Britney Spears' 14-year-long conservatorship ends! Image Source: Entertainment Tonight
Britney Spears’ 14-year long conservatorship ends!
Brenda Penny, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge, announced on November 12th, 2021 that Britney Spears’ 14-year long conservatorship has been terminated. Both the conservatorship of the estate and the person are ending. When the decision was announced, the singer was not present in the court, but her attorney, Mathew Rosengart, shared the news with the media after the proceedings.
The judge said, "Effective today, the conservatorship of Britney Jean Spears, the person and the estate, is hereby terminated." Judge Brenda Penny has given two procedural conditions relating to the financial handover from the current conservator of her estate, which will be addressed on December 8th, 2021. It was also clarified that no medical evaluation would be needed, and all parties have consented to the decision.
Speaking to the media about the December hearing, Mathew Rosengart said, "What that means is we have set up a financial safety net for Britney, in terms of a new trust. All the assets that are outside the existing trust will be transferred by the existing conservator of the estate... into that trust". He added further that he is extremely proud of Britney Spears, and he wants to thank her for the courage, power, and raising her voice when it was needed. Mathew added, "We believe it was the right result."
Mathew Rosengart says that he is extremely proud of Britney Spears for the courage, power and voice she has. Image Source: Spectrum News
The decision to terminate Britney Spears’ 14-year-long conservatorship comes after her attorney, Mathew Rosengart, reiterated on October 28, 2021, in a court filing that it is time that the singer takes her power back and earns her freedom. Mathew Rosengart wrote in documents, "Ms. Spears has made her wishes known about ending the conservatorship she has endured for so long, and she has pleaded with the Court to 'let her have her life back,' without an evaluation, recently attending two court hearings and asking this Court directly to end the conservatorship. It is respectfully submitted—with the consent of all parties—that the time has come. "
Britney Spears's father, Jamie Spears, who served as the singer’s conservator for almost 14 years, also extended support in favor of his daughter, stating that it was "necessary", and later agreed that it was time for Britney Spears to take control of her life back. Although initially, Jamie Spears fought against the removal of the conservatorship in August, in September she filed a petition for the termination of the conservatorship.
Jamie Spears was suspended from his role as Britney Spears' conservator last month. Image Source: The Sun
It was reported that Jamie Spears was suspended from his role as Britney Spears’ conservator last month, with the singer’s attorney stating the decision as a massive legal victory in favor of the singer. After Jamie Spears’ suspension as conservator, certified public accountant John Zabel was appointed as temporary conservator of her estate.
Jamie Spears’ legal team wrote in their report, "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. For the last 13 years, that included serving as her conservator. Now, it means ending her conservatorship".
During a hearing held in June, Britney Spears demanded to speak up in public and hire her own attorney. When given permission she spoke up against the conservatorship, called it "abusive" and pleaded infront of the judge to terminate her conservatorship without further psychological evaluation. She also hired Mathew Rosengart whose first step was to remove Jamie Spears as the conservator of her finances. According to Variety, Britney Spears said, "I just want my life back. It's been 13 years since, And it's enough. It's been a long time since I've owned my money. And it's my wish and my dream for all of this to end without being tested". Britney Spears’ attorney also accused Jamie Spears of financial mismanagement and other issues and requested the authorities to look into the allegations and act accordingly.
Jamie Spears' lawyer stood by his testimony, claiming that he has diligently and dutifully acted as the custodian of his daughter's estate with no blemishes. The conservatorship was put in place in 2008 after a series of incidents took place with Britney Spears, and she ended up on a psychiatric hold. She has constantly bemoaned being misled by her mother Lynne, father Jamie Spears, and sister Jamie Lynn Spears, and has called the conservatorship oppressive.
The singer, like everyone else who prayed and supported the #FreeBritney movement, is overjoyed and overjoyed for the singer. Large crowds of people launched confetti and erupted in cheers and chants of "Britney is free" after the announcement. Britney Spears took to social media to share a glimpse of the view and wrote, "Good God, I love my fans so much it’s crazy. I think I am going to cry the rest of the day!! God be praised. Can I get an amen? # Free Britney".
Jasmine E. Harris, a University of Pennsylvania law professor and expert in conservatorships, mentioned that this kind of termination of conservatorship was rare and that the person seeking the termination needed to prove to the authorities that their rights had to be restored. She added, "I think this would have gone another 13 years had it not been for that moment... when Britney was allowed to speak on her own behalf." She also added that she is hopeful that people will see and understand that people of all ages could lose their independence through the guardianship system, and that’s a disability rights issue.
One of her fans, Carlos Atune, who has been a part of the # Free Britney movement, broke down after the termination of her conservatorship was announced and said, "I’ve been following Britney Spears since I was a kid. She brought happiness and hope to all of us, and she deserves to be happy now, too. Now that she’s free, she can finally make her own decisions. "
Britney Spears’ supporters and friends extended their love and support towards the singer, including recently married Paris Hilton, who wrote on her Twitter, "The moment is so long overdue. Your best days are yet to come. " Actress Sophie Turner also took to her social media to express how happy she felt with the decision, as she wrote, "Yes, Britney is free! We love you, Brit! Brit! " Britney Spears’s fiancé, Sam Asghari, also wrote on his social media handle, "History was made today." Britney is Free! "
The singer has not performed on-stage since October 2018 and is rarely seen in public. She has expressed her concerns about how staying away from the media for a long time has put her in a position where she feels anxious about her future. Now, with her conservatorship terminated, the singer is looking forward to a new life with Sam Asghari and wants to make new changes. She is excited about getting married and closing this chapter of her life for good. But, for now, she is looking forward to having her wedding dress designed by Donatella Versace.
The couple met in 2016 and since then Sam Asghari has stuck by the singer through every thick or thin situation which makes everyone believe that they are end game. Their dreams of being together were on hold due to her conservatorship and the two have not been able to embrace their relationship like a normal adult couple would everything ends today with the decision of termination of Britney Spears' conservatorship.
