If I remember correctly, Jamie Spears (Britney’s father) had a real job before Britney became famous. He tried to hold on to his real job (I think he was a building contractor in Louisiana) after Britney got famous. When Mama Lynn Spears became a momager and “Christian book author,” Jamie stayed in Louisiana, out of the limelight. And then when Britney had her breakdown in 2007-08, Jamie was seen as the steady-handed leader who would be the best “conservator” for Britney and her estate. And that’s how it’s been ever since 2008. People forget that. They think Britney has some control over her life at this point. She does not. The only reason she’s allowed to be alone with her children is because Jamie Spears and Kevin Federline have come to agreement about custody. And the entire time Britney was “engaged,” Jamie was still in complete control of Britney’s life. Which I still find incredibly wrong.
So, seeing as how Jamie’s full-time job for the past six years has been looking after Britney, what does he deserve to be paid? As it turns out, quite a bit. In Touch Weekly got their hands on some new paperwork filed with the court, and Jamie has asked for a raise. He’ll probably get it too.
Britney Spears’ father, Jamie, has petitioned the courts asking for more money as compensation for serving as his daughter’s conservator and the co-conservator of her estate. According to the court papers, Mr. Spears has a $16,000 monthly allowance and receives $2,000 per month to pay for an office space that allows him to carry out his duties as Britney’s conservator. He’s now requesting additional funds that will compensate for the various roles and costs Mr. Spears has taken on as part of Britney’s Las Vegas residency.
The court documents explain:
“Petitions seek further additional compensation to Mr. Spears from Atara Tours, Inc. for the services Mr. Spears has been and will be performing in various roles and capacities for Ms. Spears’ performances at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas from 2013-2015 entitled “Piece of Me” and related activities, which services are over and above the services he performs as Conservator of the Person and Co-Conservator of the Estate.”
The petitions explains Mr. Spears is requesting 1.5-percent of the gross revenues from the performances and merchandise associated with the Las Vegas residency, explaining Britney has consented to this request. Jamie has been Britney’s conservator since 2008, when she was hospitalized twice after suffering a psychological breakdown.
Ugh. I mean, I don’t really have a problem with Jamie Spears, and I think he really was and is the best conservator for Britney then and now. I think it would be epically worse if Britney didn’t have a conservatorship or if Lynne was in charge. So it’s not that I’m irritated by the idea of Jamie wanting fair compensation for what he’s doing.
My beef is that Britney should have been allowed to quietly retire a while ago. Jamie wouldn’t need extra money if Jamie and her management hadn’t signed Britney on to the Vegas gig (which nearly has disappointed nearly everyone and seems like a colossal waste of time and money). If Britney still wants to record music, fine, let her. But at some point, Jamie and the court need to take a step back and rethink the whole touring/Vegas show aspect of Britney’s career. I don’t believe she’s comfortable with being on display at this point. I think she’s just doing it because her daddy asked her to do it.
Photos courtesy of In Touch, WENN, Fame/Flynet.
Poor, poor Brit. I feel like she is a work-bot, at this point.
I don’t think she is pushed to work. And they never said anything about her health, but it feels like she has a mental illness and her estate hides it. I can relate to that, my brother is the same, he would like to work because staying at home is actually worse than retiring for life when you are that young.
What could she do instead of singing and dancing? :/
I couldn’t answer that, maybe buy a string of 7-Elevens? But have you seen any clips of her performances? She looks like a zombie going through the motions at a Britney tribute show. I got the impression from prior interviews that she’s not necessarily so driven to be doing this. I feel sorry for her.
I’m with Hiddles on this. Performing is all she has ever known, and prior to her breakdown, she seemed to LOVE it. She may not have the physical or mental stamina she once had, but I do believe it’s been her main passion from the start, and she will love it to the end. I am close to a couple of people who are mentally ill, including one of my children (and even though her people have never stated Britney is mentall ill, it is clear that SOMETHING changed), and they want to follow their passions. Wasting away at home makes things so much worse. The problem is – at least in the case of those that I know – they do not fully comprehend their abilities/limits. As a parent, you do all that you can to help your child to be happy and productive. If I had the means and my son wanted to do a Vegas show, I would do the Vegas show. Because like Britney, he’s already ridiculed by many of the people in his life, and adored by almost as many. So what’s it going to hurt? I can’t know that Jamie has the same motives as me, but he has seemed to have good intentions so far, and he did straighten things out after the pink wig era. She may need someone to control her life, just as my son does. It would be irresponsible and cruel for me not to.
