Darling of pop music, Britney Spears, has been in court this week pleading with authorities to end the conservatorship that allows her father, James “Jamie” Spears to essentially control her life.
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Despite being Britney’s conservator, and the fact that Britney still lives quite a public life via Instagram, Jamie has remained quite a private figure when not embattled in court.
Jamie married Lynne Bridges in 1976, and the couple had three children – Britney, Bryan and Jamie-Lynn.
Lynne Spears has written about her marriage to Jamie in great detail across two memoirs she has published.
Lynne first filed for divorce from Jamie in 1980, and also requested a temporary restraining order, as she believed he would become angry when seeing the divorce papers, and might then harass or harm her, especially if under the influence of alcohol.
According to Lynne, Jamie was hot-tempered and abusive across their marriage, and would often come up with ways to ‘get rich quick’, which made it difficult for him to hold down a job.
She divorced him in 2002, when Britney was at the height of her fame.
Britney, who had seen amazing success in her career as a pop singer, faced a series of personal struggles across 2007 and 2008.
After refusing to relinquish custody of her two children to her ex-husband Kevin Federline in January that year, the Toxic hitmaker was admitted to a psychiatric ward and put on an involuntary hold, meaning she legally could not leave.
Meanwhile, the court placed her under the conservatorship, which gave Jamie and lawyer Andrew Wallet complete control of her assets.
While Britney left the psychiatric ward after five days, the conservatorship remained in place and has ever since.
Under the conservatorship, Jamie has the power to negotiate business opportunities on her behalf, restrict visitors to her home, and even file restraining orders against those who he believes ‘threaten her stability’.
Further, any money spent by Britney must be logged in a court document that tracks her spending.
Conservatorships are commonly put in place to protect people who are unable to protect themselves, such as the very elderly, or those who suffer from developmental disabilities or are extremely ill.
They last as long as deemed necessary by the court.
Britney’s has been ongoing for 13 years, despite her apparent recovery, ability to record music and complete multiple tours and residencies during the time of her conservatorship.
In 2020, Britney filed to have her father removed from the conservatorship, and instead have a financial institution made sole conservator of her estate.
A year later in June 2021, she finally spoke out on the conservatorship and her relationship to her father in a court appearance.
She told the court that Jamie should be in jail after subjecting her to what he has under the conservatorship, including having an IUD inserted against her will, comparing a period of ‘enforced rehab’ as being similar to being a victim of sex trafficking.
“I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” she said, going on to detail how her father controls her choices around whether to marry or have more children.
“All I want is to own my money and for this to end and for my boyfriend to be able to drive me in his car,” she said.
“I’m so angry, and I cry every day. The conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good.
“I deserve to have a life.”
So far, Jamie’s role as conservator has been reduced, not removed entirely.
Meanwhile, Britney is being supported by long-term partner Sam Asghari, who has publicly spoken out against Jamie and his control over Britney and her choices.
The case will continue in another hearing next month.
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