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Britney Spears Is Finally Free After A 13-Year Conservatorship

Britney Spears Is Finally Free After A 13-Year Conservatorship
  • Today, a judge in Los Angeles ended Britney Spears's 13-year conservatorship.

  • Britney Spears had been under the conservatorship of her dad since 2008. Under the conservatorship, Jamie reportedly had full control over Britney’s personal, financial and medical affairs.

  • The judge also ruled that Britney's current estate conservator would continue working to settle ongoing financial concerns related to the case.


More than a decade ago, Britney Spears entered into a conservatorship with her father, Jamie Spears, after suffering a very public breakdown. Under the conservatorship, Jamie reportedly had full control over Britney’s financial and medical affairs.

On November 12th, after more than 13 years and a global #FreeBritney social media movement, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny ended the controversial conservatorship, effective immediately. “The conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,” she said, according to the New York Times.

A conservatorship is when a judge appoints a responsible person or organization (called the "conservator") to care for another adult (called the "conservatee") who cannot care for themselves or manage their own finances, according to the California Courts website.

In Britney's case, the terms of the conservatorship have not been made public, but in September 2020 she filed to open up parts of her conservatorship, according to TMZ, signaling that the pop star herself may be on board with the #FreeBritney movement.

On June 23rd of this year, Britney spoke for herself in her conservatorship case for the first time ever. The court proceedings were live-streamed, giving the public a glimpse into the singer's perspective and experience for the last 13 years. She spoke for 24 minutes, revealing mental health struggles, forced work, and overall loss of control of her life.

Brit's fans have cited suspicion over the conservatorship and have been calling for it to end for years. The #FreeBritney movement is calling for legal intervention to help Britney regain control over her finances and life. Some financial documents obtained by Business Insider show that Britney spent $1.1 million on her legal and conservator fees in 2018.

Britney wasn't present at today's hearing. "This is a monumental day for Britney Spears," Britney's lawyer Mathew Rosengar said in a post-court press conference. "What's next for Britney, and this is the first time this could be said for about a decade, is up to one person, Britney."

But Britney's legal battle continues: The judge also ruled that Britney's current estate conservator would continue working to settle ongoing financial concerns related to the case.

With all of this in mind, here's everything to know about how Britney's conservatorship started and what's next:

2007 and 2008: Britney started acting erratically in public.

She was spotted driving her car with her infant son in her lap, shaved her head, and attacked a photographer’s car with an umbrella. In 2008, Britney was put under a 5150 hold in a psychiatric hospital twice for a mental health evaluation. "She went willingly. It was like something in her heart was telling her she should go. She knew something was wrong," her former friend Sam Lutfi told People at the time.

2008: Britney was put under a conservatorship.

Jamie petitioned the courts at the time for an emergency “temporary” conservatorship, according to the Los Angeles Times. It was granted and, under the conservatorship, Jamie was given the legal right to oversee decisions about Britney's estate and health, including negotiating business deals and restricting who can see her.

Photo credit: KMazur - Getty Images
Photo credit: KMazur - Getty Images

2009: A fan site questioned Britney’s conservatorship.

It’s hard to say exactly when and where the #FreeBritney movement started, but FreeBritney.net started questioning in 2009 why Brtiney's conservatorship was necessary. Those q's have continued to this day.

"During the twelve years of Spears' conservatorship she has repeatedly toured the world, released multiple albums, and worked on a variety of television shows," the site points out. "Her conservators decide whether or not she works, as she cannot enter into contracts for herself because she is legally not her own person. Britney Spears needs permission from her conservators to leave her house or spend any of her own money."

2009 - 2019: The conservatorship keeps getting extended.

The conservatorship had regular check-ins, according to Business Insider, and it kept getting extended year after year. In the meantime, Britney rolled out several music albums and even did a Las Vegas residency.

The effect took its toll on the Spears' relationship. Jamie admitted in court in 2019 that "me and my daughter’s relationship has always been strained," per Us Weekly.