I’m not that invested that I’m going to look up prior quotes, but she has said things that would seem to indicate differently than her wanting to continue this, or that this was her life’s passion. Even though she has mental health issues, there can be alternatives to what she can do with her future, even if she needs assistance with those decisions.
I would love to see her on a sitcom..she was funny as Abby on HIMYM. A show kinda like Reba would be really good!
It’s fitting that the Vegas show is called “Piece of Me,” isn’t it? Everyone wants a piece of her and it almost seems as though she has given up and is now just a rag doll being flopped around by Jamie and her management.
This comment sums up the whole situation perfectly. Also, it seems like it could be more challenging to get out of Jamies’ control than it is to get away from Scientology or the FLDS. Katie Holmes used to have this lost look when she was with Tom Cruise and now her eyes are different being out of that situation. Britney looks like a caged monkey in a lab, and like Octo moms kids, who can ir will do something about this bad situation being played out in the public eye.
me too. was never a fan of her music, but she always seemed like a nice girl.
I just want her to move to a place “away from it all” with her babies and live her life in peace.
I have mixed feelings about this. I really feel uncomfortable with seeing her in the public eye – it’s like watching an automaton. But having had some experience of living with a person who suffers from depressive issues, it may be that they are trying to keep her occupied and busy. Having nothing to do can be bad for people with depression.
This is just speculation though. It’s certainly a sad situation. The only time she looks happy is when she’s with her kids. I cannot imagine how it must feel for her. I wouldn’t be able to cope with having my child taken from me.
Very True. But ‘keeping someone busy’ wouldn’t necessarily involve a year-long contract of exhausting performances that she is so obviously not able to deliver. There are for sure better ways for a instable person to recover than a multimillion dollar production of bullsh*t that she will probably get slapped for. When I see her dancing, I’m so embarrassed for her. She looks so uncoordinated and like she has no idea what she’s doing. It’s so hard to believe that her father, or anybody, really thinks that this sinking ship it a good way to keep her sane. Of course working onstage is all she’s known her whole life. How about teaching her how to use her ressources to just kick back and live a nice life and try to find something else in her life. Just because she’s not actively making money would not necessarily have to mean she doen’t do anything all day. There is plenty of stuff to do aside from signing and dancing onstage.
Such as? (and I’m serious with this question, I see no other options for her) It’s Britney we’re talking about here. Mental illness aside, she’s not the sharpest tool in the shed nor has she ever been academically inclined or shown professional interest in another career other than unofficial Starbucks spokesperson.
She still dances better than a lot of pop stars though. Lol.
i think she likes doing it. What else is she going to do? work at walmart? if she’s retired, she’ll be blowing through her money trying to keep herself occupied. there are no signs her dad is taking advantage of her, this is all the girl knows. she wouldn’t know what to do if she stopped
And that is exactly what the conservator is responsible for (at least that’s my understanding of the job, maybe I am wring). To show alternative life plan, to make sure she knows there are other options and to give her a new idea of life. If the job only involves supervising what she’s doing, without any guidance, why not just hire an accountant for her money and a babysitter to watch she doesn’t play with scissors. Would be the same thing.
Sad situation altogether. I’d like to see just one picture of her where her eyes don’t look dead and doped.
I know… her make me sad.
Her finger nails make me sad. I think they are a sign of some sort of anguish.
I don’t think that’s that bad. I imagine it’s a full-time, around the clock gig between her job, helping with the kids, etc. Plus it’s her dad.
I see nothing wrong with the Vegas gig at all. It’s in one place. I’m sure touring is much more exhausting and a lot more work. From all indications, Britney was thrilled and excited to be doing Vegas. They’re going to gear it so she can handle the shows as that is most certainly in their best interests too. The dad has been great, stepping up admirably to help his daughter. He hasn’t been making millions either, but now he needs more pay and is entitled to it. Britney is lucky and I’m sure very appreciative to have a dad like him.
Her eyes don’t look “dead.” The sun is probably shining in them. She looks very happy actually….she does have that cute boyfriend.
“She does have that cute boyfriend”
Oh dear, you just don’t understand what’s going on there do you? 🙁
Look if people are stupid enough to pay for the show and she’s happy…fine. But let’s not kid ourselves into thinking any of this woman’s life is of her own doing these days.
