Jamie Spears is reportedly stepping down as his daughter Britney Spears’ conservator, according to TMZ. Jamie’s lawyer is filing documents in which he agrees to relinquish his position as a conservator as a result of the relentless pressure against him by fans and the #FreeBritney movement and will work with the court to ensure a smooth transition.
However, he doesn’t seem happy about it. The documents reportedly insist that there are “no actual grounds for suspending or removing Mr. Spears as the Conservator of the Estate” while speculating that “it is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears’ best interests.” But after those salty comments, the filing makes it clear that Jamie is pretty much fed up with the public pressure.
“Nevertheless, even as Mr. Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests,” it reads. “So, even though he must contest this unjustified Petition for his removal, Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter’s new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator. Regardless of his formal title, Mr. Spears will always be Ms. Spears’ father, he will always love her unconditionally, and he will always look out for her best interests.”
Meanwhile, Britney’s lawyer replied, “We are pleased but not necessarily surprised that Mr. Spears and his lawyer finally recognize that he must be removed. We are disappointed, however, by their ongoing shameful and reprehensible attacks on Ms. Spears and others. We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter’s estate, and I look forward to taking Mr. Spears’s sworn deposition in the near future. In the interim, rather than making false accusations and taking cheap shots at his own daughter, Mr. Spears should step aside immediately.”
The movement to #FreeBritney gained momentum last year with the release of the Framing Britney Spears documentary on Hulu, which recast the singer’s difficulties throughout the 2000s in a new light in which an unsympathetic press threw her under the bus as she suffered through anxiety, instability, and industry sexism.