The pop star paid her father up to $16,000 per month, on top of hefty legal fees, over the 13 years of her conservatorship.
Britney Spears made it clear in court yesterday during a 24-minute statement to Judge Brenda Penny that she was done playing nice with the conservatorship that has given control of her life to her father, Jamie Spears, since 2008. Describing a litany of suffering—from being forced to take Lithium against her will to not being permitted to remove her IUD—she pleaded with the court to gain back control of her life and put an end to the arrangement that has allowed Jamie Spears to live off her career, and her $60 million fortune. “Considering my family has lived off my conservatorship for 13 years, I won’t be surprised if one of them has something to say (against ending my conservatorship),” Britney Spears said yesterday. “I just don’t like feeling like I work for the people who I pay.” But just how much did Jamie Spears actually pocket? During more than a decade of control, Britney Spears has paid him a monthly salary, provided office space and given him a cut of her celebrity. In all, Jamie Spears was paid at least $5 million before taxes since February 2008. Because of the conservatorship, Britney Spears also had to pay hundreds of thousands—if not millions—of dollars in legal fees for both herself and her conservators. Since at least February 2009—one year after her father Jamie was named the conservator in charge of her estate—Spears has had to pay him $16,000 each month, according to court documents reviewed by Forbes. Over 12 years, that compensation has totalled $2.4 million. Additionally, a report this week from the New York Times, pointed to the fact that he also collected portions of her touring revenue—which could explain Spears’ accusations that she was forced to work and perform despite not wanting to or feeling sick.
