Britney Spears Guardianship Hearing takes place today.
On Wednesday (June 23), the 39-year-old pop star will finally speak in court, virtually, about her controversial guardianship battle against her father, Jamie Spears.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court has said there will be a live audio stream of the proceedings, which is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. This hearing does not mean that a final decision regarding the potential dismissal of Britney’s father as Conservative will be made today, as a decision of this caliber will likely depend on testimony from medical professionals to assess Britney’s mental health. .
On Tuesday, June 22, The New York Times released previously sealed court documents regarding the trusteeship. The new report claimed Britney had wanted guardianship to end since at least 2016. Britney reportedly told a court investigator that guardianship had “become an oppressive and controlling tool against her” and that she wanted it to end. as soon as possible. The documents also revealed that Britney had wanted her father to leave his guardianship since 2014, and alleged that Jamie had been drinking heavily at the time.
Britney’s attorney, Samuel Ingham III, recently said Britney asked to be able to go to court soon, after which Judge Brenda Penny confirmed today’s date. This will be the first time she will speak in court since May 10, 2019.
According to the Los Angeles Times, members of the public can listen through the court’s remote audio assistance program. You can create an account to do so here. The case type is “Probate” and the case number is BP108870.
LIVE UPDATES BELOW:
Updates to come here as the Trusteeship Hearing takes place today. Stay tuned.
- 5:56 p.m. ET: Conservative lawyer Jodi Montgomery has a potential care plan for her. Britney said she wants to be okay with this and only get therapy in places where paparazzi are waiting outside.
- 5:40 p.m. ET: Britney said she had an IUD implanted and wanted it removed, although she cannot currently make that decision. She also said she wanted to be able to get married and have a baby.
- 5:37 p.m. ET: Britney noted that some members of her family need to be reminded that “they work for me”.
- 5:28 p.m. ET: According to The Independent, Britney has said that she is depressed, not happy and cannot sleep. She continued, “My father and anyone involved in this tutelage, including my leadership… they should be in jail.” She later added, “It is not okay to force myself to do something I don’t want. Guardianship should end. I really believe that guardianship is abusive.”
- 5:15 p.m. ET: According to Fox News, Britney said she felt exploited and wanted to keep this hearing open to the public
- 5:08 p.m. ET: The tribunal sits under the presidency of Judge Brenda Penny
- 5:00 p.m. ET: Britney fans gather outside the courthouse amid the pop star’s hearing
- 4:30 p.m. ET: Court hearing website appeared to hang or crash for members of the public who tried to log in to listen to the hearing
ABOUT THE BATTLE OF BRITNEY SPEARS CONSERVATORY:
Britney has been in guardianship since 2008 following her mental health crisis of 2007. At the time, she was taken to hospital for “involuntary psychiatric assessments”.
Guardianship is awarded when a person has “severely impaired mental capacity”. Under guardianship, a court can grant someone the power to make decisions about the life of a person who is believed to be incapable of doing so safely. The exact reason for Britney’s guardianship is unknown to the public
Britney’s father, Jamie, was her personal curator until September 2019, when he stepped down. He always remains the co-curator of his finances. Assistant Jodi Montgomery is currently Britney’s personal curator and oversees aspects of the pop star’s life, including medical care and security.
However, Britney has demanded that Jamie be removed from any stewardship role as she is said to be afraid of him and refuses to act if he remains her co-curator.
In April, Britney’s mother Lynne requested in court that Jamie’s law firm reimburse Britney’s estate for “unnecessary costs.” According to Lynne, her ex-husband used the money to embark on a “nationwide media tour” in an attempt to turn public opinion in her favor, instead of focusing on guardianship relationships.
