The conservatorship battle that sparked the highly publicized #FreeBritney movement has seemingly reached its long-sought goal. As of today, Britney Spears’s father, Jamie Spears, has stepped down as her conservator. He will no longer have control over her finances, musical career, or major life decisions.
Per Variety, the resignation was filed shortly after the pop icon submitted her own petition to suspend her father from his role, one he began 13 years ago following a string of scandals involving his daughter. Jamie’s attorney argued there were “no actual grounds for suspending or removing” Jamie from his position, but that the ongoing “public battle with his daughter” was damaging their relationship.
“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,” the official filing reads.
This does not mean the conservatorship will end; rather, the role will be passed on to another candidate. The filing clarifies: “Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator.”
The decision comes after the “Toxic” singer hired a new attorney, Mathew Rosengart, who issued the following statement in the wake of Jamie’s resignation:
“I announced in Court on July 14 that, after 13 years of the status quo, it was time for Mr. Spears to be suspended or removed as conservator and that my firm and I would move aggressively and expeditiously for that outcome.
Twelve days later, my firm filed a Petition for Mr. Spears’s suspension and removal based on strong, insurmountable legal grounds, which were unequivocally supported by the law and all parties involved, including Jodi Montgomery, Britney Spears, and her medical team.
We are pleased that Mr. Spears and his lawyer have today conceded in a filing that he must be removed. It is vindication for Britney. We are disappointed, however, by their ongoing shameful and reprehensible attacks on Ms. Spears and others.
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’s sworn deposition in the near future.
In the interim, rather than making false accusations and taking cheap shots at his own daughter, Mr. Spears should remain silent and step aside immediately.
Lauren Puckett-Pope
Associate Editor
Lauren Puckett-Pope is an associate editor at ELLE, where she covers news and culture.
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