Britney Spears' Request to Remove Father from Conservatorship Denied

us singer britney spears arrives for the premiere of sony pictures once upon a time in hollywood at the tcl chinese theatre in hollywood, california on july 22, 2019 photo by valerie macon afp photo by valerie maconafp via getty images

(Image credit: VALERIE MACON)

published 1 July 2021

A judge has denied Britney Spears' 2020 request to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed from her conservatorship.
Spears' lawyer Samuel Ingham said last November that the pop icon was "afraid of her father."
The ruling is not a response to Spears' devastating testimony in court last week.

A judge has denied Britney Spears' November request to remove her father from her conservatorship, as the BBC reports. Spears' lawyer Samuel Ingham asked a Los Angeles court last year to end Jamie Spears' role as sole conservator of his daughter's estate, saying the pop icon was "afraid of her father."

While denying Spears' request to replace her father as sole conservator with the private wealth management firm the Bessemer Trust, Judge Brenda Penny did agree to the appointment of the firm as co-conservator.

Wednesday's ruling isn't a response to the devastating testimony Spears delivered in court last week, in which she said she wanted to get married and have another child, but had been prevented by her conservatorship from having her IUD removed. Spears also said she'd been forced to perform, and was put on the mood stabilizer lithium against her will. "I just want my life back," she told the court.

According to the BBC, the judge can't make a ruling based on Spears' latest testimony until she files a formal petition to end her conservatorship.

Earlier this week, Jamie Spears asked the court to investigate his daughter's statement, as the Guardian reports, saying he no longer had control over her personal life and only manages her financial and business affairs. Court-appointed conservator Jodi Montgomery has controlled Spears' personal decisions since September 2019.

In documents filed on Tuesday, Jamie Spears' attorneys asked the court to investigate "serious allegations regarding forced labor, forced medical treatment and therapy, improper medical care, and limitations on personal rights." The filings also stated his daughter had the "right to give informed consent for her own medical treatment."

"Given the nature of the allegations and claims, it is critical that the court confirm whether or not Ms Spears’ testimony was accurate in order to determine what corrective actions, if any, need to be taken," the filings read.