I don’t think what Jamie is asking for is that bad either – he’s asking for $16,000/month or $192,000 per year gross, which, while a ton of money to me and a lot of other people, probably doesn’t go all that far in CA, seeing as the cost of living is a lot higher there. I’m surprised he isn’t asking for more, especially since he has to put aside every aspect of his life and basically live his daughter’s life for her.
especially when you consider marc anthony’s ex wants 13k a month for a child support, jamie’s her full-time babysitter PLUS her manager. talk about 24hr day job
Nobody asked him to be her conservator. He is just greedy and wants to control her life. She is 32 years old, I think she can control her own life. What is he going to be her conservator until she’s a senior citizen? Its freaking ridiculous.
“I think she can control her own life.”
The courts, who have greater insight into the details of her challenges, think otherwise.
I agree completely, she should be allowed to just retire and be happy.
At least her dad is hopefully managing everything well, and it keeps other people from trying to gain access to her money. Remember that sketchy guy who was always around when she had her breakdowns?
The woman is drugged to the hilt and has been for 6 years now so she can keep funding many many people’s pay checks, Dad included. It is tragic.
Wasn’t her dad a private chef at one point? What happened to that job?
Doesn’t she pay for all of K-Fed and his extended families in some ways, she must have monstrous expenses, i feel terrible for her. The passion is gone in her eyes.
K-Fed seems like a good dad and even his exes say he is a great father. He has physical custody oftheir kids and Britney and her father don’t seem to begrudge him the child support. Otherwise I am sure there would have been hearings and filings in court. Plus let’s not forget she is mentally ill and locked herself in her bathroom with one of the boys, considering all that she has been through, I personally have never heard KFed badmouth her as a mother or a human being. If anything he has defended her or stayed quiet and seems to have a good relationship with her and her parents. Everyone makes him out to be a golddigger, but he is raising their sons and they look happy and healthy when there are pictures of them with their father and stepmother and siblings.
He doesn’t have a job so he pays his other four kids expenses with the child support money he gets for his kids with Britney. He needs to stop procreating. It’s shameful to depend on a mentally ill woman to pay for all of your babies and baby mamas and not do anything but sit at home.
I do not know. Britney likes her performing in her Vegas show and others do not want to say to her that she is not doing a great job?
Yeah Britney’s dad, make that money off your mentally I’ll daughter! $16000 a month is peanuts!
Retire in her early 30s? Yeah. What a brilliant idea for a person with mental health issues. No job. That always works out well. What a thoughtless idea you put forth.
At a certain point she needs to be given the type of counseling and treatment, that will allow her to gradually regain at least some control of her life. But I have serious doubts that will happen.
For those of you who want her to stop performing and “retire” early, what else is she supposed to do? She doesn’t have custody of the boys full-time so those are a lot of hours to fill…she doesn’t have any inclination to go to school to get a degree…charity work? She’s not the type nor can someone be forced to become the type of person who does…she can’t have anymore kids because it will interfere with her meds…hang out with some girlfriends? Last I checked her old “friends” were her enablers, so we can nix that idea.
Is she supposed to move back to Louisiana, sit in a rocking chair & watch tv for the rest of her life until she grows old and dies? Burn through her money shopping all day so that when she IS old she has to live on the limited resources she has left? She’s in her early 30’s for pete’s sake. Performing is all she’s got.
+ 1 million
Exactly. Working is good for you. It gives you purpose. She said in her documentary she saw herself settling down in Lousiana several years down the road and having another child, but that’s down the road. She’s enjoying doing what she’s doing now she said. She sounded in love and happy in the documentary talking about it all. Her work is two or three times a week for five months out of the year working in the same place with a plane at her disposal to whisk her back home to LA if she wants to sleep in her own bed or a suite of rooms there for her and the boys. People act like she’s being worked to death.
Granted, Britney is not ever going to be 100% again. But I don’t feel anyone is pushing her to work. If she really did not want to work. She wouldn’t. I also agree it is probably the one thing that helps her keep her sanity. To have a purpose to attend to daily. And keeps her mind occupied.
Even with the nervous breakdown, Britney still strikes me as a girl…. who would simply not go out on stage, if she didn’t want to.