2019: Jamie requests to have the conservatorship extended to more states.

Jamie filed a notice of intent to extend Britney’s conservatorship outside of California to three other states: Louisiana, Hawaii, and Florida, according to ET. "Mr. Spears, in his capacity as Conservator of the Person and Estate, intends to register the Orders appointing Mr. Spears as a Conservator of the Person and Estate, as well as his Letters of Conservatorship, with states outside of California, in accordance with each of the states' required procedures, including without limitation at this time, the following: Florida, Louisiana and Hawaii," the court documents say, per ET.

Watch this to learn more about the legal battles surrounding Britney's conservatorship:

2019: Jamie steps down as Britney’s primary conservator.

After being accused of physically abusing Britney’s 14-year-old son Sean, Jamie stepped down as Britney’s primary conservator, per People, with her longtime "care-manager" Jodi Montgomery temporarily taking over Jamie’s duties.

April 2019: Britney completes a stay in a mental health facility.

Jamie became ill in January after suffering a health emergency, something that Britney struggled with, E! reported. Britney eventually did a month-long stay at a mental health facility.

"Nobody is talking about touring or work," a source told E!. "She's taking it easy and not thinking about her career. There's been no discussion about resuming her tour. She needs a break and time off. She's not in the mind frame to even think about performing."

July 2020: Britney’s brother, Bryan Spears, speaks out.

Britney’s family rarely does interviews about the singer, and it’s even rarer for her brother Bryan to speak out in public. But in July, he went on the As NOT Seen on TV Podcast and talked about his sister’s conservatorship. "She's been in this thing for quite some time now. Obviously, there was a need for it in the beginning," Bryan said. "Now, they've made some changes, and all we can do is hope for the best." He also said that the conservatorship has "been a great thing for our family, to this point, and [we] keep hoping for the best."

Bryan added that his father Jamie has "done the best he could, given the situation he was put in" and talked about how the family has "had to work together" to "keep it all going." He then opened up about the strain this has all put on the Spears family. "One person might be on stage and doing this, but it's a sacrifice from everybody," Bryan said. "Everyone is putting in, to some degree, a little bit to keep everything going."

Photo credit: Vinnie Zuffante - Getty Images
Photo credit: Vinnie Zuffante - Getty Images

Bryan said that he and Britney speak "constantly" and that she definitely wants out of the conservatorship. "She's wanted to get out of it for quite some time."

But Bryan also seemed concerned about what could happen when the conservatorship ends. "I know what she wants but, at the end of the day, what is the reality of that?" he said. "What is the practicality of that? So are you going to call and make reservations for yourself today?"

September 2020: Britney’s lawyers file to oppose sealing parts of the conservatorship.

Britney also fought her dad's move to appoint a co-conservator of her estate, TMZ reported. Instead of his pick, a lawyer who was involved in her conservatorship for years, she wanted someone new and independent.

Britney also wanted the hearing to be public because there were no medical or sensitive issues with her children to warrant secrecy. She filed an objection arguing that the public is allowed to know what is happening to her and hinting at support for the #FreeBritney movement.

"Britney's conservatorship has attracted an unprecedented level of scrutiny from mainstream media and social media alike," the filing said, according to CBS News. "Far from being a conspiracy theory or a 'joke' as James 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."

Up until this point, Jamie and the conservatorship's attorneys working for him sought to keep courtrooms closed and filings sealed in this ongoing case, which Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny routinely approved. But Britney objected to the sealing of her father's motion to reinstall attorney Andrew Wallet as a co-conservator.

"Britney 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 filing continued. "The sealing motion is supposedly being brought by her father to 'protect' Britney's interests, but she is adamantly opposed to it."

The filing also included a nod to the #FreeBritney movement, saying: "At this point in her life when she is trying to regain some measure of personal autonomy, Britney welcomes and appreciates the informed support of her many fans."

September 2020: Britney's family is "at war."

