After 13 years as conservator, Britney Spears’ father Jamie has agreed to step down from his role — and stars are celebrating the decision.
Britney Spears’ estranged father Jamie has agreed to step down as conservator of her estate, Variety has reported on Thursday, Aug. 12. Amid the pop star’s call to remove him and charge him with “conservatorship abuse,” Jamie, 69, has filed the court documents to begin “an orderly transition to a new conservator” and “step down when the time is right,” according to the outlet.
While he does not agree with the “unjustified petition for his removal,” Jamie “intends to work with the court and his daughter’s new attorney” nonetheless. His lawyer filed the document and said: “There are, in fact, no actual grounds for suspending or removing Mr. Spears as the Conservator of the Estate .. and it is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms. Spears’ best interests.”
However, 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,” his lawyer continued, per Variety.
Mathew Rosengart, Britney’s lawyer, issued the following response to the outlet: “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.”
While the legal battle is far from over, Jamie’s decision still serves as a big win for Britney, who lambasted her estranged father in various court testimonies. And now celebrities — many of whom have rallied behind Britney and the #FreeBritney movement — are celebrating the latest development. Stars like Paris Hilton, Cher, Charisma Carpenter, and more have taken to social media to react.
In his full statement to Variety on Thursday, Mathew reiterated that the fight continues. “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,” he said. “In the interim, rather than making false accusations and taking cheap shots at his own daughter, Mr. Spears should remain silent and step aside immediately.”