I don’t begrudge her Father, for the boost in his income. He has been on call 24/7 since 2008. And this seems to be the first time he has went back in 6 years. So I don’t see anything odd by the request.
Exactly, I don’t think the conservatorship “forces” her to do things. It doesn’t seem right for a woman her age to be under these circumstances, but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t need them. What she did in 2008 didn’t feel right either, and I’d be happier knowing she’s safe and not likely to start acting out the way she was. However, if the conservatorship is somehow preventing her from getting the help she needs by only masking her true behaviour behind the scenes (and not actually correcting anything)… that’s another issue. I hope not, and I doubt it.
I think her father has been good for her and a source of familiarity and stability in a chaotic lifestyle. I don’t think he’s asking for a lot of compensation. I think a certain amount of “robotic-ness” should be expected from her, given that at this point she probably isn’t as passionate about her career as she used to be. I don’t blame her. At this point she needs neither more money or more fame.
But like everyone else, I am only speculating, and I won’t pretend that I KNOW, because I don’t. I don’t know Britney or what is really going on in her life, and neither does anyone else here.
The point is she’s not a fucking little kid. I hate it when people act like mentally ill people have committed a crime just because they are mentally ill. Jamie wants to remain her conservator so that he can continue earning money off her. What she did in 2008 should not be held against her for the rest of her life. Its not like she is a criminal. She should have full control over her life. Period.
Stephanie, it isn’t just a matter of Jamie “wanting” to remain her conservator. Serious legal standards have to be met in order for the conservatorship to be in place. Judges won’t allow them to be in place for minor reasons.
She isn’t a kid, but at the same time, we do not know the severity of the problems that she has. The court DOES know the severity, and they keep approving the continuation of her conservatorship.
Oh please. You’re making her out to be some kind of mentally deranged individual who can barely put a sentence together or make a decision for herself. You don’t know her; you don’t know her mental condition. Give it a break.
“And the entire time Britney was “engaged,” Jamie was still in complete control of Britney’s life. Which I still find incredibly wrong.”
I completely disagree that it was wrong. The fact that this conservatorship when down in the first place should tell you that she has some SERIOUS problems, and the fact that it’s still going on should only solidify to everyone that even though she’s made some progress, something is still really wrong with her.
I applaud her parents stepping in and helping her out, b/c so many child/teen stars do not have parents that care about them this way. Amanda Bynes and Britney are very lucky to have parents that focused on their well being and not giving press conferences to the public about their health while secretly trying to wrangle money and publicity out of the deal. Lindsay Lohan, unfortunately, has not been this lucky.
I think she should retire too, but I think they keep her working to help her function normally. Perhaps it’s easier for everyone in her life to keep her focused on something so that she keeps rolling down the right path.
With that said… I love Britney (obviously) and I really really really do wish her well.
PS – Don’t you know her “engagement” to Trawick was a business relationship? They weren’t for real.
I really feel bad for Brittany. She always looks sad .. The smiles never reach her eyes. I think she would be happiest if she could retire and just be w/ her kids.
I typically have little compassion for the wealthy. Especially the ‘afflicted wealthy’. However, I have a soft spot for Britney. I really feel for her.
I love her hair color! 🙂 I think if she stops eyelining under her eye it will make her look younger and more fresh faced. Moisturize the crap out of her skin bc of that desert dust, air, sun…she look happier 🙂
I don’t get why some people keep saying she wants to retire. Has Britney ever said that she wanted to retire or do as little as possible & have the work ethics & lifestyle of a Leanne Rimes? I have yet to see any publications print an article stating that she’s being forced to work against her will.
I have seen her around Westlake and Thousand Oaks several times since she moved to Lake Sherwood. I think she is on a lot of drugs, she is very zombie-ish, forced smiles, etc. I do think she has some kind of mental illness, poor thing.
Don’t forget that if she had married Trawick he would have become a co-conservator (that was the arrangement, at least). That is just so, so wrong.
Okay seriously its been 6 years. Give the woman a goddamn break. She has improved so much and I think she deserves joint custody of her children, because k-fed is a loser, and her father is a control freak. The conservator ship needs to be over. I’m not a huge fan of Britney, but I have a lot of sympathy for her especially when she was really struggling
+1
AGAIN. Britney’s break down happened while she was ‘on break’ from recording and touring. She seems to NEED work in her life to keep her steady. People keep forgetting this.