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Artist News Legal
Britney Spears calls on father to resign from conservatorship immediately
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 1 September 2021
Britney Spears’ attorney Mathew Rosengart has called on the star’s father Jamie Spears to resign as her conservator with immediate effect. The lawyer claims that – ever since saying that he would be willing to voluntarily step down from his role last month – Spears Senior has been attempting to bully and extort his daughter.
After the conservatorship that has controlled Britney’s personal and financial affairs for thirteen years came under increased criticism earlier this year, Jamie agreed in August to step down from his role as conservator of his daughter’s estate “when the time is right”.
But that couldn’t happen immediately, he added, because an “orderly transition” was required. However Jamie is now acting with self-interest alone, Rosengart argues, worsening the situation for Britney, who has repeatedly demanded that her father leave his position within her conservatorship.
“The thrust of his response is that although he expressly recognises that a ‘public battle’ regarding his departure would not be in Ms Spears’s best interests and for that reason, he even intends to support ‘an orderly transition’, his idea of ‘orderly’ is to hang on until someone first brands him ‘father of the year’ and awards him a gold star for his ‘service'”, writes Rosengart in a new court filing.
“In other words”, the filing adds, “although Mr Spears has, at last, been forced to recognise that it is best for his daughter if he departs now, he claims the right to drag his feet because it is best for him to cling to this conservatorship until he feels sufficiently-vindicated”.
As well as wanting to stay on until his reputation is improved, Jamie is also trying to ensure -Rosengart claims – that around $2 million in outstanding payments are put through the estate’s accounts, including fees to his own attorneys.
If Jamie will not step down, Rosengart is calling on the court to suspend him, saying: “A ‘transition’ can just as easily occur while Mr Spears is suspended, as opposed to while he lingers as conservator waiting for his inevitable removal. The only difference is that the former is in his daughter’s best interests, while the latter severely undermines those interests”.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Rosengart adds: “Britney Spears will not be bullied or extorted by her father. Nor does Mr Spears have the right to try to hold his daughter hostage by setting the terms of his removal”.
“This is not about him, it is about the best interests of his daughter, which as a matter of law, mandate his removal. Even putting aside the legal issues requiring his prompt removal, if he loves his daughter, Mr Spears should resign now, today, before he is suspended. It would be the correct and decent thing to do”.
A court hearing to consider the petition to suspend Jamie Spears is set for 29 Sep.
