Britney Spears has asked a court to block her father Jamie from regaining control over her life.
In documents filed by her court-appointed lawyer, the 38-year-old asked that her father is not reappointed as her conservator.
Jamie Spears temporarily stepped down as his daughter’s conservator last year due to health issues, but he was due to resume the role this year.
According to NBC News, the document states: “Britney is strongly opposed to James return as conservator of her person.”
Britney was placed under a conservatorship after she suffered an alleged breakdown back in 2008.
A conservatorship is granted to those who are incapable of making decisions, such as people with mental disabilities.
The arrangement put her estate, financial assets, and some personal assets under the control of her father Jamie Spears, and lawyer Andrew Wallet – who resigned from the role early last year.
Jamie served as her conservator for over ten years before he stepped down in September 2019, and was replaced by Britney’s longtime care manager Jodi Montgomery.
According to court documents, Britney wants Jodi to take on the role permanently, but said that doesn’t mean she’s going to stop seeking an end to the arrangement altogether.
The document was filed a day before a status hearing on the conservatorship, expected to be closed to the media and public, and Britney’s lawyer expects her father to strongly contest the request.
The singer’s conservatorship has been under review since last year, after she accused her father of forcing her to enter a mental health facility.
Last May, Britney appeared in court alongside her parents to speak to a judge who oversees her conservatorship.
Britney’s father Jamie had been in charge of his daughter’s assets since the conservatorship was established, however the agreement doesn’t give him the power to put her into a facility without her consent.
At the time, Britney demanded more freedom, and told a judge that her father made her check into a Los Angeles unit for 30 days on April 3, after she stopped taking her doctor-prescribed medication.
After hearing Britney speak in court, the judge ordered an 730 expert evaluation, a process usually used to determine the mental health and competence of a parent in a divorce case.
Outside the courthouse, a host of the singer’s fans were protesting outside, holding signs which read “Free Britney” and “End the conservatorship now”.
The news comes after Jamie recently slammed the #FreeBritney movement – branding it “a joke”.
Speaking to Page Six, the 68-year-old said: “All these conspiracy theorists don’t know anything. The world don’t have a clue. It’s up to the court of California to decide what’s best for my daughter. It’s no one else’s business.”
Jamie also claimed that the #FreeBritney movement has resulted in people “being stalked and targeted with death threats,” before adding, “It’s horrible. We don’t want those kinds of fans.”
“I love my daughter. I love all my kids. But this is our business. It’s private,” he said.
Britney’s dad also denied rumours he’s ever stolen from her estate by saying: “I have to report every nickel and dime spent to the court every year. How the hell would I steal something?”
Jamie spoke out after Britney’s brother Bryan opened up about her conservatorship during a rare interview last month.
The 43-year-old admitted the situation has been “frustrating” and that his younger sister has “wanted to get out of it for quite some time.”
“She’s been in this thing for quite some time now. Obviously there was a need for it in the beginning,” Bryan told Drew Plotkin on the As NOT Seen on TV Podcast.
“Now they’ve made some changes and all we can do is hope for the best,” Bryan said, adding that the conservatorship has “been a great thing for our family, to this point.”
Speaking about their father, Bryan said: “[He did] the best he could given the situation he was put in.”
“We’ve had to work together as a family to keep it all going. One person might be on stage and doing this, but it’s a sacrifice from everybody. Everyone is putting in, to some degree, a little bit to keep everything going.”
Bryan admitted that Britney has always wanted to end the conservatorship and achieve independence.
“She’s always wanted to get out of it. It’s very frustrating to have,” he said.
“Whether someone’s coming in peace to help or coming in with an attitude, having someone constantly tell you to do something has got to be frustrating. She’s wanted to get out of it for quite some time.”
“[She’s] been surrounded by a team of people since she was 15. So at what level does everyone walk away or at what level does that get reduced?”
