Britney Spears poses at the premiere of “Once Upon a Time In Hollywood” in Los Angeles, California, July 22, 2019.
Mario Anzuoni | Reuters
Britney Spears’ conservatorship is over, a judge ruled Friday.
The 39-year-old pop star has been under legal guardianship for 13 years after publicly dealing with mental health issues that came to a head in 2008. Spears has been trying to end her conservatorship for more than a year in order to regain her independence and have a say in her medical care.
“The court finds the conservatorship of Britney Jean Spears is no longer required,” said Judge Brenda Penny during a court hearing Friday.
In recent months, Spears has been permitted to hire her own attorney — Hollywood lawyer Mathew Rosengart — and petitioned to have a certified public accountant take over control of her conservatorship after levying abuse claims against her father James Spears.
James Spears has publicly denied these accusations. In late September, Penny suspended James Spears as his daughter’s guardian and named California accountant John Zabel as the temporary conservator of Spears’ finances.
Penny called the situation “toxic” and “not tenable” before suspending James Spears from his post.
When James Spears encountered health issues in 2019, Jodi Montgomery, a licensed private fiduciary, was appointed in a temporary role within the conservatorship. Montgomery has reportedly developed a care plan with therapists and doctors that will guide Spears through the end of her conservatorship and beyond.
There could be more courtroom battles in Spears’ future, however. Rosengart has vowed to pursue an investigation of James Spears’ role in the conservatorship, including how he handled Spears’ finances and allegations that he placed a listening device placed in the pop star’s bedroom.
James Spears’ attorney has publicly denied these allegations.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
