Britney Spears‘s conservatorship battle continues. According to Variety, new court documents filed on Wednesday revealed LA Judge Brenda Penny denied the 39-year-old singer’s request to remove her father, Jamie Spears, as her co-conservator. Britney’s lawyer, Samuel Ingham III, filed the request on her behalf back in November 2020. At that time, Samuel expressed on Britney’s behalf that she was “afraid of her father” and wouldn’t perform again with his involvement. Despite hearing Britney’s explosive court testimony last week, the judge decided Jamie would retain his charge over her career.
Britney has been under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie, since 2008, with Jodi Montgomery, a licensed conservator, stepping in as a co-conservator in 2019. During her court hearing on June 23, Britney shared harrowing details of the abuse she has suffered under the conservatorship, including being forced to go on tour and take medication, as well as not being able to get married and have any more children. “It’s not OK to force me to do anything I don’t want to do . . . I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive. I don’t feel like I can live a full life,” Britney said. “It’s my wish and my dream for this to end.”
Both Jodi and Jamie have since responded to Britney’s shocking testimony through statements from their respective lawyers, essentially shifting the blame onto each other. In addition to requesting an investigation, Jamie is claiming that Jodi is responsible for Britney’s “difficulties and suffering.” “Ms. Spears told the Court on June 23 that she opposed being under a conservatorship and revealed her ongoing disputes with Ms. Montgomery about her medical treatment and other personal care issues,” read the filing from Jamie’s attorney, Vivian Lee Thoreen. “These statements contradict the notion that Ms. Spears would seek to have Ms. Montgomery appointed as her permanent Conservator of the Person.”
Meanwhile, Jodi is saying that she has been a “tireless advocate” for Britney and that Jamie has been the one in charge of approving all expenditures as the controller of her estate. “Practically speaking, since everything costs money, no expenditures can happen without going through Mr. Spears and Mr. Spears approving them,” Jodi’s statement read. “Ms. Montgomery has advocated on Britney’s behalf for any expenditures that Britney has requested as well as for expenditures recommended by Britney’s medical team.”