate.
According to NBC, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny will review the new petition in a court hearing on April 27.
Britney Spears’ conservatorship case has largely played out behind closed doors over the last decade, but has gained visibility in recent years, partly due to the #FreeBritney movement. A shocking New York Times documentary, Framing Britney Spears, has brought even more exposure, since it aired to widespread sympathy for the star last month. The film has also inspired potential legislative change, prompting US lawmakers to challenge the use of conservatorships across the country.
This week, it was announced that the BBC is planning its own documentary on Spears and her conservatorship, which will incorporate voices from the #FreeBritney movement.
In light of Spears’ conservatorship, Dazed recently asked experts how the legal arrangement works, what it’s commonly used for, and whether there are ethical concerns. “It’s very easy to put someone in the system,” one former personal care assistant said, “but is extremely difficult to get them out.” Read more here.
