After 13 years of legal battle, a judge has suspended Jamie Spears as the conservator of his daughter, Britney Spears. But Jamie said the decision has been "disappointing" and would be a loss for his superstar daughter.
In a statement to CNN, the counsel for the pop superstar's father said that Jamie, as Britney's conservator, has always looked out for Britney's "best interest" as she deals with mental health issues. Vivian Thoreen said that Britney's father had endured the speculations and attacks against him because he focused on helping his daughter.
Thoreen said that Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny made a mistake in suspending Jamie as the conservator and then putting a stranger in charge of Britney's $60 million estate. Penny has also temporarily appointed certified public accountant John Zabel, who Britney chose to manage her estate until the next conservatorship hearing in November.
'On Cloud Nine'
Britney, however, has been elated and "on cloud nine" after the judge decided to suspend her father from his role. The hitmaker has repeatedly expressed she doesn't want Jamie involved in her finances and her life any longer as she has been "traumatized" by her father's meddling.
Now 39 years old, Britney's conservatorship, also called guardianship in some states, has given Jamie the power to make the calls about her career. However, it has also allowed Jamie to restrict his daughter's life, including her relationships with other people.
Under this arrangement, Britney doesn't have full custody of her two teenage sons with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Jamie had also issued restraining orders against individuals that he has deemed a bad influence or harmful to his daughter, especially when it came to her business deals.
During the court hearing in June, Britney said that she was forced to take medications and barred from making choices about birth control. She was also required to work or perform on stage even if she had no desire or energy.
She also needed the conservatorship to approve her decisions to buy a house or get married. However, Britney recently announced that she and her boyfriend, Sam Asghari, are engaged.
Jamie filed for conservatorship in 2008 after Britney's very public mental health breakdown. The older Spears said that their arrangement was always voluntary and necessary to save her daughter's health and well-being, as well as her life.
Disturbing Surveillance Allegations
Meanwhile, the FBI is investigating allegations that Jamie conducted disturbing surveillance against his daughter and secretly recorded her communications. It comes as a security firm claimed they were hired by Britney's father to monitor all of her calls. Their story was featured in two documentaries covering the conservatorship hearing.
Though the claims aren't evidence, Britney's lawyers filed for the probe and insisted that these "warrant a serious investigation" as California laws state that recordings should be consented to by both parties. If Jamie did monitor the calls without Britney's consent or knowledge, he was depriving her of her civil liberties.
