I’m going to try to summarize all of the crap that’s happened around Britney Spears and her conservatorship over the past 72 hours, but in case you want a more thorough read, Variety has a good piece about the back and forth. Britney’s father Jamie Spears – who is still technically the conservator of Britney’s estate – filed a declaration with the court overseeing Britney and her conservatorship. In the declaration, Jamie claimed that Britney’s personal conservator Jodi Montgomery had spoken to him and shared concerns that Britney is “mentally sick” and in need of a 5150 psychiatric hold. Then Jodi issued her own statement slapping back at Jamie:
Jamie Spears says that Britney Spears’ personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, told him that his daughter is “mentally sick” and wanted to place her under a 5150 psychiatric hold. Now, in a statement obtained by Variety, Montgomery is pushing back on Mr. Spears claims — and, once again, asking him to step down from his daughter’s conservatorship.
“Ms. Montgomery implores Mr. Spears to stop the attacks,” Montgomery’s statement says, in part. “It does no good; it only does harm. We all need to focus on one thing, and one thing only — the health, well-being and best interests of Britney Spears.”
In new court documents, filed on Friday morning with the Los Angeles Superior Court, Spears’ father alleged that Montgomery called him last month to say that she is concerned about his daughter’s behavior and mental health and believes she might need to be placed under a 5150 psychiatric hold.
“On July 9, 2021, I received a phone call from Ms. Montgomery,” Mr. Spears says in the docs. “During our call, Ms. Montgomery sounded very distraught and expressed how concerned she was about my daughter’s recent behavior and overall mental health. Ms. Montgomery explained that my daughter was not timely or properly taking her medications, was not listening to the recommendations of her medical team and refused to even see some of her doctors.” Spears’ father says that Montgomery asked for his help in addressing these issues, as she was “very worried” about the “direction my daughter was heading in.”
In response, an attorney for Montgomery, Laurieann Wright, tells Variety: “Ms. Montgomery does have concerns about Ms. Spears’ ‘recent behavior and overall mental health,’ as set forth in Jamie Spears’ Declaration dated August 6, 2021. Due to medical privacy, Ms. Montgomery cannot go into those concerns with any further detail except to say that having her father Jamie Spears continuing to serve as her Conservator instead of a neutral professional fiduciary is having a serious impact on Ms. Spears’ mental health. Notably, Jamie Spears has yet to resign as Ms. Spears’ Conservator of the Person, which is why Ms. Montgomery continues to serve as Temporary Conservator of the Person. It is in Ms. Spears’ best interests that her father step down as her Conservator, so he can go back to just being Ms. Spears’ father, and working on a healthy, supportive father-daughter relationship.”
Montgomery denies Mr. Spears’ claim that she suggested the singer be placed under a psychiatric hold. “Mr. Spears’ declaration misrepresents what Ms. Montgomery said to him in relation to a potential 5150 psychiatric hold for Ms. Spears,” the statement says. “At no time did Ms. Montgomery express to Mr. Spears that Ms. Spears would currently qualify for such a hold. The concern that Ms. Montgomery did raise to Mr. Spears during their telephone call is that forcing Ms. Spears to take the stand to testify or to have her evaluated would move the needle in the wrong direction for her mental health.”
Jamie is trying to do several things all at once. He wants to defend himself and his actions as Britney’s conservator while also driving a wedge between Jodi Montgomery and Britney, since it’s clear that Britney actually likes Jodi and respects Jodi’s decision-making as her personal conservator. Jamie is desperate to retain as much control over all aspects of Britney and he wants Jodi to be off the conservatorship. And Jamie just wants everyone to believe that Britney is crazy and lying about everything.
The fact that Jodi Montgomery is now publicly pleading (and privately pleading) with Jamie to remove himself from the financial aspect of the conservatorship is very interesting too. For all we know, Jodi has been making that argument privately for some time now, as it has been clear for years that Jamie has used his position to financially abuse his daughter and steal from her. Jodi and Britney’s new lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, have been making the case for weeks that the need to remove Jamie is not even about the money right now, it’s about Britney’s mental health. Britney’s personal conservator, personal lawyer and personal doctors are apparently all in agreement: Jamie Spears is detrimental to Britney’s health.
Variety also notes that Mathew Rosengart has been looking through Jamie’s financial management of Britney’s estate and he seems pretty shocked by what he’s turned up so far, including Jamie’s anger at the expense of Britney going on vacation to Hawaii. Rosengart wants Jamie completely removed financially from his daughter and Rosengart wants a full audit.
Photos courtesy of Britney’s IG, Avalon Red and Backgrid.
It seems that her new lawyer is the only one with Britney’s true interests at heart
House in habit also had an interesting letter that was supposedly sent to Britney early in her troubles telling her that KFed and his lawyer were going to set her up as being unstable and looking to have her put in a 5150 with a nod towards some sort of conservator ship.
KFed is not totally clean either, Britney has also been supporting His whole family since the divorce including the kids from his first baby momma, and the current wife and kids with her, if Britney wasn’t put into this conservatorship in the first place there is no way he would have had the full custody and along with it the financial windfall he has
It will all out in the wash – I agree KFed ain’t no angel in this and while he seems to be a good father and lets her see them, he has pretty much said that if she is released from the conservatorship he will use access to the kids to force evaluations. He knows the second they both turn 18 he’ll have to get a job to support his kids and he will milk it for all its worth while he can. From what I recall of the custody/divorce agreement she bought him a house and a car, as well as paying for ALL expenses for the boys (school, hobbies etc..).
