On Wednesday (June 30), Judge Brenda Penny, the judge assigned to Britney Spears’ conservatorship case, signed an order denying Britney’s request to remove her father, Jamie Spears, as co-conservator.
“The conservatee’s request to suspend James P. Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company of California, N.A. as sole conservator of estate is denied without prejudice,” Wednesday’s order reads, via Entertainment Tonight.
The order is in regards to a months-old request Britney’s attorney, Samuel Ingham III, filed requesting to remove her father from her conservatorship. The documents, which were filed back in November 2020, stated that Britney was “afraid of her father” and if Jamie continued to be in charge of her career, she would refuse to perform.
However, according to the new documents, the court found Britney “substantially unable to manage his or her financial resources or to resist fraud or undue influence.”
While this appears to be another setback for the 39-year-old performer amid her conservatorship battle, she and her lawyer can file another petition to request to her father to be removed from her conservatorship – or file an official request to end her conservatorship altogether.
The order comes a week after Britney gave an explosive testimony in court, during which she asked the judge presiding over her case “to end the conservatorship without being evaluated,” saying, “I just want my life back.” However, Britney and her lawyer are yet to file the paperwork to make the request to terminate her conservatorship official.
In her 24-minute long testimony, Britney called her conservatorship “abusive” and alleged that she was forced into rehab and made to work when she was sick. She also claims that they have a tight hold on her finances, personal life, and even reproductive decisions.
Her father shared a brief statement (via his attorney) to address the court following her testimony.
“[Jamie] is sorry to see his daughter in so much pain. [He] loves his daughter and misses her very much,” the statement said.
He’s since also asked the judge to have Britney’s “serious allegations regarding forced labor, forced medical treatment and therapy, improper medical care, and limitations on personal rights” investigated, per new court documents obtained by ET.
Jodi Montgomery, the conservator of Britney’s person, also issued a statement on Wednesday (June 30), saying that she and her team’s “one primary goal” is “to assist and encourage Britney in her path to no longer needing a conservatorship of the person.” She also refuted Britney’s claims about her plans to get married and have more children is not allowed in her conservatorship. “Britney’s choice to marry and to start a family have never been impacted by the conservatorship while Ms. Montgomery has been conservator of the person.”
During Britney’s testimony, she claimed, “I was told right now, in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby. I have an IUD [intrauterine device] inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the IUD out, so I can start trying to have a baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out, because they don’t want me to have children, any more children.”
“So, basically, this conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good. I deserve to have a life. I worked my whole life, and I deserve to have a two, three-year break and just do what I want to do,” she added. “I wish I could stay with you on the phone forever, because when I get off the phone with you, all of a sudden all I hear are no’s. ‘No, no, no.'”
Britney also said of her well-being, “I’m so angry I can’t sleep, and I am depressed. I want to be heard … I want changes and I want changes going forward. I deserve changes.”
“I just want my life back. It’s been 13 years and it’s enough. It’s enough and it makes no sense at all … I’m done,” she continued.
