A new report by The New York Times has revealed that Britney Spears has allegedly been pushing to end her conservatorship from as early as 2014.
Confidential documents obtained by the publication have revealed that Spears has been pushing for an end, or at least, changes to her conservatorship for far longer than was initially known by the public.
In 2014, a closed hearing on the matter took place and Spears’ lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, said that Spears wanted to explore the possibility of her father, Jamie Spears, being removed as conservator, as she expressed concerns over his drinking among what was described as a “shopping list” of grievances.
In 2016, a court investigator reported that “(Spears) feels the conservatorship has become an oppressive and controlling tool against her” and that her father was exercising “too much control”.
The elements of this control were also described in the report, as Spears allegedly said her credit card was held by her security team or assistant and “used at their discretion”. The conservatorship meant that control was reportedly exercised over who she dated, and even minuscule requests of Spears – like having her kitchen cabinets restained – were refused due to cost.
It should be noted that the report also claims that Jamie Spears received a 2.95% commission for his work on Britney’s 2011 ‘Femme Fatale’ tour as well as 1.5% of gross revenue for her hugely successful Vegas residency – which earned a reported $138 million USD.
In addition, Jamie Spears’ salary as conservator stands at about $16,000USD a month, as well as $2,000USD for office space rent.
When Spears announced her indefinite work hiatus in early 2019 after Jamie reportedly suffered a ruptured colon, she was on the cusp of a new Vegas residency show. However, in another closed hearing, Spears reportedly told the court that she was put into a mental health facility on “exaggerated grounds” against her will, which she reportedly saw as punishment for speaking her mind in a rehearsal.
In addition, Spears claims she was forced to perform with a high-grade fever of 104°F (40°C), reportedly calling it one of the scariest moments of her life.
Jamie Spears has since stepped down as conservator of Britney Spears’ person, citing health issues, and The Bessemer Trust was appointed the estate’s co-conservator and corporate fiduciary back in November.
This will likely all come to ahead overnight with information potentially tomorrow (June 24), as Britney herself is set to address the court in a new hearing. It is unknown at this point whether information from the hearing will be made available to the public.
