Britney Spears handed win in gruelling legal battle against her own father
Britney Spears. (Kevin Winter/Getty)
Britney Spears has won a small victory in her drawn out legal battle to regain control over her finances and career.
Spears has been embroiled within a complex court-ordered conservatorship since 2008 after she went through a mental health crisis. Under the terms of the arrangement, her father Jamie Spears maintains significant control over her personal life.
The “Toxic” singer has been fighting to be freed from the arrangement for much of the last year – and she has now won a small victory in court.
Judge Brenda J Perry denied Jamie Spears’ request to retain the power to delegate investment powers for Britney’s estate at a hearing on Thursday (11 February).
The decision means that Jamie Spears will retain equal control with the Bessemer Trust, an external firm that was appointed as a co-conservator in November 2020 by the courts after Britney’s legal team said she was “afraid of her father”.
Speaking during the hearing, Jamie Spears’ lawyer Vivian Thoreen said he was only asking for the power to delegate investment powers in Britney’s estate to the Bessemer Trust and not to third parties.
Thoreen said Jamie Spears had “no intent or desire” for there to be an inequality of power between himself and the Bessemer Trust – however, the judge denied his plea.
Britney Spears did not appear at the hearing, while her father Jamie only made a brief appearance by video link to confirm his attendance. The star’s mother, Lynne Spears, did not attend.
Another court date is scheduled for 17 March.
Britney Spears is reportedly making her own documentary
Britney began her fight to have her father removed from the conservatorship last year as the “Free Britney” movement – a fan led plea for the singer’s autonomy – gained traction.
Her legal situation was catapulted into the spotlight once more with the release of Framing Britney Spears, a documentary which dives into the rise and fall of the pop princess and examines how she came to find herself embroiled within the conservatorship.
Spears seemingly referenced that documentary in a rare update on social media on Tuesday (9 February). Sharing a video of herself performing “Toxic”, she wrote: “I’ll always love being on stage… but I am taking the time to learn and be a normal person… I love simply enjoying the basics of everyday life!!!”
She added: “Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories!!! 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.”
A source close to the singer later told Page Six that Britney found the new documentary an “emotional” experience. They also said she has decided to work with a female filmmaker to create her own documentary, telling the real story behind her mental health struggles and her legal battle with her father.
