Judge Denies Britney Spears' Request to Remove Her Father From Her Conservatorship

Trigger warning: this article discusses abuse and sexual assault.

Last month, Britney Spears put the internet on pause when she decided to finally share a powerful testimony about her controversial conservatorship managed by her father Jamie Spears.

During her speech, Britney claimed that her father was abusive, that she had been coerced into a rehabilitation centre by him. He also allegedly interfered with Britney’s body by forcing her to have an IUD inserted to prevent her from having any more children.

After the harrowing revelations of her personal experience under the conservatorship were revealed, the online community and the #FreeBritney movement were left shocked.

During the hearing, the judge thanked Britney for her courage speaking out and expressed that she would consider requests to end the conservatorship, as reported by TMZ.

Now, just two weeks on from her public appearance, another judge has ruled against Britney’s request to have her father removed from her conservatorship, for now.

Why was Britney’s request denied?

Wednesday's decision against Britney’s request on Thursday was noted from new court documents that were filed by the Los Angeles Superior Court and showed that a judge had recently denied a request from Britney’s attorney made in November.

The judge that denied Britney’s request to remove her father from her conservatorship instead agreed to appoint a co-conservator Bessemer Trust, which is a private, independent office that oversees the finances of thousands of families and foundations.

However, the Bessemer Trust has asked to resign as co-conservator of Britney Spears’ estate, citing in court that the firm was told the conservatorship was voluntary. They claim that the company wasn’t aware Britney wanted the conservatorship to end until her speech last month in court.

While it might look like it, these documents aren’t directly related or in response to last week’s hearing, however, they were signed on 30 June after Britney’s controversial speech.

“The conservator’s request to suspend James P. Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company of California as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice,” the court documents filed on Wednesday stated.

While the judge did deny Britney’s request, she did not rule out any future petitions for Jamie’s removal or suspension.

The denial of Britney’s request came just hours after former American comedian and actor Bill Cosby was released from prison after his conviction for sexual assault in 2018 was overturned.

Many people online have pointed out the hypocrisy in releasing Cosby, while Britney is unable to gain her own freedoms.

While this latest decision is likely devastating news for the pop singer, this is not the end of her journey in the fight for her freedom.

Why was Britney put under a conservatorship?

For those who aren't entirely familiar with the #FreeBritney movement or need a quick recap, Britney was put under conservatorship after her very public breakdown in 2008 (yes, the one where she shaved her head). At the time, Britney was put under a '5150 hold' in a psychiatric hospital for a mental health evaluation.

The singer's father, petitioned courts for an emergency 'temporary' conservatorship, claiming that Britney wasn't able to care for herself as a result of her mental health struggles. From there, he was given the legal right to make decisions regarding Britney's finances, health, business deals and personal life.

Details of the conservatorship have been described as “highly controlling” by the New York Times.

Soon, all the details about her conservatorship started coming out, along with countless stories, images and footage of the misogyny, harassment and horrific treatment Britney received during her rise and fall from fame.

This then sparked the #FreeBritney movement online, with countless stories written about it throughout 2020.

Basically, supporters of the #FreeBritney movement believe that she is allegedly unfairly being held in a conservatorship by her father. 

The media attention from the movement has sparked two documentaries about Britney’s life: The New York Times’ Framing Britney Spears and a second untitled film reportedly being worked on by Netflix.

Watch this space for more info on Britney’s conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement.

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Header Image: Facebook (@britneyspears)