The conservatorship that Britney Spears has been entangled in for the last 12 years will remain unchanged, a court hearing Wednesday (19 August) said.
In a move that will likely sow even further discord among a faction of the pop star’s fans that are vying for the complex legal arrangement to end, Spears’ father, Jamie, will remain co-conservator of her finances and estate.
This is despite the 38-year-old reportedly filing earlier this week a bid to strip Jamie completely from the conservatorship. Spears is “strongly opposed” to her father largely steering an arrangement she was bunged into following her public meltdown in 2007.
According to TMZ, at a status hearing at a Los Angeles, California, courthouse, no immediate changes will be made to the conservatorship.
As a result, despite the apparent requests of the singer – and the thumping pleas and protests from the #FreeBritney movement – Jamie will continue to manage her affairs.
First husband of Britney Spears: ‘I’m here to show support for the #FreeBritney movement and Britney.’
Insiders told the outlet that the conservatorship, also known as a guardianship, cannot be changed until Spears submits certain documents.
Moreover, they said, the court extended the arrangement until February, 2021.
The news will likely be dispiriting to Free Britney members, a campaign that sees Jamie as mishandling his daughter’s affairs and views many of Spears’ colourful Instagram posts as cryptic siren calls for help.
Indeed, some two dozen protesters packed North Hill Street to show their support to the “Circus” singer, shouting “the conservatorship has got to go!” – even her ex-husband, Jason Alexander, attended.
Alexander, who famously married Britney for 55 hours, posed with fans and told US Weekly reporters: “I’m here to show support for the #FreeBritney movement and Britney.
He added: “I wanna see Britney get what she rightly deserves, and from personal conversations, she doesn’t want to be under the conservatorship obviously and it’s affecting her life still to this day in a negative way.
“And it’s time for it to be over.”