'All we can do is keep praying': Britney Spears' father gives first interview in a decade, believes controversial conservatorship may have kept pop star alive



Jamie Spears, the father of Britney Spears, gave his first interview in more than a decade. In the rare interview, the father of the pop music star weighed in on his daughter's conservatorship and the #FreeBritney movement.

The elder Spears told the Daily Mail, "Not everybody's going to agree with me. It's been one hell of a time. But I love my daughter with all my heart and soul. Where would Britney be right now without that conservatorship? And I don't know if she'd be alive."

On Jan. 3, 2008, Spears was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after she refused to turn over her two sons to her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Police believe that Spears was under the influence of an unidentified substance.

Spears was then involuntarily committed to the psychiatric ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for treatment and evaluation during a 72-hour emergency hold, known as a 5150.

Spears was placed under a conservatorship for 13 years – which gave her father complete control of her assets.

Spears' father claimed that the iconic pop star was "broke" at the time despite being one of the most successful entertainers of all-time.

"She had no money whatsoever," the 70-year-old Spears said. "The conservatorship set a resource where she could get back financially. And, you know, we worked — and she worked — and she got herself straight up financially. ... The conservatorship allowed the finances to be better."

"My understanding of a conservatorship is to help someone regain their life and return back to society, and to be able to live normally," he explained. "I want to say that I made a difference. There were a few people behind me that really helped bring it to a point where we could help her."

Speaking of criticisms of him through the #FreeBritney movement by her massive fanbase, Spears said, "All I can say is that most people don't have a clue what the truth is. Her lawyer doesn't have a clue what the truth is. The media has not heard the truth. They've heard the allegations from Britney."

He added, "I don't mind taking that beating because I know it's not true, and because I don't want to start something else. For my daughter to end up going further down the hole than she had been."

Federline got custody of their two children during the drama. Spears is still estranged from her two teenage sons as well as her father.

"For protecting her, and also protecting the kids, conservatorship was a great tool," Spears told interviewer Daphne Barak. "Without it, I don’t think she would have got the kids back."

Spears misses his grandsons, but is keeping the faith that the family can be reunited.

"I miss my two boys really, really bad," he said. "I do. You know, we were very, very close. They were around that age where you could start having a good time with them. But they were developing a mind of their own. God makes things happen for a reason. I don't know what that reason is but it's been a tough three years without them. The family's a mess. All we can do is keep praying."

Britney Spears' father says star's 'addiction and mental health' issues are far more significant than anyone knows — and public would praise his efforts if they knew the truth



Jamie Spears, the father of pop star Britney Spears, says that his daughter's addiction and mental health issues are far worse than anyone realizes.

Jamie stepped down as Britney's personal and estate conservator after the 39-year-old pop star pushed for her father to be removed as conservator.

What are the details?

In court documents filed Aug. 12, Jamie and his legal team said that Britney has significant issues with addiction and struggles with her mental health.

According to Insider, Jamie has agreed to work with his daughter's personal attorney to transition to a new conservator.

He added that the public would likely praise him for his efforts if they knew of the "issues that she has struggled with."

In the filing, Jamie also took aim at his ex-wife, and Britney's mother, Lynne, who issued remarks in July supporting Britney's efforts to remove him as conservator and said that her ex-husband was "incapable" of putting their daughter's interests "ahead of his own."

In July, Lynne wrote, "I witnessed my daughter be compelled ... to enter a health facility that she did not want to enter, where she was threatened with punishment if she did not stay for medical treatment that she did not want to endure."

What else?

Jamie's attorneys in the Aug. 12 filing fired back and wrote, "Unfortunately, it appears that Lynne has not accepted the full extent to which Ms. Spears has had addiction and mental health issues or the level of care and treatment she needs."

The filing added, "If the public knew all the facts of Ms. Spears' personal life, not only her highs but also her lows, all of the addiction and mental health issues that she has struggled with, and all of the challenges of the Conservatorship, they would praise Mr. Spears for the job he has done, not vilify him. But the public does not know all the facts, and they have no right to know, so there will be no public redemption for Mr. Spears. That is fine with Mr. Spears so long as the Court acts, based not on the opinions of those pandering to the public and social media, but on substantiated facts and all of the highly confidential information that the court has in its possession to make decisions that are in Ms. Spears' best interests."

In a statement on Jamie's filing, Matthew Rosengart, Britney's attorney, said that her father agreeing to step down as conservator is a "vindication" for his client.

"Their filing was riddled with falsehoods and no father who truly loved his daughter would have done that," Rosengart told the outlet. "This is a major victory for Britney Spears and another step toward justice."

Judge denies Britney Spears' request to remove her father as co-conservator; attorney says nothing prevented her from marrying, having children



A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied a request to remove Jamie Spears, father of pop icon Britney Spears, as co-conservator of her $60 million estate.

Variety reported that Britney's attorney, Samuel Ingham III, filed the request to remove her father from the conservatorship in November 2020 and stated that Britney was "afraid of her father" and would not perform any more if her father continued to be in charge of her career.

"At that time," the outlet reported, "Judge Brenda Penny declined to suspend her father from the conservatorship, though she did not rule out future petitions for his removal or suspension. Also, at that time, the judge appointed financial company Bessemer Trust as a co-conservator."

What's a brief history here?

The pop star delivered explosive testimony about her 13-year court-appointed conservatorship in late June, in which she said that an IUD was forced into her to prevent pregnancy and she pleaded to have the conservatorship removed.

Jamie placed Britney under a forced conservatorship in 2008 after she suffered what were purported to be several very public nervous breakdowns.

A June report revealed that the conservatorship "restricted everything from whom she dated to the color of her kitchen cabinets."

Jamie reportedly receives a monthly salary of $16,000 for his role as ward over Spears' personal and professional life.

What are the details?

The Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Wednesday ruled that Spears' request to suspend her father "immediately upon the appointment of a financial institution as sole conservator of estate" is "denied without prejudice."

Jamie filed a petition Tuesday to investigate claims that Britney raised during her June testimony. NBC News reported that in the petition, Jamie requested the court investigate the "veracity of the allegations and claims made by Ms. Spears." He also filed a second petition stating concerns over Jodi Montgomery — Britney's "care manager" and temporary conservator of her person — and that he is very concerned for his daughter's well-being.

In the response, Jamie said he was "concerned about the management and care of his daughter," and that "based on her statements to the court, Mr. Spears is concerned that the petition to appoint Jodi Montgomery filed by Ms. Spears' court-appointed counsel Samuel D. Ingham III does not reflect her wishes."

"Ms. Spears told the court on June 23 that she is opposed to being under a conservatorship and revealed her ongoing disputes with Ms. Montgomery about her medical treatment and other personal care issues," the Variety report added.

In a statement on the petition, Lauriann Wright — Montgomery's attorney — said that she has always been a "tireless advocate for Britney and for her well-being."

Wright, according to the outlet, also noted that Britney's "right to marry and family planning" are not impacted by the conservatorship.

Spears says that she just wants her life back.

"This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good," she said. "I deserve to have a life."

On Tuesday, CNN reported that two sources purporting to be close to Britney said that Ingham is "planning to file a petition to terminate the nearly 13-year conservatorship."

“Britney has spoken to Sam multiple times since last week and she has asked him point-blank, once again, to file the paperwork to end this," one source told the outlet.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 14.

Reps. Jordan, Gaetz Endorse ‘FreeBritney’ Movement, Demand Hearings On Conservatorships

"In recent years, there has been growing public concern about the use of conservatorships to effectively deprive individuals of personal freedoms."