After delivering a shocking and saddening testimony in court, asking to be freed from her conservatorship, Britney Spears' request to end her father's involvement and to get "her life back" has been denied by a judge – for now. It also appears that there's somewhat of a blame game playing out between Britney's father, Jamie Spears, who stopped heading up her personal care in 2019, but who continues to rule over her finances, and Jodi Montgomery, a professionally appointed conservator.
Given that she is a licensed private professional fiduciary, Montgomery is bound by law to follow a Code of Ethics, unlike family members who act as conservators.
The decision, according to the BBC, is not based on Britney's recent request - she needs to file a formal petition to terminate the arrangement first - but rather the denial is in relation to a request Britney made in November for the private wealth management firm the Bessemer Trust to be appointed as her "sole conservator".
The court has now also heard a denial from both parties that Britney has been prevented from marrying her partner, Sam Asghari, and having a child with him. In her emotional statement to Judge Brenda Penny, the singer said she'd been told she couldn't have her IUD removed.
A filing from Jamie Spears said he was "greatly saddened to hear of his daughter's difficulties and suffering, and he believes that there must be an investigation into those claims".
However, also addressing the coercive control allegations, Britney's conservator Jodi Montgomery's attorney said in a statement, "Britney's right to marry is unaffected by the conservatorship under Probate Code §1900. As to family planning, that is also unaffected by the conservatorship... If Britney needs any assistance with either, Ms. Montgomery has and will be there to provide any assistance needed to Britney."
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It continued on to say that Montgomery only wishes the best for her client. "While it is Ms. Montgomery's professional duty to be Britney's protector and advocate, honouring her wishes and seeing to her best interests while Britney is under conservatorship, it is her sincere personal wish that Britney continues to make meaningful progress in her well-being so that her conservatorship of the person can be terminated."
The statement, published by Page Six, clarified that Montgomery is not in control of Britney's finances - that responsibility still lies with Britney's father - and implied that he has not always approved requests made.
"I can state unequivocally that Jodi Montgomery has been a tireless advocate for Britney and for her well-being," it reads. "While she does not control Britney’s financial assets, she is responsible for her personal care... Practically speaking, since everything costs money, no expenditures can happen without going through Mr. Spears and Mr. Spears approving them. Ms. Montgomery has advocated on Britney’s behalf for any expenditures that Britney has requested as well as for expenditures recommended by Britney’s medical team.
"Not every requested expenditure has been approved," Montgomery's statement continued. "Jamie Spears, as conservator of the estate, has a duty to make decisions in the best interests of the estate, and sometimes that has meant requested expenditures have been denied or limited."
On her day in court, Britney plainly laid out how affected she is by having to live under a conservatorship, saying she cries every day and is "so angry it's insane". The singer also pointed out that if she was unwell enough to need a conservatorship for thirteen years, then it seems nonsensical for her to have continued touring and making money, only for it to be controlled by her father.
"I deserve to have a life. I deserve to have a two-to-three year break. I feel bullied and left out and alone. I deserve to have the same rights as anybody by having a child and a family… All I want is to own my money, for this to end, and for my boyfriend to drive me in his f*cking car," she said in her testimony, adding that she would like to sue her family and believes they should be in jail for "living off my conservatorship for 13 years".
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
