Britney Spears returns to court. Here’s what has happened in her conservatorship battle since the last hearing
By Chloe Melas, CNN
In the three weeks since Britney Spears’ powerful testimony in which she called her 13-year conservatorship “abusive” and pleaded for the court-ordered arrangement to end, there have been multiple subsequent legal filings in the case and growing outcries of support for the singer.
Spears told Judge Brenda Penny at the hearing last month that she wanted to hire her own attorney to advocate on her behalf, stating that she had been forced by her conservators to perform, take lithium and remain on birth control against her will.
Her court-appointed attorney since the inception of her conservatorship in 2008, Samuel D. Ingham, subsequently submitted his resignation, as did the appointed co-conservator of her estimated $60 million dollar estate, Bessemer Trust.
There is another hearing for Spears’ conservatorship on Wednesday, during which Judge Penny is expected to consider the singer’s request for new counsel, along with other petitions in the case. Though Spears is not required to attend, it’s anticipated she will call in by phone, as she did at the last hearing.
Here is a timeline of what’s transpired since.
June 23, 2021
Britney Spears calls into a hearing at the Los Angeles County Superior Court to address Judge Brenda Penny regarding her conservatorship. Audio from the hearing is live streamed, marking the first public comments from Spears about her conservatorship in 13 years. Spears speaks for more than 20 minutes and makes a series of explosive accusations.
“I felt drunk,” Spears says of taking lithium against her will. “I couldn’t even stick up for myself. I couldn’t even have a conversation with my mom or dad about anything. I told them I was scared and they had six different nurses come to my home to monitor me while I was on this medication that I didn’t want to be on to begin with.”
She calls her conservatorship “abusive,” comparing her treatment to sex-trafficking and criticizing her family and others involved in managing her day-to-day affairs and medical care.
“Ma’am, they should be in jail,” Spears tells Judge Penny.
A full transcript of the hearing can be found here.
June 23, 2021
Mariah Carey, Justin Timberlake, Brandy, Liz Phair and other artists and entertainers show support for Spears on social media.
“Oldest trick in the playbook of the patriarchy: declare a woman mad and gain control of her assets/property. Been happening for centuries,” Phair writes.
June 24, 2021
Spears shares a post on Instagram in which she apologizes to her supporters for not being honest in the past about how she has felt about her conservatorship.
“I apologize for pretending like I’ve been ok the past two years … I did it because of my pride and I was embarrassed to share what happened to me,” Spears writes.
June 28, 2021
Christina Aguilera joins others in voicing support for Spears.
“These past few days I’ve been thinking about Britney and everything she is going through,” Aguilera tweets.
“It is unacceptable that any woman, or human, wanting to be in control of their own destiny might not be allowed to live life as they wish.”
June 30, 2021
The singer’s father and co-conservator of her estate, Jamie Spears, asks the court to launch an investigation into the allegations of abuse by the conservatorship made by his daughter.
July 2, 2021
The appointed co-conservator of Spears’ estimated $60 million dollar estate, Bessemer Trust, a wealth management firm, asks to resign, citing “changed circumstances.”
July 5, 2021
Spears’ longtime manager, Larry Rudolph resigns. In a letter sent to Spears’ father and obtained by CNN, the music executive writes that he is stepping down, due, in part, to the singer “voicing her intention to officially retire.” Spears has yet to say publicly that she plans to step away from music permanently.
July 6, 2021
Spears’ mother, Lynne Spears files a petition asking the court to allow her daughter to choose her own counsel. In the filing obtained by CNN, Lynne Spears states via her attorneys that her daughter is in a much different place than when her conservatorship began in 2008. “Now, and for the past many years, Conservatee is able to care for her person and in fact has, within the parameters of this conservatorship, earned literally hundreds of millions of dollars as an international celebrity.”
July 6, 2021
The singer’s court-appointed attorney for the duration of her conservatorship, Samuel D. Ingham, submits a petition asking the court for permission to resign. The news comes after Spears asked the judge during her hearing for the right to choose her own lawyer. Loeb & Loeb, the firm appointed as an associated court-appointed counsel, requests to resign at the same time.
July 7, 2021
Jodi Montgomery, who as temporary conservator of her person oversees Spears’ medical care, submits a petition with the court stating that the singer requested Montgomery help her find an attorney. Montgomery’s filing asks the court to appoint a Guardian ad Litem, to aide in the process of helping Spears hire a lawyer.
July 8, 2021
Madonna shows her support for Spears.
The reigning queen of pop posts a photo of herself in a shirt that read “Britney Spears” to her Instagram stories with the caption: “Give this woman her life back. Slavery was abolished so long ago! Death to the greedy patriarchy that has been doing this to women for centuries. This is a violation of human rights! Britney we coming to get you out of jail!”
July 8, 2021
In another court filing, Jamie Spears asks the court to reject Montgomery’s request for estate conservators to cover the cost of additional security for herself after allegedly receiving death threats since the June 23 hearing. In the document obtained by CNN, the elder Spears states that he, his legal team and other family members have been subject to death threats and harassment for years.
July 12, 2021
A source familiar with the matter tells CNN that Britney Spears is consulting with Mathew Rosengart, a former federal prosecutor, about potentially representing her in her conservatorship battle.
Rosengart is a veteran entertainment litigator who has represented Steven Spielberg and Sean Penn in the past.
He had no comment when reached by CNN.
The-CNN-Wire
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