"Britney’s family is at war with each other, and it’s all because of the conservatorship," a source recently told Us Weekly.

Turns out, Britney filed a request in August to permanently replace her father with Jodi Montgomery, the licensed fiduciary who took over the conservatorship in September 2019.

Photo credit: Frazer Harrison - Getty Images
Photo credit: Frazer Harrison - Getty Images

"Britney is remarkably resilient and is very engaged in the conservatorship, whereas in years prior, she wasn’t at all," the source told the publication. "She would never ask questions about it or go to court."

Around this time, Britney's mom also reportedly started to voice concerns about the scope of the conservatorship. "Lynne wants a care plan established that would transition Britney's personal life out of the conservatorship," the source said. "Jamie has told her that Britney needs long-term monitoring, and he doesn’t think she is prepared to take such a drastic action."

Britney's desire to change her custody arrangement of her sons, Preston, 15, and Jayden, 14, was reportedly also top of mind for the star. (Britney’s custody was reduced to 30 percent in September 2019.)

Photo credit: Allen Berezovsky - Getty Images
Photo credit: Allen Berezovsky - Getty Images

"Britney wants to live her life on her terms and is very displeased with the current custody arrangement," the source said. "She needs to see the boys much more than she currently is."

November 2020: Britney loses a bid to remove her father from her conservatorship for now.

In a hearing that was closed to the public, a judge declined to remove Britney's dad as co-conservator of her life and estate. In legal filings, Britney's dad argued that she's not ready to take back control of her life and finances, according to USA Today.

Britney refused to perform and said she will continue her work hiatus if her father stays on as her conservator. "My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father. She will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career," Britney's lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, told the judge at the hearing, per the Associated Press. She hasn't worked or performed since early 2019.

Ingham also said that Britney and her dad haven't communicated in a while, though her father's lawyers argued that they haven't spoken because Ingham has advised Britney not to communicate with him.

Britney did have a small win in court, though. While the judge denied removing her dad from her conservatorship, the judge did approve to add a co-conservator to her estate, the Bessemer Trust, which was what Britney's team requested.

January 2021: Britney's lawyer says it would be "detrimental" to give Jamie more control.

In new court documents obtained by Entertainment Tonight, Britney's attorney, Samuel Ingham, wrote that "it would be highly detrimental to Britney's interest" to give her father any more power in the conservatorship over her estate. Ingham filed this document in response to Jamie submitting a proposed order in which he argued that some of his powers have been stripped away when he and Bessemer Trust became co-conservators of the singer's estate in November 2020.

Ingham argued against this claim, writing that Jamie would retain the unrestricted power to select and compensate his own "professional investment advisors" separate from Bessemer Trust.

"It is difficult to imagine a better recipe for conflict between the co-conservators and confusion with both Britney and third parties," the lawyer added in the document. "Ultimately, the appointment of Bessemer Trust would be rendered meaningless."

Ingham also claimed in the documents that Jamie was attempting to ensure that Bessemer would never become sole conservator of Britney's estate and noted that it was initially Britney's request that Bessemer become the sole conservator of her estate. Ingham wanted to leave the door open to that possibility in the future.

February 5, 2021: Framing Britney Spears debuts.

The documentary, which instantly made waves on social media, details Britney’s rise to fame and her drive, even as a young girl. "This is a girl who was coming from strength," one person says in the trailer. At one point, a lawyer says that Britney "accepted that her conservatorship was going to happen, but she didn’t want her father to be her conservator—that was her one request." Others questioned why Britney is still under the conservatorship.

February 9, 2021: Britney’s boyfriend speaks out against her father.

Britney’s boyfriend of three years, Sam Asghari, took to his Instagram Stories to share his thoughts on her family and accused her father of being controlling. "Now it's important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way," he wrote. "In my opinion, Jamie is a total dick. I won't be going into details because I've always respected our privacy but at the same time, I didn't come to this country to not be able to express my opinion and freedom."

