Britney Spears' highly public battle to end her 13-year, court-ordered conservatorship is one of the biggest stories of the year — and the outcome has broad implications for a fortune estimated at around $60 million.
During the virtual hearing, which Spears demanded be public, the 39-year-old pop icon spoke publicly for the first time in 2 years. By her own account, he's been "traumatized" by an "abusive" legal arrangement that grants her father, Jamie Spears, broad authority over her personal and financial affairs.
The singer’s highly public 2007 breakdown led to her father becoming co-conservator of her estate in 2008, along with attorney Andrew Wallet. But Wallet resigned from his role in 2019, leaving Jamie Spears in full control of the arrangement, until a judge appointed financial company Bessemer Trust as co-conservator in November 2020.
In California, a conservatorship (also known as a guardianship in some states) is described as a legal relationship between a “responsible adult or organization” and a person whose ability to make decisions has been “impaired” for some reason.
Fans argue that Britney has not been impaired since her 2007 breakdown: In fact, many claim she’s flourished. Yet legal experts say the unusual circumstances of the case, and the lack of precedent, is creating legal and public relations chaos.