Britney Spears’ father Jamie has failed to regain sole control of the singer’s estate, amid the ongoing legal battle over her conservatorship.
In November last year, the songstress tried to have her father removed as her conservator, but her request was denied.
Instead, a judge named wealth management firm the Bessemer Trust as co-conservator of her estate, alongside her father.
Britney’s attorney, Samuel Ingham, subsequently submitted a proposed order effectuating the co-conservatorship.
However, Jamie’s lawyer objected to the language of the proposed order, claiming it improperly reduced his powers over his daughter’s estate.
In court on Thursday, judge Brenda J Perry denied those objections, reaffirming that Jamie and Bessemer Trust remain co-conservators with equal authority.
Jamie therefore lost his bid to retain the right to delegate investment powers for Britney’s estate.
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, and lawyer Andrew Wallet – who has since resigned from the role.
The singer’s conservatorship has been under review since 2019, 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, 2019 – 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.
The news comes after the release of a new documentary called Framing Britney Spears, which delved into her conservatorship.
Since the docu-film aired, a host of celebrities have shared their support for the #FreeBritney movement – including Miley Cyrus, Khloe Kardashian and Sarah Jessica Parker.
