Britney Spears’ father will stay as her conservator, for now

Last week (June 23) Britney Spears voiced an emotional testimony before the Los Angeles court handling her conservatorship case, asking for the 13-year legal arrangement to be ended after enduring years of mistreatment from her father, Jamie Spears, and management team. One week after the testimony, however, the judge has signed paperwork which maintains Spears’ father’s role as conservator. 

While this may appear as a step backwards for the pop star – who revealed in her testimony that the conservatorship has robbed her of control over her finances, career, personal relationships, and other aspects of her life – the judge’s decision mostly came down to signing off old paperwork from the case.

According to the court documents, the paperwork (filed in 2020) highlights a request from Spears’ lawyer, Sam Ingham III, which asks that private wealth management company Bessemer Trust be appointed as sole conservator instead of Jamie Spears. In the paperwork, Ingham explains that Spears is “afraid of her father”. 

Judge Brenda Penny denied the request, however, instead adding Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator. “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,” wrote Penny. In the decision, the judge asserts that Spears is “substantially unable to manage his or her financial resources or to resist fraud or undue influence.” 

As stated in her testimony, the singer may present a petition to the court in request of terminating the conservatorship without evaluation – which could result in the removal of her father from the arrangement. The next court date for the case will take place on July 14.

After Spears’ statements in court, celebrities and fans alike have joined up under the #FreeBritney banner to post messages or support and encouragement for the singer online. Among the list was Christina Aguilera, who penned an open letter in support of the singer regaining her personal autonomy and Iggy Azalea, who shared a story of Britney’s father’s controlling behaviour before their joint “Pretty Girls” performance at the 2015 BMAs.

“I saw (Britney) restricted from the most bizarre and trivial things: like how many sodas she was allowed to drink,” she explained. “She is not exaggerating or lying.” Otherwise, Azalea shared that Spears’ father demanded she sign an NDA moments before stepping on stage. “(He) told me if I did not sign an NDA, he wouldn’t allow me on stage… Britney Spears should not be forced to co-exist with that man.”

Read Azalea’s full statement below.