By Doha Madani and Diana Dasrath - NBC News
Britney Spears' father filed a petition Tuesday to end his daughter's guardianship, a major victory for the singer after her father held the reins of her estate for more than 13 years.
James
Jamie
Spears'
petition
to the Los Angeles County Superior Court, seen by NBC News, the sister network of Noticias Telemuno, alleges that his daughter "has the right to have this Court seriously consider whether this guardianship is no longer necessary."
The document goes on to say that Britney Spears' circumstances have changed "to such an extent that the grounds for establishing a guardianship may no longer exist."
[We explain Britney Spears' legal battle against her father to stop him controlling her estate]
Her petition also argues that the probate code does not require Britney Spears to undergo a new psychological evaluation to end the guardianship, something she told the court she refuses to do.
"The guardianship has helped Spears overcome a major life crisis, rehabilitate and advance her career, and put her finances and affairs in order. But recently, things have changed," the document says.
"Spears is now outspoken in her frustration with the level of control imposed by a guardianship, and has pleaded with this Court to 'allow her to get her life back," she concludes.
Britney Spears, 39, has tried to push her father away twice in the past two years, and last July went as far as to say that she would not act anymore as long as he kept the guardian at any time.
During her testimony on June 23, she told Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny that her father had ruined her life and that he "loved" hearing her suffer while exercising his power over her.
[Britney Spears gets the right to hire a lawyer of her choice and asks a judge to file formal charges against her father]
He alleged that his guardianship was "abusive" and that he was told that he would not be able to see his children if he did not comply with their father's demands.
Jamie Spears (left), father of singer Britney Spears, out of court in Los Angeles, California, on October 24, 2012. On the right, the singer at an event in Beverly Hills, California on 11 February 2017.AP Photo / AP
His new attorney, Mathew Rosengart, filed a petition to remove Jamie Spears last month and asked the court to replace him with a professional accountant.
Rosengart argued that Jamie Spears was not acting in her daughter's best interest and indicated that she may have misused her finances.
The petition to end the guardianship was a major legal victory and "vindication," Rosengart explained in a statement Tuesday.
[They reveal that Britney Spears called 911 to report guardianship abuse before her hearing]
"It appears that Mr. Spears believes that he may attempt to avoid liability and justice, including sitting down for an affidavit and responding to other disclosures under oath, but while we are evaluating his presentation - it was inappropriately sent to the media before being notified. to the attorney - our investigation will continue, "Rosengart said.
Penny is expected to rule on the petition at a hearing on September 29.
Jamie Spears' petition is a huge victory for fans of the #FreeBritney movement who have spent years protesting guardianship.
Many of the members of that community are fans of the artist who expressed their fear that her father was exploiting her for his own benefit.
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Jamie Spears has repeatedly denied all allegations of abuse, both in legal filings and in public comments.
In a response to the impeachment petition, Jamie Spears indicated that he would be "willing to resign when the time comes, but the transition must be orderly and include a resolution of the issues."
But he still challenged his removal, arguing that there was no urgent need for his removal, and urged the court not to make a decision based on "false accusations."
[The decision to maintain Britney Spears' guardianship has no direct bearing on her recent testimony to a judge]
Specifically, he referred to the allegations of his ex-wife Lynne Spears, who also provided a statement in which she stated that she did not believe that he was acting in the best interest of her daughter.
He said Jamie Spears' "absolutely microscopic control" through threats and coercion had reduced his relationship with his daughter to nothing more than "fear and hatred."
Lynne Spears claimed that she became involved in the case during a "time of crisis" that began in 2018 and continued into the following year.
In that period, Britney Spears was being treated by a "sports enhancement" doctor, hired by Jamie Spears, who was "prescribing what I and many others think is a totally inappropriate drug for my daughter, who did not want to take that drug. ".
Jamie Spears refuted the accusation, saying that Lynne Spears "has not accepted the full scope" of the level of care and treatment that her daughter needed for her mental health.
The document argues that the doctor was a Harvard-trained psychiatrist who Britney Spears approved after an interview.
He also denied coercing his daughter to "do anything," including undergoing forced treatment in a hospital facility.
"If the public knew all the facts of Spears' personal life, not just her ups but also her downs, all the addiction and mental health issues she has struggled with, and all the challenges of guardianship, they would praise Mr. Spears for the work he has done, they would not vilify him, "the document said.
"But public opinion does not know all the facts, and has no right to know them, so there will be no public redemption for Mr. Spears," he adds.
[The firm that shares the legal guardianship of Britney Spears resigns to handle the singer's affairs]
Rosengart demanded that Jamie Spears resign immediately last month, accusing him in court documents of attempting to extort money from his daughter before resigning.
"Mr. Spears and his attorney are now on notice: the
status quo is
no longer tolerable, and Britney Spears will not be blackmailed," Rosengart wrote. "Mr. Spears's brazen attempt to negotiate suspension and dismissal in exchange for approximately $ 2 million in payments, in addition to the millions already harvested from Mrs. Spears' estate by Mr. Spears and his associates, is not a start. ".
