NEWSBritney Spears' Dad Comes For Her Lawyer — Says Singer Can Speak For Herself
Singer Britney Spears’ dad, Jamie Spears, is clapping back at her lawyer, who has been doing all the talking for Britney in recent court proceedings. Britney's father thinks it's about time she comes to court and speaks for herself.
TMZ obtained legal documents filed by the pop star's father in which he fires back at her attorney, Samuel Ingham, for comparing her to a comatose patient who does not have the capacity to sign a declaration.
Jamie said that just because his daughter is under a conservatorship, it does not mean that she has been stripped of all of her rights. The "Toxic" singer can still vote. Jamie also noted that Britney has testified at deposition and multiple times in court while she has been under the conservatorship — though she has not attended the recent court proceedings.
According to the documents filed by Jamie, Ingham does not have the unlimited authority to be her "exclusive voice." This came after the attorney told the court earlier this month that the singer does not want to perform again — Britney's father called that "hearsay," since it did not come directly from his daughter.
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When the judge asked why she had not filed a declaration about career intent, Ingham said that she lacks the mental capacity to do so, like a person in a coma.
Earlier in the month, Britney won the right to expand her legal team in her fight to break free of her conservatorship. This is not the first time her absence in court has been called into question. When deliberating the prospect of expanding her team, Jamie's lawyer, Lauriann Wright, pointed out that the pop princess wasn’t present.
"Perhaps it would be best for Ms. Spears to appear so we all know what she’s thinking,” Wright said. “We are not trying to force Ms. Spears into court either."
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Although she won the right to strengthen her legal team, it was not something that was granted easily. Jamie tried to dismiss her petition as expensive and unnecessary spending.
"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. "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."
Britney's legal team said that her goals 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."
Her father has been at the helm of her conservatorship since 2008. He stepped down in 2019 and left Jodi Montgomery in charge before he resumed his role in January. Ingham previously said in court that Britney was strongly against him returning as her conservator and that she preferred Montgomery in the role and a bank be in charge of her estate.
