The motion to remove her father, Jamie Spears, from the role as her sole conservator was filed by her lawyer Samuel Ingham III. But Judge Brenda Perry turned down the request.
The 39-year-old singer, who shot to fame with hits Baby One More Time (1999) Oops I Did it Again (2000) and Toxic (2003), has been under a conservatorship since she suffered a mental health breakdown in 2008. Forbes estimates she has a net worth of $US60 million.
Jamie Spears is a joint conservator of his daughter's finances and also was in charge of her personal affairs until he stepped down from that position in September 2019. Care manager Jodi Montgomery, a licensed fiduciary, was appointed temporary conservator of personal affairs. Last year, Britney Spears began a legal process to prevent her father from ever returning to that role.
Jamie Spears late on Tuesday night (US time) asked the court via a pair of documents to investigate statements to the court, calling for a probe into the accuracy of his daughter's claims.
"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 read, Variety reports.
A request was filed in November 2020, and stated Spears was "afraid of her father" and she vowed not to perform again as long as her father remained in control of her career and finances.
But Judge Penny has declined to suspend her father.
At the time, financial company Bessemer Trust was appointed as a co-conservator. According to Variety, the paperwork that was filed on Wednesday was intended to confirm the company as co-conservator, but it cements further the judge's decision to not remove Jamie Spears from the conservatorship.
The decision signed by the judge is important because of its timing - Variety states it was signed on June 30, days after Brittney's 24-minute testimony concerning her conservatorship.
On June 23 (June 24 NZ time), she addressed a court and shared details about the control her father allegedly has over her life.
She said she couldn't have autonomy of her own body, having been told she was not allowed to get married or have another child. An IUD was implanted against her will, the court was told.
"I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive."
And Britney spoke about the amount of time she currently spends in therapy, saying she was made to visit a facility in Westlake, California, where her team allegedly knew photographers would be present to take unflattering pictures.
"I just want my life back. And it's been 13 years," she told the court.
"And it's enough. It's been a long time since I've owned my money. And it's my wish and my dream for all of this to end without being tested."
She called her father "ignorant" and controlling: "He loved every minute of it, the control he had. He loved it," she said.
- NZ Herald and Reuters
