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Britney Spears had a long awaited virtual hearing at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angles, California Tuesday. The pop icon has been trying to get her father Jamie Spears removed as a co-conservator from her 12-year long conservatorship with the help of her lawyer Samuel Ingham III. The #FreeBritney movement has taken the entire world by storm and the hashtag was Trending in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Australia, Puerto Rico, the US, the UK, and worldwide on Twitter Tuesday. Supporters of the #FreeBritney movement showed up outside the courthouse to protest. Here is everything we know about what happened at the hearing.
Earlier this year in August Spears filed legal documents that said she wants “neutral” wealth manager Bessemer Trust appointed as “sole conservator” of her $60 million estates. Her lawyers are seeking to remove her father Jamie arguing that he is unwilling to share control of more than $60 million she has in assets. Spears is also seeking more transparency in the court’s decisions that are often kept secret from her.
Spear’s old management resigned and Jamie hired a new one which added an extra rift to the ongoing case. According to NY Daily News, Britney filed paper work Friday that said she lost faith in Jamie after he made the decision to hire new management, “without prior notice,” even though she was proposing he and Bessemer work together as co-conservators. “(The move) is a blatant attempt by James to retain full functional control of her assets,” Ingham wrote, saying James’ immediate suspension was “necessary to protect Britney.”
Jamie’s lawyers filed their own paperwork Friday arguing that he deserves praise for his “hard work.” They claimed James worked “hard with a team of professionals to restore (Britney) to good health, reunite her with her children, and revive her career.” They continued, “Throughout his service as conservator, Mr. Spears’ sole motivation has been his unconditional love for his daughter and a fierce desire to protect her from those trying to take advantage of her... If anything, Mr. Spears should be commended for his long years of diligent and faithful service as conservator. Friday’s paperwork lead up to the hearing Tuesday.
Spears attended the hearing by phone because of the Coronavirus. Supporters of the #FreeBritney movement protested outside to fight for their queen. With a megaphone, signs, and passion her supporters marched and kept the world updated on Twitter. The judge started the hearing by warning the supporters that made is inside the courtroom not to make any noise or gestures, or they would be removed.
Her attorney said she has been MIA from the music industry because she is afraid of her father and refuses to work until he removed, said Us Weekly . “My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father. She also stated that she will not perform as long as her father is in charge of her career,” Ingham III claimed. “We are really at a crossroads.” Jamie’s lawyer Vivian Thoreen called the testimony hearsay and said Jamie didn’t speak to Britney because Ingham had asked him not to. Thoreen also defended Jamie’s record as conservator, citing that the estate was the subject of tens of millions of dollars of lawsuits when he took over, and it is now worth 60 million dollars.
Britney’s mother, Lynne Spears, who has been divorced from Jamie since 2002, has never had a role in her daughter’s conservatorship. But according to the outlet, her attorney Gladstone Jones, spoke at Tuesday’s hearing defending Britney’s wishes, “It has broken Lynne’s heart to watch that this has come to this point... Lynne believes the time is now to start fresh given the circumstance of Britney’s request.”
Judge Brenda Penny heard arguments from both parties and granted part of Spear’s requests and made Bessemer Trust co-conservator of the case. However, she decided not to suspend Jamie from his role and said it would be decided at a later date. Spear’s supporters were disappointed by the judge’s decisions on Twitter. One wrote “It’s absolutely confusing and frustrating that Judge Brenda Penny decided not to suspend Jamie today, after hearing how B HERSELF feels about him. I want to believe we are on the right track. Penny needs to open her eyes and get a conscious, get Jamie Spears OUT!!!! #FreeBritney”
According to Twitter, the next hearing is on December 16, 2020.
