Pop star Britney Spears has been living under a legal conservatorship that has controlled every aspect of her life since 2008. For much of that …
Pop star Britney Spears has been living under a legal conservatorship that has controlled every aspect of her life since 2008. For much of that time, all decisions about her personal, medical and financial situation have been completely controlled by her father, Jamie Spears, who initiated the conservatorship 13 years ago — and whom the singer has accused of exploiting her. At Los Angeles Superior Court Wednesday afternoon, Judge Brenda J. Penny decided to suspend Mr. Spears as the conservator of his daughter’s estate. John Zabel, a certified public accountant, will step into that role for now. With this ruling, Judge Penny granted Britney Spears’ most adamant request: to remove her father immediately. According to AP, the judge said during the hearing, «The current arrangement is untenable. It reflects a toxic environment which requires the suspension of James Spears.» Since 2019, the conservator of Ms. Spears’ person — that is, the individual looking after her personal decisions and day-to-day life — has been a licensed personal fiduciary and care professional named Jodi Montgomery. (In her own court filings, Montgomery has argued that her decisions are ultimately controlled by Jamie Spears, since he is responsible for paying his daughter’s bills and expenses.) In July, Spears herself spoke to the court by telephone at a hearing, asking for the conservatorship to be terminated without having to undergo any further medical evaluation.
