Britney Spears' co-conservator refuses to step down
Britney Spears’ co-conservator refuses to step down and claims the singer asked her YESTERDAY to stay in the role – despite begging a judge to set her free
- Jodi Montgomery is Britney’s Conservator of Person and Jamie is her Conservator of Estate
- She is in charge of her personal and medical choices and has been since 2019
- On Tuesday, Jodi’s lawyer told DailyMail.com that Britney contacted her yesterday and asked her to ‘continue to serve’
- Because of their ‘conversation’, Jodi is refusing to step down from the role
- The lawyer won’t reveal what kind of conversation the pair had – whether it was over the phone or otherwise
- It contradicts what Britney told the judge on June 23 – that she wants to be free
- She has in the past criticized Jamie Spears for not allowing Britney to spend her money
- Jamie has, in turn, accused Jodi of making all the decisions that Britney doesn’t like
- Britney’s lawyer resigned on Tuesday and her manager has also stepped down
- The controversial case will go back to court on July 14
The woman who shares the role of conservator over Britney Spears with the singer’s father Jamie claims she asked her as recently as yesterday to stay in control over her decisions – despite her public court plea for freedom just two weeks ago.
Jodi Montgomery is Britney’s Conservator of Person, meaning she’s in charge of her medical care, whereas her father Jamie is in control of her finances as the Conservator of her Estate. Jamie appointed Jodi to the position in 2019.
Jodi is a social worker and professional conservator who runs a company with her husband.
Despite Britney begging a judge last week to free her, she still remains unable to make her own financial and medical decisions.
The campaign to free her among her fans is gathering pace and celebrities are also joining in, advocating on social media and in interviews with the hashtag #FreeBritney.
The next court hearing is next week and on Tuesday, Britney’s court-appointed attorney Sam Ingham resigned. He had, for years, failed to file paperwork on her behalf to end the conservatorship. According to sources, Ingham didn’t think Britney wanted it to end.
On Tuesday, Montgomery, however, refused to resign and claimed Britney told her yesterday that she still needs her.
‘Ms. Montgomery has no plans to step down as Ms. Spears’ Temporary Conservator of the Person. She remains committed to steadfastly supporting Ms. Spears in every way she can within the scope of her duties as a conservator of the person.
Jodi Montgomery, who shares the Conservator role with Britney’s father, claimed on Tuesday that Britney had asked her to stay on – despite telling the court she wanted to be free
‘Ms. Spears as recently as yesterday has asked Ms. Montgomery to continue to serve. Ms. Montgomery will continue to serve as a conservator for as long as Ms. Spears and the Court desire her to do so,’ Montgomery’s attorney Lauriann Wright told DailyMail.com.
When pushed for details of the conversation she claims they had, Wright’s office refused to give any.
Britney’s court-appointed attorney Sam Ingham is expected to resign today
In court last week, Britney told the judge: ‘I’m here is because I want to end the conservatorship without having to be evaluated. I’ve done a lot of research, ma’am.’
She did not mention Montgomery, but told how she’d had no control over her own life since 2008.
On Tuesday, her attorney Sam Ingham resigned.
Ingham was appointed to represent Britney in the 2008, when her father, Jamie, obtained control of her life and finances. TMZ reports on Tuesday that Ingham is stepping down and will file paperwork imminently.
He is said to be ‘upset’ that Britney told the court two weeks ago that she never knew she could get out of the conservatorship, insisting that he has always made her aware of her options.
TMZ cites unnamed sources who say Ingham was told by Britney in their private conversations that she didn’t want the conservatorship to end, just to have her father removed from it.
The next court hearing is July 14 – when lawyers for Jamie and the conservatorship ‘team’ will give evidence Britney does want it in place, even though she testified on June 23 that she wants it to be terminated.
The complex legal arrangement began in 2008 when Britney was deemed unable to make her own decisions after a mental health breakdown. Her father was put in charge and she took a brief break from working then went on tour.
Ever since then, she’s barely been heard from. It wasn’t until two weeks ago that she publicly stated how the conservatorship had almost ruined her life, and how she wanted out of it.
Despite her pleas, Ingham didn’t file the paperwork and he ignored questions from the world’s media and her fans as to why he hadn’t done anything.
Page Six on Tuesday cited a source to the star who said she was shocked Ingham still hadn’t filed the paperwork 13 days after she told a judge how the conservatorship was ruining her life.
‘Britney doesn’t understand what the holdup is.
‘She feels she made it crystal clear in court that she wants the conservatorship terminated, but nearly two weeks later, she’s still waiting for the petition to be filed,’ the unnamed source said.
In order for a judge to rid Britney of the conservatorship, a request for it to be terminated must be filed.
It’s unclear now who will represent the star in her ongoing fight to regain the freedom she says was taken from her 13 years ago.
Britney’s long-time manager Larry Rudolph has also resigned, saying he no longer needed to be kept on the payroll because she wants to retire.
