A judge in Los Angeles has denied a request by Briteny Spears to remove her father as her conservator:
A judge has denied Britney Spears' request to have her father removed from her conservatorship. https://t.co/sRzcmKpfpz pic.twitter.com/qe7hKGAk6Q
— Variety (@Variety) July 1, 2021
Spears’ attorney argued that the singer is “afraid of her father” and she threatened to no longer perform if he was kept in charge of her finances:
Spears' attorney Samuel Ingham III had filed the request to remove Spears’ father back in November 2020, stating that his client was “afraid of her father” and would refuse to perform again, if her father continued to be in charge of her career. https://t.co/sRzcmKpfpz pic.twitter.com/DtQKlYCVfR
— Variety (@Variety) July 1, 2021
Spears’ father serves as co-conservator with Bessemer Trust:
At that time, Judge Brenda Penny declined to suspend Spears' father, though she did not rule out future petitions for his removal or suspension. Also, at that time, the judge appointed financial company Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator. https://t.co/sRzcmKpfpz pic.twitter.com/HgXQkwsWpW
— Variety (@Variety) July 1, 2021
The judge’s decision comes AFTER the emotional testimony Spears gave saying the conservatorship was “abusive”:
However, it’s significant that the document was signed by Judge Penny on June 30 — after the singer’s explosive testimony where she told the judge that her conservatorship was “abusive.” https://t.co/sRzcmKpfpz pic.twitter.com/qIEJK7yOgz
— Variety (@Variety) July 1, 2021
But the judge does seem to have taken into account her father’s court filing where he denied her allegations:
Britney Spears’ Father Files Court Docs Saying Daughter’s Treatment Under Conservatorship Is Not His Fault https://t.co/qP5SDXE4WT
— Variety (@Variety) June 30, 2021
One major issue is that there is a different court-appointed conservator — Jodi Montgomery — in charge of Spears’ health issues and such. Spears’ father has not served in this role since 2019. From Variety:
The new documents show another side of the story — per Jamie Spears.
“Mr. Spears is concerned about the management and care of his daughter,” according to the paperwork, which states he has no intention in being appointed his daughter’s conservator of the person, and he firmly is in opposition to Montgomery in that role.
And since many of the abuse allegations centered around things that Montgomery had control of, Spears’ father wants the court to investigate what’s really going on:
“Based on her statements to the court, Mr. Spears is concerned that the petition to appoint Jodi Montgomery filed by Ms. Spears’ court-appointed counsel Samuel D. Ingham III does not reflect her wishes. Ms. Spears told the court on June 23 that she is opposed to being under a conservatorship and revealed her ongoing disputes with Ms. Montgomery about her medical treatment and other personal care issues.”
Montgomery has been “fully in charge” of the star’s “day-to-day personal care and medical treatment” and Montgomery has “made all decisions related to those matters,” in consultations with Ingham, which excluded Jamie Spears, the paperwork states.
What a mess:
“Unlike Ms. Montgomery and Mr. Ingham, Mr. Spears does not speak or meet with Ms. Spears’ medical team, and he is not permitted to nor does he have the opportunity to provide any input into his daughter’s current medical treatment, diagnosis, or therapy,” the docs state. “Not does Mr. Spears participate in or discuss Ms. Spears’ personal affairs with her, such as issues related to her self-care, marriage, and reproductive desires…Mr. Spears is simply not involved in any decisions related to Ms. Spears’ personal care of medical or reproductive issues.”
***
Join the conversation as a VIP Member