Here's Why Britney Spears' Dad Is Still A Conservator After Her Testimony

- Celebrity News -
Here's Why Britney Spears' Dad Is Still A Conservator After Her Testimony

The Free Britney movement took another hit on Wednesday, June 30, when Judge Brenda Penny signed papers officially keeping Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears, on as a conservator. The new filming comes a week after Spears' devastating testimony to the court, in which she accused her father of a decade of abuse. The ruling is a huge blow to those who hoped that the singer's personal plea would change the course of her conservatorship, but it's not the end. This Britney Spears conservatorship update is not as final as it sound.

On Wednesday, court documents asserted that Spears' request to remove her father from the position of conservator had been denied. But, despite the timing, this decision isn't actually new. In November of 2020, Spears' attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, had requested that Spears' father be completely removed as conservator of her estate and be replaced by Bessemer Trust, telling the court that Spears was "afraid of her father," and would not perform as long as he was in charge. At the time, Judge Penny decided against removing Jamie Spears as a conservator, but did agree to appoint Bessemer Trust as co-conservator of the estate, taking at least 50% of Jamie Spears' control of his daughter's finances away from him. The decision also left the door open for Spears to petition the court to remove her father as conservator down the road, or to end her conservatorship altogether. The paperwork for that decision was filed this week, hence the new development.

So, to recap: the paperwork filed Wednesday was actually relating to a November 2020 decision, not Spears' own testimony. However, as Variety pointed out in their coverage, Judge Penny's decision to officially file the paperwork after Spears' testimony will undoubtedly raise a few eyebrows. Especially the somewhat alarming statement in the filings, stating that the court found Spears "substantially unable to manage his or her financial resources or to resist fraud or undue influence." (It's also important to note that Spears did not personally appear in court last year when this decision was made.)

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On Thursday, July 1, this decision was put into question, however, by Bessemer Trust itself, which filed paperwork asking to withdraw from the conservatorship. The firm reportedly cited Spears' testimony as the reason behind their decision. "As a result of the conservatee's testimony at the June 23 hearing however, Petitioner has become aware that the Conservatee objects to the continuance of her Conservatorship and desires to terminate the conservatorship," the filing reads, per The New York times. "Petitioner has heard the Conservatee and respects her wishes." According to the company, it had previously been under the impression that Spears' participation in the conservatorship was voluntary.

It's unclear how Bessemer's decision will affect Spears' conservatorship fight going forward. Some #FreeBritney stans had previously claimed the appointment of Bessemer Trust as a small win, since it at least diminished her father's control. Now that Bessemer Trust is stepping down, the question remains as to who will be put in control of Spears' estate — if her father does not regain complete control.

Meanwhile, Wednesday, Jamie Spears responded to his daughter's testimony via his attorney, filling official requests for the court to investigate the claims made by Spears last week. "Either the allegations will be show to be true, in which case corrective action must be taken," the petition reads, "or they will be show to be false, in which case the conservatorship can continue its course."

Jamie also filed paperwork affirming that his daughter is able to consent to certain medical treatment, and should continue to have that right moving forward, something Jamie's lawyer claims Spears' lawyer contradicted. As we wait for more developments, Jamie also denied any wrong ongoing fight for her autonomy.

Finally, it has also been reported that Ingham has indeed filed paperwork officially requesting the end of the conservatorship once and for all. It's been 13 years in the making, but it looks like Spears might finally be approaching freedom.

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Image: Britney Spears/Instagram

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