The legal battle over Britney Spears‘ conservatorship continued on Thursday. There was some good news for Spears, who has been attempting to have her father, Jamie Spears, removed as co-conservator. While Jamie retained this position, the November appointment of Bessemer Trust to be co-conservator of Spears’ estate was also left in place. In Thursday’s hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Perry heard Jamie’s objection to the Bessemer appointment.
Spears did not attend the hearing, but Jamie attended virtually. Penny heard arguments from Spears’ attorney, Samuel Ingham III, and Jamie’s attorney reports CNN. Penny ruled in favor of keeping Bessemer and Jamie as co-conservators. During the proceedings, Ingham said the “…Baby One More Time” singer still “does not want her father as co-conservator and we recognize removal is a separate issue.”
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Jamie’s attorney, Vivan Lee Thoreen, argued that Ingham’s proposed order was “unclear and ambiguous by design” during the attempt to strip Jamie of his conservator role. Thoreen also pointed out that Spears agreed to naming Jamie her conservator in the early days of the conservatorship, which has been in place since 2008. “Ms. Spears reflected in court papers that she wanted her father to be the sole conservator of her estate,” Thoreen said, reports the Associated Press.
Thursday’s hearing came after the dramatic hearing in November when Ingham said Spears was afraid of her father and would refuse to perform again as long as he remained co-conservator. Penny still refused to remove Jamie but had appointed Bessemer Trust as co-conservator. That started a new phase of the court battle, as the two sides jockeyed for power in the conservatorship. On Thursday, Ingham requested the co-conservators “come up with a timetable to come up with an investment plan and proposed budget for my client,” according to Page Six. The next court dates are scheduled for March 17 and April 27.
The hearing was also the first following the release of the New York Times‘ Framing Britney Spears documentary on FX and Hulu last week. The film tracked Spears’ conservatorship. It included interviews with fans who joined the #FreeBritney movement because they believe Spears is being controlled by her father and are hoping he is removed. There was a gathering of #FreeBritney supporters outside the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles Thursday and some hosted a Zoom gathering to follow along with the developments.
