Britney Spears fans across the world celebrated last week, as it was announced that her father Jamie will step down as conservator of her estate. After 13 years in charge of his daughter, Jamie’s lawyer filed a response to the petition for his removal – and while it’s not clear when Jamie plans to officially relinquish his role, this is still a huge step towards Britney gaining back control of her own life.
The statement from Jamie’s lawyer read, “It is highly debatable whether a change in conservator at this time would be in Ms Spears’ best interests. 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. 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.”
While this is exactly what the 39-year-old singer and her fans wanted – freedom from her father – there are clearly still ongoing issues between the two parties. In the 15-page court filing, Jamie’s lawyer said, “There are no urgent circumstances justifying Mr Spears’ immediate suspension.” The statement also included a seemingly heartfelt message from father to daughter, which read, “Regardless of his formal title, Mr Spears will always be Ms Spears’ father; he will always love her unconditionally, and will always look out for her best interests.”
Britney’s mum Lynne said she was “pleased Jamie has agreed to step down”. But in the court documents, Jamie accused his ex-wife of“ not being involved in her daughter’s life for most of the past 12 years”, adding that, despite their estrangement, Britney had been paying $150k a year for her Louisiana mansion.
CHECK OUT artists who started their careers on TV talent shows
artists who started their careers on TV talent shows slider
1 of 16Beyoncé
She's one of the world's biggest superstars but Beyonce first found fame on TV show Star Search back in 1993. Beyonce enjoyed massive success alongside Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams in girl band Destiny's Child but made a name for herself with her massive solo singles.
2 of 16One Direction
They are one of the biggest bands in the world but we wouldn't have One Direction if it wasn't thanks to The X Factor. Harry, Louis, Niall, Liam and Zayn all auditioned for the show as solo artists but were later put together in a group. Despite finishing third in 2010, the band went on to achieve massive success. They went on to have five albums, four world tours and sold millions of records with hits such as 'Best Song Ever' and 'What Makes You Beautiful'. After Zayn Malik announced his departure, the band started their hiatus in January 2016 and have all gone on to release solo material.
3 of 16Girls Aloud
Girls Aloud were first created when they appeared on Popstars: The Rivals in 2002. With Cheryl Tweedy, Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding, Kimberley Walsh and Nadine Coyle all winning a place in the band, the group went on to achieve their debut number one with the track 'Sound Of The Underground'. Girls Aloud went on to achieve massive success in the UK and scored a record 20 consecutive top 10 singles in the UK Charts. In 2013 the band announced their split after their final UK tour.
4 of 16Little Mix
Little Mix made history in 2011 when they became the first ever band to win The X Factor. Perrie, Jesy, Jade and Leigh-Anne released the track 'Cannonball' as their winners' single before going on to have hits such as 'Wings', 'No More Sad Songs' and 'Power'.After a number of massive sell-out tours, the band are currently working on their fifth studio album and have just finished their 'Summer Hits Tour' in the UK.
5 of 16Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen enjoyed massive success with her hit single 'Call Me Maybe' in 2012 but before that she came third on Canadian Idol. After getting her break with 'Call Me Maybe', Carly went on to have hits such as 'I Really Like You' and 'Run Away With Me'.
6 of 16Britney Spears
Britney appeared on Star Search at the age of just 11!She went on to release her first two albums in 1999 and 2000 which turned out to be international successes. After a hiatus away from music due to personal issues, Britney returned with a bang with hits such as 'Womanizer', 'Piece Of Me' and 'If You Seek Amy'. Britney now has a Las Vegas residency for her 'Piece Of Me' show Planet Hollywood.
7 of 16Adam Lambert
Adam Lambert shot to fame when he finished in second place on American Idol back in 2009. The singer went on to release his debut album 'For You Entertainment' and has since sold over 5 million records to date. In the past few years Adam has been touring as the lead vocalist with rock band Queen.
