Britney Spears Can 'Expand Her Legal Team' In Conservatorship Battle
Good news for the #FreeBritney movement! Britney Spears has made a small win in her legal battle to break free of her conservatorship. The pop star petitioned the court to allow her to "expand her legal team" as she fights for her freedom, which was granted.
The "Baby One More Time" singer was not present at the court hearing. However, her mother, Lynne Spears, and her attorney, Samuel Ingham, attended on her behalf, according to Entertainment Tonight.
Her father, Jamie Spears, has been at the helm of her conservatorship for 12 years now. Last week, he filed paperwork to contend his daughter's petition, claiming that it was unnecessary spending and too expensive.
"Clearly, James' objectives are either to filibuster the appointment of a corporate fiduciary indefinitely or to dominate the entire process himself, including the selection of the fiduciary," Ingham said.
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"The only way to assure that Britney's voice is heard will be for her to have qualified litigation counsel available in order to place her on a level playing field with James."
According to the songstress' legal team, her wants and needs differ from her father’s "vision of a future in which she resumes performing and leaves the management of her estate completely to him as she did in the past."
His lawyer, Lauriann Wright, brought up the star's absence in court last week.
"Perhaps it would be best for Ms. Spears to appear so we all know what she's thinking," she said. "We are not trying to force Ms. Spears into court either."
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According to Ingham, her current mental state is that of a coma patient. The lawyer clarified that she is not literally in a coma but cannot consent to a legal arrangement at this time.
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Last month, her father requested to seal court proceedings, which the star objected to. The blonde beauty wants to keep fans informed of everything to do with the case.
"Britney strongly believes it is consistent not only with her personal best interests but also with good public policy generally that the decision to appoint a new conservator of her estate be made in as open and transparent a manner as possible," the documents objecting her father's stance read.
"The sealing motion is supposedly being brought by her father to 'protect' Britney's interests, but she is adamantly opposed to it."
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She was put under a conservatorship in 2008 following her mental health crisis at the time. This also cost the Grammy winner custody of her two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, whom she shares with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline. Due to health problems, her father stepped down from his role in 2019 and put manager Jodi Montgomery in charge, before resuming his role in January.
In September, TMZ obtained documents that revealed how the singer feels about the #FreeBritney movement, as she "welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans."
"...Britney herself is vehemently opposed to this effort by her father to keep her legal struggle hidden away in the closet as a family secret," the files read.
"Far from being a conspiracy theory or a 'joke' as James Jamie reportedly told the media, in large part this scrutiny is a reasonable and even predictable result of James' aggressive use of the sealing procedure over the years to minimize the amount of meaningful information made available to the public."