Entertainment
What happens next in Britney Spears’ court battle over her conservatorship?
Britney Spears’ explosive testimony in her conservatorship hearing on Wednesday in California has stunned fans as the singer was finally able to speak publicly about what she’s experienced since being placed under the conservatorship of her father in 2008, following a mental health breakdown.
The chart-topping star spoke for over 20 minutes, virtually uninterrupted, save for pleas from the court reporter, via the judge, to slow down her speed just a little so she could record her statement accurately and in full.
Britney had requested to address the court directly in April, as she fights to have her 68-year-old dad Jamie removed from his position of power over her, and yesterday asked for the conservatorship to be ended ‘without being evaluated’ as it had been ‘abusive’.
Pointing out that her therapy sessions had been upped and evaluations had been so frequent, Britney argued: ‘I don’t want to be evaluated, to be sat in a room with people four hours a day like they did to me before.
‘If I can work and provide money and work for myself and pay other people – it makes no sense.’
It’s emerged that Britney desired her father be removed as her conservator as early as 2016, and during her statement, the 39-year-old revealed she was ‘depressed’, ‘can’t sleep’ and wanted ‘her life back’.
The conservatorship put Jamie in charge of Britney’s personal affairs and finances indefinitely, and among Britney’s shock revelations from Wednesday are the fact the conservatorship has blocked her from removing her IUD in order to have a baby with her boyfriend of over four years, Sam Asghari, and that she was forced to go on tour in 2018 when she didn’t want to, before being pushed into a Vegas residency with no break in between.
Britney is worth a reported $60million (£43million) and was said to make at least $350,000 (£251,000) a night during her Vegas residency, as well as grossing $485million (£347million) from her live shows as of 2017.
Under a conservatorship, Britney’s financial and medical affairs are handled exclusively by her father and a legal representative.
In short, Britney said: ‘The people who did that to me should not be able to walk away so easily.’
Judge Brenda Penny listened intently to Britney’s full testimony until the star wrapped up and thanked the court for its time, and she praised the singer for her courage as well as reassuring her she was ‘sensitive to everything that you said and how you’re feeling’.
According to Los Angeles-based family lawyer Christopher Melcher, who spoke to Reuters: ‘Once a person is under a conservatorship it’s difficult to get out of it because the court does not want to remove those protections only to have the conservatee taken advantage of.’
According to 2021 California rules of court, the termination of a conservatorship takes place automatically if the conservatee dies or may take place by operation of law or court order if the court determines ‘it is no longer required’.
The next step in Britney’s court battle, as Judge Brenda Penny told her, is for the star to submit a petition officially requesting the termination of the conservatorship.
She will also be required by California state conservatorship law to speak with a court-appointed investigator to show she is capable of making financial and healthcare decisions, as will her parents and the company that manages her business affairs, before the investigator presents their findings to the judge for her to make a final ruling.
A conservatee also has the right to request a jury trial to determine whether a conservatorship is still required.
As the hearing concluded, Britney’s court-appointed lawyer Samuel Ingham III said he would discuss with the singer the issues of formally filing for termination of the conservatorship, as well as the introduction of a private counsel to represent her.
No dates for future hearings have yet been set, save for another hearing regarding the estate’s accounting documents on July 14.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
