Britney Spears Follows Father’s Decision to Leave Conservatorship With Nasty Treat for Herself

Britney Spears was seen smoking a cigarette while driving around her home in Thousand Oaks, California on Friday. Photos of the pop star driving around surfaced after her father Jamie Spears’ surprising decision to step down as conservator of Spears’ estate. The conservatorship was established in 2008, and Spears recently ramped up her fight to remove Jamie over the summer.

On Saturday, The Daily Mail published photos of Spears behind the wheel of her car, driving around her home. She had the driver’s side window rolled down a bit while she was smoking. In one photo, Spears is seen flicking ash out her window. Spears was also seen going to a convenience store to pick up a soda.

Spears, 39, has been seen smoking in the past in paparazzi photos, although Spears has never shared photos of herself doing so on her own social media pages. In a 2002 interview with PEOPLE Magazine, a then-20-year-old Spears admitted to experimenting. “I drink,” the then-20-year-old Spears said. “Smoking, drinking, sex — why is it such a big deal with me? As you get to 20, you grow up, you experiment. I never wanted to hide who I was, but until about a year ago I was trying to fit an image and trying to be someone I wasn’t.” However, she claimed a paparazzi photo of herself with a cigarette at the time showed her holding one for a friend.

On Thursday, Jamie’s attorney filed legal documents announcing his plan to leave the conservatorship once a new conservator is found. Although Jamie’s attorney argued that there are “no actual grounds” to remove Jamie from the conservatorship, he agreed to step down. “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 filing read. “So, even though he must contest this unjustified Petition for his removal, Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator.”

Spears’ new attorney, Mathew Rosengart, was pleased with Jamie’s decision but said her legal team was disappointed that he continued “shameful and reprehensible attacks” on Spears and others by denying their past allegations. Rosengart vowed to continue investigating Jamie’s handling of the conservatorship though. “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,” Rosengart told TMZ, adding that Jamie should step down immediately.

Spears, who was vacationing in Maui earlier this week, appeared to celebrate the news with her recent Instagram posts. On Thursday, she shared a minute-long video of herself dancing. “You can see the last dance in [the] red top I’m very hesitant when dancing… but letting go is freedom,” she wrote in the caption. “I’m not sure exactly why I’m being so cautious… it might be my left foot that was broken talking to me!!!! You can tell when I turn but hopefully I will let go thoroughly and follow through soon.”