Photo credit: Sam Asghari / Instagram Stories
Photo credit: Sam Asghari / Instagram Stories

Later that day, TMZ also caught up with Sam, and he didn't hold back in sharing how he felt about the conservatorship. "What I said is what I said. I think he’s a dick," Sam told the publication. "Once he starts treating his daughter right, then we can be on good terms."

February 9, 2021: Britney’s lawyers ask a judge to end her conservatorship.

The singer's attorneys went back to court to ask a judge to remove Jamie Spears as his daughter’s conservator, according to The New York Times.

March 2021: Jamie Spears says publicly that he wants the conservatorship to end.

Jamie’s attorney, Vivan Lee Thoreen, told CNN in early March that Jamie would like the conservatorship to end, too. "[Jamie] would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship," Thoreen said. "Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney. If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it."

Thoreen said that Jamie is "not suggesting that he is the perfect dad or that he would receive any 'Father of the Year' award. Like any parent, he doesn't always see eye-to-eye on what Britney may want. But Jamie believes every single decision he has made has been in her best interest," she said.

March 2021: Britney’s lawyer asks for Jodi Montgomery to be named her permanent conservator.

Britney "requested the resignation" of her father Jamie Spears as her permanent conservator, asking instead that current conservator Jodi Montgomery’s temporary position be made permanent, People reported. Jodi stepped in as a temporary conservator in September 2019 after Jamie stepped down due to health reasons.

Court documents obtained by People also said that Britney "reserves the right to petition for the termination of this conservatorship." Britney previously said in court documents that she is "strongly opposed" to having her dad as her conservator and "strongly prefers" Jodi in that role.

April 20, 2021: Lynne demands Jamie's legal fees be repaid to Britney.

Court documents from Britney’s ongoing conservatorship case obtained by Us Weekly showed that Lynne objected to the more than $890,000 in legal fees that Jamie’s law firm had built up since October 2020.

Lynne, who divorced Jamie in 2002, claimed in the documents that many of the fees from Jamie’s law firm Holland & Knight were "procedurally and substantively improper." Lynne also said in the documents that the services were not "performed in good faith for the benefit" of their daughter. Lynne also said that the firm was demanding "utterly excessive" compensation.

Lynne’s request: The court should review the bills. She also wanted a good chunk of the fees, particularly the $224,000 set aside for the law firm to handle communication with the press, to be "immediately" paid back to Britney’s estate.

Lynne also protested against the actual cost of the law firm, saying that the services cost "$200,000 more than all of other law firms combined for whom fee applications were filed, largely for similar work done" during the same time.

April 27, 2021: Jamie Spears asks the court to throw out Lynne’s request that he pay for her legal fees.

Jamie’s legal team Holland & Knight filed court documents that asserted Lynne's objections were without merit and claimed she was "not acting in the best interests of her daughter,” according to ET. They also alleged that Lynne "exploited her daughter's pain and trauma for personal profit by publishing a book" about the singer, referring to Lynne’s 2008 memoir Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World.

Holland & Knight also argued that Lynne had "ignorance regarding the complex nature of the Conservatorship Estate," and that the fees were necessary to "properly defend Mr. Spears from specious allegations that have threatened to tarnish his reputation as a loving, caring father who has nothing to hide, has been loyal and fiercely loving toward his daughter, sought to protect her, and manage her finances so that she can live her life the way she wants."

April 27, 2021: Britney requests to speak in court for the first time.

The hearing also brought an unprecedented request from Britney: she wanted to speak for herself in court ASAP. It marked the first time she voiced her opinion in court about the matter. For over a decade, Britney has rarely spoken about the conservatorship case. According to The New York Times, Britney’s court-appointed lawyer broke the news.

“The conservatee has requested that I seek from the court a status hearing at which she can address the court directly,” Samuel D. Ingham III asked the judge overseeing the case.

June 22, 2021: Leaked court documents say Britney was forced to perform with a high fever.

