Britney Spears’ request for a court to prevent her father from returning as her conservator will not be decided until February, a California judge has ruled.
James P Spears (AKA Jamie Spears) oversaw his daughter’s personal and financial decision-making as well as her healthcare for more than a decade until last year when he stepped down citing health problems.
Spears’ lawyer, Samuel D Ingham III, said his client was “strongly opposed” to her father returning to the position, preferring the retention of her temporary conservator, Jodi Montgomery, and that “a qualified corporate fiduciary” such as a bank be put in charge of her estate. Ingham said Spears did not wish to perform for the foreseeable future and floated the possibility that she might “seek termination of this conservatorship in the future”.
Through his lawyers, Jamie Spears attempted to bring back his co-conservator, Andrew M Wallet, who voluntarily resigned in March 2019.
Judge Brenda Penny extended the conservatorship in its present form until 1 February 2021. She asked Ingham to file Spears’ petition by 18 September and to file any objections by 2 October. The next hearing in the case takes place on 14 October.
The closed hearing took place on 19 August in Los Angeles. Supporters from the #FreeBritney movement – which believes the star is being held against her will and being stolen from – gathered outside the courtroom.
Jamie rejected the accusations in an interview earlier this month. “All these conspiracy theorists don’t know anything,” he said. “I have to report every nickel and dime spent to the court every year. How the hell would I steal something? … I love my daughter.”
Spears’ cause has also attracted support from the American Civil Liberties Union. “People with disabilities have a right to lead self-directed lives and retain their civil rights,” the organisation tweeted last week. “If Britney Spears wants to regain her civil liberties and get out of her conservatorship, we are here to help her.”
