Britney Spears has posted on Instagram to thank supporters of the #FreeBritney movement for the first time. The week after her father, Jamie Spears, was suspended as her conservator, the singer also stated that she is taking time to heal.
'#FreeBritney movement … I have no words,' she wrote online. 'Because of you guys and your constant resilience in freeing me from my conservatorship, my life is now in that direction !!!!! I cried last night for two hours cause my fans are the best and I know it … I feel your hearts and you feel mine … that much I know is true!!!!!'
Jamie Spears has been replaced by accountant John Zabel as Britney's financial conservator, appointed by LA Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny. The certified public accountant will manage Britney's financial affairs until the court decides she can resume control of her finances herself - at which point the conservatorship would be completely terminated.
Before his suspension, Jamie had already agreed to step down as Britney's conservator - filing documents last month to end the 13-year conservatorship. At the time, he wrote that Britney is ‘entitled to have this court now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required.'
‘Recent events related to this conservatorship have called into question whether circumstances have changed to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist,’ his lawyer wrote in the filing submitted to the Los Angeles Superior Court at the time. ‘Ms Spears has told this Court that she wants control of her life back without the safety rails of a conservatorship…As Mr Spears has said again and again, all he wants is what is best for his daughter.
‘If Ms Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr Spears believes that she should get that chance.’
Britney had been fighting to remove Jamie as her co-conservator of her finances for years, describing their relationship as ‘abusive’. In July, she told a judge she wanted to file charges against her father for ‘conservator abuse’, accusing him of ‘cruelty’ including keeping her from her children if she did not comply with his rules, and forcing her to keep her IUD in.
'I was told ... I’m not able to get married or have a baby,' Britney - who shares two teenage boys with ex-husband Kevin Federline - said in court. She is currently dating personal trainer Sam Asghari.
'I wanted to take the IUD out, so I could start trying to have another baby, but ... they don’t want me to have ... any more children,' she argued. 'So basically, this conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good. I deserve to have a life.'
Jamie Spears' legal team has repeatedly denied allegations of abuse, saying he only has his daughter's best interests at heart. Previously, Matthew Rosengart - Britney’s lawyer - had told the Guardian that he was fully intending on investigating Britney's claims of conservator abuse against her father.
Why was Jamie Spears suspended as Britney's conservator?
While Jamie had agreed to step down, there was some confusion about when it would happen. However, before he could officially stepped down, he was suspended by an LA court.
In a New York Times documentary released last week, called Controlling Britney Spears, allegations arose that Jamie had been illegally surveilling Britney during her conservatorship. Deadline then reported that the FBI are looking into whether any law was broken, with Jamie insisting his daughter knew of the surveillance arrangements.
Under Californian law, both parties must consent to a conversation being recorded. Britney's lawyer has since had her house sweeped for surveillance devices, according to The Sun. He told reporters that the allegations 'magnify the need to suspend Mr. Spears immediately.'
Judge Brenda Penny then suspended Jamie, replacing him with John Zabel.
'Mr. Spears has crossed unfathomable lines,' the singer's lawyer stated in a court filing. 'While they are not evidence, the allegations warrant serious investigation, certainly by Ms. Spears as, among other things, California is a 'two-party' consent state.'
Britney has not commented on the allegations specifically, but posted on Instagram after watching the documentary to say there were many factual errors. 'I watched a little bit of the last documentary and I hate to inform you but a lot of what you heard is not true!!!' she said.
Is Britney Spears' conservatorship ending?
Jamie being suspended does not mean the conservatorship has come to an immediate end though, just that he's no longer in charge of her finances. With John Zabel now in charge, Britney will have to prove she can manage her own finances over the coming months - only then the court can decide to remove the conservatorship altogether.
Britney’s conservatorship has two elements: a personal conservator and financial conservator. A conservatorship is granted by a court for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, like those with dementia or other mental illnesses. Initially, Jamie made decisions about her personal care and financial, but stepped down as her personal conservator in 2019 for health reasons.
He was replaced on a temporary basis by Jodi Montgomery, a care professional, whom Britney has requested remain permanent. Jamie remained in control of Britney’s finances, alongside wealth management group Bessemer Trust as co-conservators, and thus the singer has to pay for her father, his attorneys and all other parties involved in the arrangement.
Bessemer Trust requested to be withdrawn as Britney’s co-conservator after her court statement in June, and amid ongoing controversy about the ethics of the conservatorship. ‘As a result of the conservatee’s testimony at the June 23 hearing…[Bessemer] has become aware that the Conservatee objects to the continuance of her Conservatorship and desires to terminate the conservatorship,’ their court filing read. ‘[Bessemer] has heard the Conservatee and respects her wishes.’
So, is Britney Spears ‘free’?
For the time being, she is still living under a conservatorship - but reports suggest that it could come to an end within months should Britney be able to prove her financial management skills to the court.
Prior to Jamie being suspended, Britney’s lawyer asked for accountant Jason Rubin to be named conservator of her finances. According to his website, Rubin has experience of complex trust portfolios and cases involving financial exploitation of the elderly. Britney’s estate is listed as having cash assets of $2.7 million (£1.95 million) and non-cash assets of more than $57 million (£41 million).
Many would hope Jamie being removed would mean Britney could control her own finances, and thus officially be ‘free’, but it is up to the court to remove her conservatorship altogether. As it stands then, having someone involved that Britney trusts is a huge step toward her freedom - and has been described as the first step in a broader strategy to examine the validity of the conservatorship altogether.
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