Pop icon Britney Spears has settled with her estranged father, James P. Spears, more than two years after the termination of her conservatorship which placed her under his supervision for over a decade. The specific details of their settlement were not disclosed in court filings made by both parties at Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday as legal disputes continued regarding attorney fees and allegations that James Spears acted improperly during the 13-year conservatorship.
Spears’ lawyer, Matthew Rosengart, commented: “Although the conservatorship was terminated in November [2021], her wish for freedom is now truly complete.” He added that his client no longer has to attend or be involved with court proceedings as a result of this settlement. Spears had been placed under a court-ordered conservatorship, which began after a series of public breakdowns and hospitalizations in 2008.
The #FreeBritney campaign gained significant attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when it went viral on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok in July [2020]. In her first testimony to an open court, Spears spoke out against what she called a “highly abusive” conservatorship. She claimed that during this period she was forced to go on tour by her management team, was prescribed lithium without consent and had been coerced into using intrauterine devices (IUDs) as contraception against her wishes.
Following the termination of her conservatorship in November [2021], James Spears sought approval from the court for over $2 million worth of fees to multiple law firms he hired during his time managing Britney’s affairs, and requested ongoing legal expenses be paid too. However, Rosengart has consistently objected these requests as he believes that James engaged in severe financial misconduct while acting as her daughter’s guardian.
Alex Weingarten, lawyer for James Spears, declined to reveal details about the settlement but claimed: “Jamie is thrilled all this is over.” He added: “He would love nothing more than to reconcile and be a family again…he has only ever acted in Britney’s best interests.” In her recently released memoir, ‘The Woman I Want To Be,’ Spears expressed no plans at the moment for pursuing music. She wrote: “It’s time for me not to be someone who other people want; it’s time to actually find myself.”
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