A bombshell report published in The New York Times disclosed information from a 2019 closed court appearance where Britney said she was forced to perform onstage when she had a 104-degree fever, calling it one of the scariest moments of her life.

A clip from that performance went viral on Twitter soon after, which shows Britney saying, “I’m about to pass out, and I’m sick,” at an Atlantic City, NJ, concert. “I have, actually, a 102 fever right now,” she added.

Zachary Gordon, who shared the clip, wrote this underneath: “And I just thought ‘Wow, she’s such a trooper and cares so much to put on a show for her fans.’ Now I can see with clear eyes that this was a dig at the people controlling you, making you go onstage, performing under high-powered lights, all while you had a high-grade fever.”

The Times report also revealed that Britney has “expressed serious opposition to the conservatorship earlier and more often than had previously been known,” pointing out that it restricted everything from who she dated to the color of her kitchen cabinets.

“She feels the conservatorship has become an oppressive and controlling tool against her,” a court investigator wrote in a 2016 report, per the Times.

Britney also told the court in 2019 that she felt forced into going to a mental health facility.

June 23, 2021: Britney makes a 24-minute statement in court before Los Angeles judge Brenda Penny.

After asking the judge for time to speak, Britney shared her experiences living under what she describes as an "abusive" conservatorship.

Britney said she has had little to no privacy and was often forced to work and perform against her will. “Anything that happened to me had to be approved by my dad,” she said. “I never had a say in my schedule."

"I just want my life back," she explained. “It’s been 13 years and it’s enough.” Britney also shared that, although she wants to start a family with her boyfriend, Sam, she can’t due to the terms of the conservatorship. “I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby,” she said.

“I have an I[U]D inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant," she continued. "I wanted to take the IUD out so I could start trying to have another baby, but this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have children."

“I truly believe this conservatorship is abusive,” she added. “Basically this conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good. I deserve to have a life. I’ve worked my whole life. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody."

June 24, 2021: Celebrities support Britney on social media.

Dozens of celebs reached out to Britney on social media, sending her messages of encouragement and calling for change.

"I will 1000% RIOT if Britney is not freed,” Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause tweeted. “We are SO PROUD of you @britneyspears! Listening to her call is equal parts heartbreaking and infuriating. #freebritneyNOW and then change the laws #FreeBritney."

Mariah Carey tweeted "we love you Britney!!! Stay strong ♥️♥️♥️.”

And Halsey stood in solidarity with Britney: “Bless Britney and I hope with my whole heart she is awarded freedom from this abusive system,” she tweeted. “She deserves it more than anything. I admire her courage speaking up for herself today.”

Justin Timberlake also tweeted his opinion. "After what we saw today, we should all be supporting Britney at this time," he wrote. "Regardless of our past, good and bad, and no matter how long ago it was… what’s happening to her is just not right. No woman should ever be restricted from making decisions about her own body."

June 25, 2021: Britney apologizes to fans on Instagram.

After mentioning in her statement that "I didn’t want to say any of this to anybody, to the public, because I thought people would make fun of me or laugh at me and say, 'She’s lying, she’s got everything, she’s Britney Spears,'" Britney apologized to fans on Instagram.

"My life seems to look and be pretty amazing ... I think that’s what we all strive for !!!!" she wrote in the caption of a recent post. "I’m bringing this to peoples attention because I don’t want people to think my life is perfect because IT’S DEFINITELY NOT AT ALL ... and if you have read anything about me in the news this week 📰 ... you obviously really know now it’s not !!!!"

"I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years ... I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me ..." Britney continued. "I feel like Instagram has helped me have a cool outlet to share my presence ... existence ... and to simply feel like I matter despite what I was going through and hey it worked."

Friends and fans left Britney words of support in the comments. Figure skater Adam Rippon wrote, "Love you. You matter so much to so many people ♥️♥️♥️." Actress Sarah Hyland seconded: "WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!"

June 28, 2021: Some of Britney's closest friends and family speak out.

