Britney Spears can now celebrate a major new victory in her legal battle to remove her father Jamie Spears (opens in new tab) as her conservator. In a court filing from Aug. 12, a lawyer for Jamie Spears claimed that "Mr Spears intends to work with the court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator," according to The Guardian (opens in new tab).
The filing remained vague on the timeline for Jamie Spears stepping down, however. It reads, "Mr Spears continues to serve dutifully, and he should not be suspended or removed, and certainly not based on false allegations. Mr Spears is willing to step down when the time is right, but the transition needs to be orderly and include a resolution of matters pending before the court."
Jamie Spears' lawyer had previously insisted (opens in new tab) that her client would not step down, saying, "Mr Spears has been involved since day one. He has been there for his daughter 24-7 … He loves his daughter and only wants the best for her." Citing a reason for the change in his position, the court filing reads (opens in new tab), "Even as Mr Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests."
In a statement to The Guardian, Britney Spears' lawyer Mathew Rosengart celebrated (opens in new tab) this new development, but also expressed the necessity for Jamie Spears to "step aside immediately."
He added, "We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter’s estate, and I look forward to taking Mr Spears’ sworn deposition in the near future."
In response, Britney Spears took to Instagram (opens in new tab) to post an illustration of a woman's back, with her hair up and surrounded by flowers and butterflies—ostensibly representing freedom and hope. In stark contrast to the star's recent posts—which have featured lengthy, emotional captions (opens in new tab)—Spears posted the image without a caption, leaving fans to interpret its significance. "We’re one step closer to your freedom!!!!! #FREEBRITNEY," commented makeup artist Angel Merino. "We love you," added singer Phoebe Ryan.
RELATED STORIES
-
The Agenda: Los AngelesHow to prepare for a visit to the City of Angels.
-
Our Editor's Favorite Curl-Defining Leave-In Conditioner Doubles As a Moisturizer for Skin
Stay hydrated, stay happy.
-
Lucy Liu Opened Up About Her Decision to Have a Child Via Surrogate in Her Late 40s: "I Didn't Have a Plan"
It felt like the right time for her.
-
Sarah Hyland and Adam Devine Play 'How Well Do You Know Your Co-Star?'
The 'Modern Family' stars reunited for the 'Pitch Perfect' spinoff series.
-
The 78 Best Celebrity Couple Halloween Costumes of All Time
Honestly, we're impressed.
-
Super Rare Photos of Queen Elizabeth as a Young Woman
From childhood snapshots to portraits as a young princess, beautiful and rare photos of the late Queen Elizabeth as a young woman.
-
King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla's Relationship: A Timeline
With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Charles has ascended to the throne as king.
-
Who Is Next in Line for the British Throne, Explained
And yes—Harry and Archie are still in the line of succession.
-
Who Is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's Fiancé Riley Roberts?
AOC's husband-to-be is an "easygoing redhead" who lives with her in D.C.
-
68 Times the Kardashians Posed Fully Nude and Owned It
And we mean fully nude—as in, not a shred of clothing.
-
Who Is Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles's Fiancé and NFL Player?
"The easiest yes!" Simone wrote about the couple's engagement.
