Britney Spears’ Lawyer Says the Star Is ‘Afraid’ of Her Dad

Britney Spears has always been close to her family, especially her dad, Jamie Spears. However, over the past few years, things between the pop princess and her father have apparently become strained. In fact, earlier this month, a lawyer for the “Womanizer” singer told a judge that his client is “afraid” of her father.

“My client has informed me that she is afraid of her father. She will not perform again if her father is in charge of her career,” attorney Samuel D. Ingham III told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny, according to the Associated Press. Ingham also told Judge Penny that his client hadn’t spoken to her father in a long time.

Here’s what you need to know:

Britney’s Dad Has Been Her Conservator for the Past Several Years but Recently Stepped Down Due to Health Issues

Jamie Spears was appointed conservator of his daughter’s life and estate back in 2008, when Britney was struggling with mental health issues and substance abuse, according to The New York Times. For the most part, things seemed to have been going well over the years, which is even something an attorney for Jamie brought up during that November court hearing.

“I don’t believe there is a shred of evidence to support my client’s suspension,” Jamie Spears’ attorney Vivian Lee Thoreen told Judge Penny. Thoreen cited a “perfect record,” and made note of the fact that Britney’s net worth went from being in debt to more than $60 million.

In early 2019, Jamie Spears fell ill. As previously reported by Heavy, he ruptured his colon and needed to be hospitalized. About nine months later, TMZ reported that a woman named Jodi Montgomery, Britney’s care manager, had been appointed to take his place. The arrangement was meant to be temporary.

Now that Jamie is feeling better, he wants to return to his conservatorship role, something that Britney has been trying to block.

“…Starting in August, [Britney] began publicly seeking to choose who had power over her, asking for greater transparency in the court’s often secret moves, and even declaring that she was sympathetic to fans who have increasingly demanded in protests and online posts that those in control must #FreeBritney,” the Associated Press reported.

Interestingly, Britney hasn’t mentioned her father on social media in more than a year. On Father’s Day 2019, she simply uploaded a “Happy Father’s Day” post, but did not include a caption or pay tribute to her own father in any way.

Britney Previously Announced an Indefinite Work Hiatus & Cited Her Dad’s Near-Death Experience as the Reason

Last year, Britney announced that she was going to be taking an indefinite work hiatus. At the time, she said that she needed to put her “family first.”

“I don’t even know where to start with this, because this is so tough for me to say. I will not be performing my new show Domination. I’ve been looking forward to this show and seeing all of you this year, so doing this breaks my heart. However, it’s important to always put your family first… and that’s the decision I had to make. A couple of months ago, my father was hospitalized and almost died. We’re all so grateful that he came out of it alive, but he still has a long road ahead of him. I had to make the difficult decision to put my full focus and energy on my family at this time. I hope you all can understand. More information on ticket refunds is available on britneyspears.com. I appreciate your prayers and support for my family during this time. Thank you, and love you all… always,” she captioned a throwback Instagram photo of her with her parents.

Now, however, Spears’ attorney has made it quite clear that her client does not want her dad in control — and that her client will not perform again if he is in charge of her career.

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