He wrote a letter to Jamie to say while he hadn’t spoken to Britney for two years, he’d learned that she had been expressing a desire to other people to stop working.
Britney’s long-term manager, Larry Rudolph, has also resigned, saying his services are no longer needed because she wants to retire
Britney’s father Jamie in a recent picture. He has always claimed he has acted in the best interest of his daughter but she says he is controlling and abusing her
‘Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire.
‘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.
‘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,’ he said.
Bessemer Trust, the financial organization brought on to manage the conservatorship with Jamie, resigned on July 1.
In its letter to the court, the company’s attorney said they were always under the impression that Britney wanted the arrangement to continue.
‘Petitioner has heard the Conservatee and respects her wishes,’ Bessemer’s attorney said.
The next court hearing is scheduled for July 14.
TIMELINE OF BRITNEY’S COMPLEX CONSERVATORSHIP AND HOW IT BEGAN
Britney with her father, brother and mother in 2006. Her parents separated
2002: Jamie Spears and Lynne Spears divorce.
Britney breaks up with Justin Timberlake around the same time
2004: Britney marries Kevin Federline
2007: Britney, struggling through a custody battle and split with Kevin, shaves her head and attacks a paparazzo’s car
2008: Jamie Spears files for conservatorship of Britney, claiming she is not legally well enough to make her own decisions
Britney in 2008 for a custody hearing as part of her split with Kevin Federline. Jamie Spears in court in 2008 getting the conservatorship
2009-2019: QUIET CONSERVATORSHIP YEARS
The conservatorship – which had been temporary – is extended every year.
In court papers, Jamie’s attorneys describe how she is making more money
January 2019: THE ARRANGEMENT STARTS TO CRUMBLE
Britney in 2019, in the grips of the conservatorship, in Las Vegas at her residency
Britney announces an ‘indefinite’ work hiatus and cancels her lucrative Las Vegas residency.
Jamie files paperwork asking for the conservatorship to be extended beyond California, to apply in Hawaii, Louisiana and Florida as well
He steps down as her primary conservator after allegations he abused one of her sons but is still listed as one of those in charge
Early 2020: Britney, Jamie and Jamie-Lynne are in Louisiana together for two weeks.
The #FreeBritney movement is picking up.
His attorneys claim everyone is happy together and enjoying spending time together in quarantine.
November 2020: Britney’s attorneys claim in papers that she’s afraid of her father and they ask for Bessemer Trust to be put in charge.
Her fans start speculating over her cryptic Instagram posts and videos that she wants a way out.
December 2020: The conservatorship is extended until September 2021
February 5 2021: Framing Britney Spears debuts on Hulu
The conservatorship that Britney was put under is ordinarily used in situations where older, perhaps senile people, can no longer look after their own affairs.
Fans are concerned for her well-being and want her to be released from the control of her father, Jamie, who can still legally make decisions on her behalf
It gives control over to an appointed conservator for the best interest of the recipient but in most cases, the recipient is not healthy enough to make their own money, unlike Britney who makes millions. Under the rules of the probate conservatorship, Jamie now has equal control over her estate to a third party and an attorney, Andrew Wallet. Wallet derives a salary of $426,000 a year from Britney’s estate.
He, Jamie and the third party who was brought on recently can make deals on her behalf and restrict her visitors.
JUNE 23, 2021 – BRITNEY SPEAKS OUT IN COURT
Britney and her boyfriend Sam Asghari are in Hawaii together now with her kids
In emotional testimony, Britney told the court that she had suffered psychologically for years as a result of the conservatorship which she said was so restrictive, she wasn’t allowed to remove her IUD birth control
JUNE 30 – JUDGE DENIES BRITNEY’S REQUEST TO REMOVE JAMIE
Judge Brenda Penny, responding to Britney’s November 2020 request, refuses to remove Jamie from the agreement.
She doesn’t say why but she does invite her attorney to file paperwork to end it, which he doesn’t.
JULY 1 – BESSEMER TRUST RESIGNS AFTER BEING PUT IN CHARGE WITH JAMIE
A day after the judge’s ruling, Bessemer Trust, which had been brought on, resigned, saying they were never aware that Britney wanted to end the conservatorship.
In a court filing, the company’s attorneys said: ‘We heard her and respect her wishes.’
JULY 5 – BRITNEY’S LONG-TIME MANAGER RESIGNS
Larry Rudolph wrote a letter to Jamie and the conservatorship to say he was no longer needed since Britney wanted to retire.
He said he hadn’t spoken to her for two years but had been told by others that she wanted to step down.
JULY 6 – BRITNEY’S ATTORNEY STEPS DOWN
Sam Ingham, the attorney appointed to represent Britney in 2008, steps down after failing to file paperwork to terminate the conservatorship, despite her pleas.
JULY 14 – NEXT COURT HEARING
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