Judge denies Britney Spears’ motion to remove father from conservatorship

LOS ANGELES — A California judge on Wednesday denied singer Britney Spears’ request to have her father removed from the financial aspects of her conservatorship.

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Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny signed the order denying the request, which was first filed by Spears’ attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, in November 2020, NPR reported.

Spears appeared in court on June 23 to make a direct appeal to the court. In that emotional statement, Spears said that she was being exploited and “bullied” by the conservatorship -- and specifically, by her father, Jamie Spears, 68.

“I’m traumatized, I’m not happy,” Spears, 39, said during last week’s appeal. “I can’t sleep. I’m so angry, It’s insane.”

The documents filed Wednesday are not in direct response to last week’s hearing, Variety reported.

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“The conservator’s request to suspend James P. Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company of California as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice,” the court documents filed on Wednesday stated.

Jamie Spears controlled his daughter’s personal life for most of the 13-year existence of the conservatorship, KABC reported. Now, he only oversees her money and business dealings, along with an estate-management firm, the television station reported.

Last year, Ingham stated in a filing that Britney Spears “strongly opposed” her father as conservator, NPR reported. Spears went as far as refusing to perform if her father remained in charge of her career.

In February, Penny allowed a Bessemer Trust to become a co-conservator for the financial division of Britney Spears’ arrangement, NPR reported.

Wednesday’s filing was intended for the judge to approve Bessemer Trust as the co-conservator, but also reiterates Penny’s decision not to remove the elder Spears from the pop star’s conservatorship, Variety reported.

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Jamie Spears wrote in a pair of documents filed late Tuesday night that he has had no power over his daughter’s personal affairs for nearly two years, KABC reported. The elder Spears’ filing said the court must investigate “serious allegations regarding forced labor, forced medical treatment and therapy, improper medical care, and limitations on personal rights.”

Last year, Ingham began requesting major changes to the conservatorship, including stripping power from Jamie Spears.

Confidential court records obtained by the newspaper revealed that Spears had raised issues with her father’s role as early as 2014 and has repeatedly asked about terminating the conservatorship completely.

In 2008, Jamie Spears gained control of all aspects of his daughter’s life after the singer publicly struggled with her mental health, NPR reported. Everything from her performances, finances and her relationships with her two now-teenage sons was under her father’s control, the website reported.

Britney Spears’ fortune has been estimated at nearly $60 million, the Times reported. A professional conservator took over her personal care on an ongoing, temporary basis in 2019, the newspaper reported.

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