After 13 long years, Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears has agreed to step down as her conservator... “when the time is right.” In court documents obtained by TMZ, his lawyer called Mr. Spears “the unremitting target of unjustified attacks,” and claimed there were no actual grounds for removing him. According to the docs, he doesn’t believe that a public battle with Britney over continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests. It’s worth noting that he did no specify when he intends to step down other than the “right time.” News of his decision to step down has spread like wildfire, and Britney is the #1 trending topic on Twitter worldwide. The matter is expected to be discussed at her September 29 court hearing. After the news, Britney posted a caption-less photo on Instagram of the back of a girl with flowers in her hair. Read the details below and see some celebrity reactions to the news.
In the documents, Jamie’s lawyer Vivian Thoreen explained they are going to contest the petition Britney’s lawyer sent for his removal because it is “unjustified.” However, “Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter‘s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator.” “Mr. Spears is willing to step down when the time is right, but the transition needs to be orderly and include a resolution of matters pending before the Court,” continues the filing. The transition period will likely include negotiations, like assurance that criminal charges won’t be pursued.
Jamie‘s lawyer also claimed that “If the public knew all the facts of Ms. Spears’ life, not only her highs but also her lows, all of the addiction and mental health issues that she has struggled with, they would praise Mr. Spears for the job he has done.” They also claimed he has never forced her to do anything, including perform. As for Britney’s mom Lynne Spears? They said she has had little involvement in Britney’s life or conservatorship for the last 13 years, noting that Britney herself refused to see Lynne when she was at a mental health facility in 2019.
TMZ contacted Britney’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart who said, “We are pleased but not necessarily surprised that Mr. Spears and his lawyer finally recognize that he must be removed. We are disappointed, however, by their ongoing shameful and reprehensible attacks on Ms. Spears and others.” Rosengart added, “We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter’s estate, and I look forward to taking Mr. Spears’s sworn deposition in the near future. In the interim, rather than making false accusations and taking cheap shots at his own daughter, Mr. Spears should step aside immediately.”
Celebrities have begun to react to the news, see some of them below: