In the wake of the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, the pop star’s father Jamie Spears has faced renewed scrutiny over his conservatorship of her estate. Through his attorney, Jamie has now responded to calls that he step aside, telling CNN that he would “love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship.”
Spears’ lawyer Vivian Lee Thoreen also offered her client’s perspective on the recent court tussles over the $60 million estate. Last month, a judge ruled that Bessemer Trust would serve as a co-conservator alongside Jamie. At the time, reporting suggested that this happened despite the elder Spears’ objections. “Jamie never contested or objected to Bessemer being appointed as his co-conservator,” Thoreen contended. “And at the last hearing, it was reported that Jamie was trying to get more power than his co-conservator, and that is completely inaccurate. What we were arguing is that Jamie and his co-conservator should have equal power, that was always consistent.”
But at least according to Thoreen, Jamie would be happiest giving up that power entirely. “[Jamie] would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship,” she claimed. “Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney. If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it.”
As evidence that the arrangement is necessary, Thoreen pointed to the courts. “The court investigator also interviews everyone who is involved in the conservatorship, and they do a deep dive to really study the conservatorship to find out what’s going on,” she said. “And what I can tell you is every year the court has kept the conservatorship in place.”
Thoreen also sought to frame Britney’s decision to distance herself from Jamie as normal. “Like any other family, there are ups and downs,” she suggested. “So, Jamie is respectful of Britney’s space, and he is also respectful of her attorney’s request that he not contact her. But the key is Britney knows that she can contact her daddy anytime and that he will be there for her. Whether or not there’s a conservatorship, Jamie will love Britney.”
The interview also included something of an admission that Jamie has made mistakes. “Jamie is not suggesting that he is the perfect dad or that he would receive any ‘Father of the Year’ award,” Thoreen noted. “Like any parent, he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye on what Britney may want. But Jamie believes every single decision he has made has been in her best interest.”
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As for Britney, she has mostly refrained from making public statements, although she has found ways to subtly support the #FreeBritney movement. She came close to directly addressing the controversy in a social media post on February 9th. “I’ll always love being on stage,” she wrote. “But I am taking the time to learn and be a normal person ….. I love simply enjoying the basics of every day life !!!! Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives. Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens.”
Jamie Spears isn’t the only one doing damage control in the aftermath of Framing Britney Spears. Last month, Justin Timberlake publicly apologized to Britney, as well as Janet Jackson, for not being an advocate on their behalf, saying, “I know I failed.”
