Britney Spears says she’s never ‘prayed for something more’ ahead of hearing to end conservatorship
Britney Spears. (Getty/ Bruno Vincent)
Britney Spears says she has been “praying” ahead of a court hearing which could bring her conservatorship to a long-sought for end.
The “Toxic” hitmaker has been living under the harsh rules of the conservatorship – a complex legal arrangement that has handed control of her life to people including her father, Jamie Spears – since 2008.
A California judge will this week hear arguments to determine if the conservatorship should come to an end, and if Britney should regain control of her personal and financial affairs.
In an Instagram post Monday (8 November), Britney reflected: “This week is gonna be very interesting for me ? !!!
“I haven’t prayed for something more in my life ?? !!! I know I’ve said some things on my Insta out of anger and I’m sorry but I’m only human … and I believe you’d feel the same way if you were me ??♀️ !!!
“Anyway, it’s a new day ☀️ and I can’t say I’m never going to complain again … cuz who knows ??♀️ !!! God bless you all and have a great day ? !”
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Britney Spears’ next court hearing: What you need to know
The Friday (November 12) hearing in the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles will be focused on the “termination” of the legal guardianship.
Britney and her legal team scored a triumphant victory in September when probate judge Brenda Penny suspended Jamie Spears, 69, from his role of handling his daughter’s finances.
The singer and her legal team have made clear that they want to conservatorship to end without any further appraisement.
Jamie Spears has since joined calls for the conservatorship’s immediate dissolution, though Britney’s chosen attorney, Matthew Rosengart, has accused him of evading accountability.
Following Jamie’s removal certified public accountant John Zabel was temporarily placed in charge of Britney’s financial estate, per Britney’s request. Jodi Montgomery remains the conservator overseeing the musician’s personal affairs.
The 44 days between Zabel’s appointment and the Friday hearing will likely have seen Zabel get to grips with Britney’s finances and make his case for why the role of conservator of Britney’s estate is no longer necessary.
Britney Spears with her father, Jamie, in Hollywood, California in 2008. (Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage)
Montgomery must also agree that she is no longer needed for the conservatorship to be scrapped.
Per the handbook given to all conservators in California, a conservatorship can be brought to an end if a court investigator evaluates the conservatee’s “condition” to judge whether they are “able to handle [their] own affairs”.
But Britney, who suffered a public mental breakdown in 2007, has insisted she does not wish to undergo a psychological exam to be freed. It remains unknown whether the court will honour her request.
Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, has submitted a termination plan to pave a path to an orderly transition. “My client wants, my client needs, my client deserves an orderly transition,” he told judge Penny in September.
It is unclear whether Britney herself will appear at the termination hearing.
A second hearing date has been scheduled for 8 December to resolve outstanding financial matters, such as mounting millions of dollars in legal fees billed to Britney’s estate.
Rosengart has accused Jamie Spears of holding his client “hostage” with such monetary affairs, which include a thumping payment to Jamie for work addressing the “public, media and social media attention” on top of “music, advertising and entertainment business”.