8 of 16Fifth Harmony
American girl band Fifth Harmony started their success when they finished third on The X Factor USA back in 2012. The band signed to Syco Records and enjoyed a number of hits both in the UK and USA including 'Work From Home' and 'Worth It'. In 2017 Camilla Cabello announced she had left the band to focus on her solo caree, and in March 2018 the group revealed they were going on a hiatus.
9 of 16Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera appeared on Star Search as a youngster back in 1990. It wasn't until 1999 when the singer really made waves in the music industry with hits including 'Genie In The Bottle' and 'What A Girl Wants'. Throughout the noughties Christina had some massive hits such as 'Dirrty', 'Beautiful' and 'Hurt' and later went on to star in a number of movies such as Burlesque. The singer now has five Grammy Awards, has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and appears on The Voice as a mentor.
10 of 16Jordin Sparks
Jordin Sparks became American Idol's youngest ever winner when she won over competition at the age of just 17 in 2006. The singer has since enjoyed massive success with her hits including 'Tattoo', 'Battlefield' and her 'No Air' debut with Chris Brown.
11 of 16Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson shot to fame in 2002 when she became the first winner of American Idol. Kelly has now released seven albums to date including the likes of 'Breakaway', 'Stronger' and her 2015 album 'Piece By Piece'.
12 of 16Jennifer Hudson
Despite her amazing success, Jennifer unbelievably only finished 7th on American Idol back in 2004. She's since went on to appear in hit movie Dreamgirls, released three studio albums and became a mentor on TV show The Voice UK.
13 of 16Justin Timberlake
Mr Timberlake appeared on TV show Star Search in 1992 singing a country song in his audition.He's come a long way since then! In the late 1990s Justin became one of the lead vocalists in boyband NSYNC.He then went solo and achieved massive success with hits such as 'Cry Me A River', 'Rock Your Body' and 'Sexy Back'. In 2016 Justin voiced a character for hit film Trolls and is set to return for the sequel in 2021. The singer also released his amazing new music in early 2018.
14 of 16Nicole Scherzinger
She enjoyed massive success in The Pussycat Dolls but before that Nicole Scherzinger appeared on Popstars in 2001. It was her time in girl band The Pussycat Dolls which really started her success. The band became one of the world's biggest selling girl bands with hits such as 'Don't Cha' and 'Jai Ho'. Nicole later left the band and has enjoyed a solo career. The singer is also a judge on The X Factor, although rumours are suggesting she won't be returning for the 2018 series.
15 of 16Leona Lewis
Leona Lewis won a £1 million recording contract with Simon Cowell when she won the third series of The X Factor in 2006. Leona went on to have five successful albums and has completed three tours to date. In 2016 Leona made her Broadway debut as Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats.
16 of 16Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle first shot to fame when she appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2009. After shocking audiences and the judging panel with her incredible rendition of 'I Dreamed A Dream', Susan went on to finish in second place behind Diversity. This was just the start for the Scottish singer as she went on to achieve massive success, selling millions of records worldwide.
Britney’s legal team offered a strong response to Jamie’s statement, calling his decision to step back a “major victory for Britney Spears and another step towards justice”. The singer’s new attorney Mathew Rosengart – who took over from the court-appointed Samuel D Ingham in July – insisted that Jamie would not get away with the alleged abuse he subjected his daughter to throughout the conservatorship.
“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,” the attorney wrote in a statement last week. “And I look forward to taking Mr Spears’ 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 remain silent and step aside immediately.”
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Brit’s been vocal about her situation on Instagram, most recently sharing a post of a man holding up a pink “#FreeBritney” flag. In the caption, she told fans, “I know in my previous post I said you guys know my situation, but LET ME CLARIFY... you only know half of it! And for a lot of you who say I should be cautious with what I post… I mean if you REALLY THINK ABOUT IT… with what I’ve been through I believe I been WAAAY TOO CAUTIOUS! One day I will live on the edge!”
After news about Jamie broke, Britney shared an illustration of a girl with flowers in her hair. And while she stayed unusually silent in the caption, her fans quickly flooded the comments with congratulatory messages on the prospect of her gaining freedom. A further hearing is scheduled for late September.
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