Britney's sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, posted a long Instagram Story video about her support for Britney.

"I just want to take a second to address a few things," she said. "The only reason I hadn't before is because I felt like until my sister was able to speak for herself and say what she felt she needed to say publicly that it wasn't my place and it wasn't the right thing to do. But now that she's very clearly spoken and said what she needed to say, I feel like I can follow her lead and say what I feeI I need to say."

Jamie Lynn made it clear that she only wants the best for Britney: "I support my sister," she said. "I love my sister. Always have, always will. As long as she's happy."

Britney's ex-husband, Kevin Federline, also shared words of support through his lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan. "What is best for her, Kevin supports her in being able to do that," Kaplan said, per Entertainment Tonight. "It doesn't matter how positive of an effect a conservatorship has had if it's having a deleterious effect and detrimental effect on her state of mind. So he supports her having the best environment for her to live in and for his children to visit with their mother in."

Kaplan added that "Kevin feels that the best thing for his children is for their mother to be happy and healthy... And if she can do that without a conservatorship, that's terrific."

June 30, 2021: Judge Penny denies Britney's lawyer's request to remove her father from his role as co-conservator of her estate.

Judge Brenda Penny denied a motion that Britney's lawyer filed to have Jamie Spears removed from his role as a conservator of her $60 million estate, per CNN.

Last year, Bessemer Trust Company was appointed co-conservator alongside Britney's father, Jamie Spears, according to E! News. In November, Britney's lawyer filed a motion asking the court to instead make Bessemer the sole conservator.

Judge Penny denied the request on Wednesday. "The conservator's request to suspend James P. Spears immediately upon the appointment of Bessemer Trust Company of California, N.A. as sole conservator of the estate is denied without prejudice," the court order said, per E! News.

Jamie Spears' attorneys submitted two filings, per CNN. One asked the judge to investigate the claims Britney made against her father in court last week when she said she was forced to perform and take lithium against her will.

July 6, 2021: Britney's attorney and her manager both resign.

In early July, Britney's attorney submitted a petition to resign from his position—two weeks after she stated in court that she wanted to choose her own attorney, per NBC News. Ingham has represented Britney for all 13 years of her conservatorship and was first appointed to her case back in 2008 by the Los Angeles County Superior Court, per CNN. Under the terms of his resignation, Ingham will still represent Britney until she is appointed a new lawyer.

"I know I've grown with a personal relationship with Sam, my lawyer. I've been talking to him, like, three times a week now," Britney testified. "We've kind of built a relationship, but I haven't really had the opportunity — by my own self — to actually handpick my own lawyer by myself. And I would like to be able to do that."

That same day, Britney's manager, Larry Rudolph, resigned after 25 years of working with the pop star. Rudolph sent his letter of resignation to Jamie Spears and to Jodi Montgomery, the conservator of Britney's person, per CNN. "It has been over 2 1/2 years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus," he wrote. "Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire."

"As you know, I have never been a part of the conservatorship nor its operations, so I am not privy to many of these details. I was originally hired at Britney's request to help manage and assist her with her career. And as her manager, I believe it is in Britney's best interest for me to resign from her team as my professional services are no longer needed. Please accept this letter as my formal resignation," the letter continued.

"I will always be incredibly proud of what we accomplished over our 25 years together. I wish Britney all the health and happiness in the world, and I'll be there for her if she ever needs me again, just as I always have been."

July 14, 2021: Britney hires her own lawyer, and says she wants to file charges against Jamie.

On Wednesday, Judge Penny granted Britney the right to choose her own lawyer for the first time since the beginning of her conservatorship, per Us Weekly. The judge approved Britney's old lawyer's resignation and allowed her to select Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, as his replacement.

During the same hearing, Britney also announced her intent to file abuse charges against her father, per Newsweek. "I'm here to get rid of my dad and charge him for conservatorship abuse," Britney said in court.

