Jamie Spears has issued a statement after being suspended from his daughter Britney’s conservatorship.
The 69-year-old was the conservator of the singer’s estate for 13 years but on Wednesday, Judge Brenda Penny ruled that he should be removed from the role and ordered him to turn over any relevant documents to public accountant and temporary conservator of Britney’s estate John Zabel.
Jamie has since issued a statement via his attorney Vivan Thoreen, which reads: “Mr. Spears loves his daughter Britney unconditionally. For thirteen years, he has tried to do what is in her best interests, whether as a conservator or her father.”
“This started with agreeing to serve as her conservator when she voluntarily entered into the conservatorship. This included helping her revive her career and re-establish a relationship with her children.”
“For anyone who has tried to help a family member dealing with mental health issues, they can appreciate the tremendous amount of daily worry and work this required. For Mr. Spears, this also meant biting his tongue and not responding to all the false, speculative, and unsubstantiated attacks on him by certain members of the public, media, or more recently, Britney’s own attorney.”
The statement continued: “These facts make the outcome of yesterday’s hearing all the more disappointing, and frankly, a loss for Britney. Respectfully, the court was wrong to suspend Mr. Spears, put a stranger in his place to manage Britney’s estate, and extend the very conservatorship that Britney begged the court to terminate earlier this summer.”
“Again, it was Mr. Spears who took the initiative to file the petition to terminate the conservatorship when neither Britney’s former court-appointed counsel nor her new privately-retained attorney would do so.”
“It was Mr. Spears who asked the court at yesterday’s hearing to immediately terminate the conservatorship while Britney’s own attorney argued against it.”
“Despite the suspension, Mr. Spears will continue to look out for the best interests of his daughter and work in good faith towards a positive resolution of all matters,” the statement, signed by Jamie’s attorney, concluded.
During Wednesday’s court hearing, Britney’s lawyer Mathew Rosengart branded her father “a cruel, toxic, abusive man”.
He said in court: “Britney deserves to wake up tomorrow without her father as her conservator.”
“She wants him out of her life today rather than a lingering and toxic presence.”
Jamie’s lawyer Vivian Thoreen fought against his suspension, and instead called for the immediate termination of Britney’s conservatorship.
But Britney’s attorney argued that a termination of the conservatorship would protect her father from future investigations into his conduct over the past 13 years.
Britney officially filed a petition to replace her father Jamie as the conservator of her estate in July.
According to court documents obtained by E! News, Britney’s estate is worth $57.4 million – which includes $2.7 million in cash assets, and $54.7 million in non-cash assets.
The 39-year-old was placed under a conservatorship after she suffered an alleged breakdown in 2008.
A conservatorship is granted to those who are incapable of making decisions, such as people with mental disabilities.