"This conservatorship has allowed my dad to ruin my life," she continued. "I thought they were trying to kill me." She told Judge Penny that "my dad needs to be removed today." Britney also stated that she still wants Jodi Montgomery to remain the temporary conservator of her person.

Britney's new lawyer seconded her plea: "This is not working," he said in court. "There is a real question as to why Mr. Spears does not voluntarily step down today. Is he here for financial reasons? Does anybody really believe that Mr. Spears' involvement is in the best interest of his daughter? He would resign if he loves his daughter."

After the hearing, Britney shared her good news on Instagram. "New with real representation today ... I feel GRATITUDE and BLESSED !!!!" she wrote in the caption of her latest post. "Thank you to my fans who are supporting me ... You have no idea what it means to me be supported by such awesome fans !!!!"

The video shows Britney on horseback and doing cartwheels to celebrate her victory in court. She even added #FreeBritney—a first for the singer.

July 26, 2021: Britney's new lawyer files a request for a new conservator.

Britney's new lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, filed a petition to remove Jamie Spears from his position as her conservator. In a new petition, he asked the court to instead replace Jamie with Jason Rubin, a CPA who specializes in forensic public accounting, per NPR.

If it is granted, the petition would prevent Jamie from continuing to control Britney's money and estate. The document also includes a request that Rubin be able to revoke all other powers of attorney for Britney. That means Rubin would be able to make more decisions on Britney's behalf, such as health care decisions.

Plus, the petition asked that Rubin be given "the power and authorization to pursue opportunities related to professional commitments and activities including but not limited to performing, recording, videos, tours, TV shows, and other similar activities as long as they are approved by the conservator of the person, the conservatee's medical team."

The filing also listed all of Britney's financial assets, totaling almost $60 million.

July 30, 2021: Britney's medical team says it supports Jamie's removal.

In a new court filing, Britney's personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, said she and Britney's medical team agreed that Jamie should be removed as conservator of Britney's estate.

"[Jamie] should not continue to act as the Conservatee's Conservator of the Estate, because his doing so is not in the best interest of the Conservatee," the document read. "Because the paramount concern for this Conservatorship is doing what is in the best interest of the Conservatee, Petitioner hereby joins Conservatee in the Removal Petition."

The filing continued: "Ms. Montgomery respectfully notes that Ms. Spears's medical team agrees that it is not in the best interest of the Conservatee for Mr. Spears to be and remain Conservator of the Estate," per People.

The document also said that Montgomery approved Jamie's replacement, accountant Jason Rubin. "Ms. Montgomery believes in good faith that Ms. Spears's bests interests are served by granting the Removal Petition and removing Mr. Spears and replacing him as Conservator of the Estate with Mr. Rubin as requested in the Appointment Petition," it read.

A source previously said that Britney has appreciated all of Montgomery's support. "She is happy that Jodi is pushing back against Jamie's claims," the source told People. "She feels like Jodi is very supportive."

August 12, 2021: Jamie agrees to step down as Britney's conservator.

Jamie filed in Los Angeles Superior Court his response to Britney's petition for his suspension, announcing his decision to step down. However, his attorney states that there are “no actual grounds for suspending or removing” him, and cites the “public battle with his daughter” as his reasoning for stepping down, per Variety.

Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, issued a statement in response. "My firm filed a Petition for Mr. Spears’s suspension and removal based on strong, insurmountable legal grounds, which were unequivocally supported by the law and all parties involved, including Jodi Montgomery, Britney Spears, and her medical team.”

“We are pleased that Mr. Spears and his lawyer have today conceded in a filing that he must be removed. It is vindication for Britney. We are disappointed, however, by their ongoing shameful and reprehensible attacks on Ms. Spears and others,” Rosengart’s statement continues. “We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter’s estate, and I look forward to taking Mr. Spears’s sworn deposition in the near future.”

September 28, 2021: Jamie is officially suspended as conservator of Britney's estate.

On Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge suspended Britney's father from the conservatorship. Certified public accountant John Zabel was appointed to replace him as a temporary conservator, per CNN.

During the heated court hearing, Britney's attorney Mathew Rosengart called Jamie “a cruel, toxic, abusive man," CNN reported. “She wants him out of her life,” he continued. “Britney deserves to wake up tomorrow without her father as her conservator.”

Jamie responded to the court's decision in a statement: "Mr. Spears loves his daughter Britney unconditionally. For thirteen years, he has tried to do what is in her best interests, whether as a conservator or her father. This started with agreeing to serve as her conservator when she voluntarily entered into the conservatorship. This included helping her revive her career and re-establish a relationship with her children."

"For anyone who has tried to help a family member dealing with mental health issues, they can appreciate the tremendous amount of daily worry and work this required," the statement continued. "Despite the suspension, Mr. Spears will continue to look out for the best interests of his daughter and work in good faith towards a positive resolution of all matters," the statement finished.

Britney alluded to the news on Instagram with a video of her flying a plane: "On cloud 9 right now 🤩☁️✈️ !!!! First time flying a plane and first time in a prop plane ✈️ !!!" she wrote.

"Geez I was scared 😳 🙄 !!! Pssss bringing the ship 🛳 home, JL ... Stay classy beautiful people !!!! New pics coming soon 📷😉✨ !!!!" the caption read.

A hearing to consider Britney's request to completely end the conservatorship is scheduled for Nov. 12th. A second hearing is also scheduled for Dec. 13th, when Judge Brenda Penny will address Britney's financial matters, according to CNN.

November 1, 2021: Jamie files for the immediate termination of Britney's conservatorship.

Court documents filed by Jamie's attorney said that "Britney's recent testimony and requests to take personal control of her estate and affairs have made clear that continuing the Conservatorship is contrary to her desires." As a result, "Jamie sees no reason why the Conservatorship should continue for any amount of time and asserts he has no interest in the Conservatorship continuing," per People.

"Jamie unconditionally loves and supports his daughter. Full stop. As he has done for her entire life, Jamie will do everything he can to protect and care for her," his attorney continued. "For the last 13 years, that included serving as her Conservator. Now, it means ending her Conservatorship."

Jamie's sudden request may have come in response to an upcoming court hearing on Nov. 12th. At the hearing, one of Britney's attorneys was supposed to question Jamie about how he spent Britney's money during her conservatorship while under oath, per Yahoo! News.

While Britney has been outspoken about opposing her father's involvement in her life, she also recently explained that she thinks her mother, Lynne, came up with the idea of her conservatorship in the first place. "What people don't know is that my mom is the one who gave him the idea," she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram caption. "I will never get those years back... she secretly ruined my life."

"You know exactly what you did. My dad is not smart enough to ever think of a conservatorship, but tonight I will smile knowing I have a new life ahead of me," Britney wrote, soon after Jamie's request was filed, according to the BBC.

November 12, 2021: A judge formally terminates Britney's conservatorship.

On November 12th, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny ended the conservatorship, effective immediately. “The conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,” she said, according to the New York Times.

Britney's attorney Mathew Rosengart told the court that a "safety net" will be put in place for Britney Spears' finances and personal care, per CNN. Assets will now be transferred from Britney's temporary conservator to the singer's trust, the judge ruled.

Britney wasn't present at today's hearing, but her fiance Sam Asghari posted a triumphant Instagram post with the word "Freedom" in all caps immediately after. He captioned it: "History was made today. Britney is Free! ❤️"

"This is a monumental day for Britney Spears," Britney's lawyer Mathew Rosengar said in a post-court press conference. "What's next for Britney, and this is the first time this could be said for about a decade, is up to one person, Britney."

But Britney's legal battle continues: The judge also ruled that Britney's current estate conservator would continue working to settle ongoing financial concerns related to the case.

The next court dates are scheduled for Dec. 8 and Jan. 19. In January, the parties will discuss a petition for substituted judgment, according to the judge.

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