Am sure Brit has plenty to say about KFed but she is keeping quiet about him at the moment as he can stop her seeing her boys.
I hope this new forensic accountant that Britney wants to replace her father with looks into EVERYTHING including custody settlement and arrangement. Britney had no say in the initial custody arrangement as that was determined by her father and his team under the conservatorship. Once Britney spoke out publicly against the conservatorship, her father, mother, Jodi, all started to turn on each other. And KFed’s lawyer wasted no time trying to find the nearest media outlet to offer his “his support” for Britney, but then proceeded to insist that any changes to custody must involve an evaluation.
Britney, her lawyer, and (hopefully), once this forensic accountant is approved to serve as a replacement to Jamie, they will clean house and look into all dealings that Jamie instigated and resolved — including KFed and his lawyer and the medical team as chosen by the conservatorship. Britney should be able to choose her own doctors and other professionals to assist her in taking charge of health, money, kids, and life. Everyone, from her family to her ex to the California legal system, betrayed her and I hope she scorches the earth to get her freedom back and justice against those who abused, manipulated, and exploited her.
I never thought I would ever say this, but I would be interested in Kevin Federline’s view of Britney’s conservatorship, in detail, because he seems to be the only one who is not directly profiting from Britney remaining under conservatorship. Sure, he gets child support, which he should, but there is no sliding scale, it’s a set amount dictated by the courts. He doesn’t get to give himself a bonus, or finagle more money based on x, y, or z, and he has seen all of it, albeit indirectly. I’m sure he’s heard heaps from their boys, kids that age are unable to keep secrets, or at least my 11 year old can’t.
I don’t know if I would enjoy what he has to say, but I am interested.
Her father just needs to be out, full stop. She may well continue to need some help and support, especially as she transitions out of a conservatorship, but her father is pure poison and is making everything worse.
+100% agree….his own daughter?
Thomas Markle, Sofia Laine and Jamie Spears must be among some the worst public parents we have heard about over the past 2 – 5 years!
Southern Gothic. I hope they take out a restraining order on Jamie.
I desperately hope this happens because at this point I’m quite concerned Jamie might harm Britney physically. He’s a deadbeat alcoholic who apparently gambled away her fortune, he’s desperate to stay in the money and has already attacked her minor son.
I’m scared for her. And I’m not even a fan or anything, just a bystander watching these stories.
i highly doubt he would hurt her.And about her son and Jamie he seemed disrespectful to his Grandfather.I think Keven most likely lets those boys say or do what they want to do.Everyone has to remember her father cleaned house getting Sam Lufti,the photographer and even her cousin away from her.She was doing well and now she has this hunky boyfriend who seems to be pulling the strings.Look at her Instagram posts.She is not well at all.Her Father today seems to have made a small victory today.I just don’t think he is the villain every one is making him out to be.
I feel like he’s at a super dangerous point. He’s losing control, which is the number one thing abusers fear. He’s living in an RV near a warehouse of her memorabilia. I really think he’s capable of nasty, violent things, especially if he knows he’s lost.
I feel like he’s at a super dangerous point. He’s losing control, which is the number one thing abusers fear. He’s living in an RV near a warehouse of her memorabilia. I really think he’s capable of nasty, violent things, especially if he knows he’s lost.
Jamie will never ever walk away willingly – the judge has no choice but to forcibly remove him. Jamie has been waging a dirty PR war against Montgomery for a while as it seems that she has actually been doing her job and fighting for Britney.
The estate only has $3mill in cash the $57mill is tied up in assets – which means its houses, businesses etc.. that you can bet the whole Spears family has access to. Not to mention the cash that he has likely been giving them over the years. Same goes for her management team. Everyone else is living large on her money – except her, she has to beg to spend her own money.
When Brit is completely free she is going after them all and while I think she will recover some of the money, she won’t get it all back. However, her earning potential has always been insane and when she’s free they will be lining up around the block and then some to work with her again and it would only take a few years for her to regain her previous wealth. Jamie knows this and is one of the reasons why he will fight tooth and nail to keep the conservatorship in place with him in charge.
Apparently she has earned hundreds of millions since she has been in the conservatorship but there is little to show for it. I hope the judge approves Rubin, the forensic accountant to replace Jamie as conservator of the estate. Then the fireworks will start. I hope Britney sues them all into the ground
This just gets worse and worse and I keep thinking that at some point the judge will listen to the other appointed professionals in this case and kick Jamie out.
What’s the hold up at this point? Her children have a restraining order against him for abuse and assault. Her lawyer and the court appointed conservator want him out. Britney herself wants him out. Her mother may not be super close any more but has also offered testimony of her ex’s messiness where Britney is concerned. What’s it gonna take?
When this is all said and done the fall out is going to be horrible.. I pray Brittany gets justice and can live a happy life making her own choices.
No one should be allowed to use a psych hold as a form of punishment and that is glaringly obvious what her father is doing to her, that is abuse sanctioned by the court and he should be removed ASAP ..
He really was living the abuser’s dream life, huh. Total control and her every complaint about the way he was treated as evidence that she was crazy and he was right to treat her that way. I hope she ruins him and rises from his ashes.
“Total control and her every complaint about the way she was treated as evidence that she was crazy and he was right to treat her that way.”
Yep. It’s something homophobes, misogynists, and transphobes have been good at too. They love declaring people damaged and mentally ill so they can use it to their advantage. But they don’t love looking at how their behavior is unhealthy and damaging. Jamie is not wanting to look at how his involvement and this situation is harmful for his daughter.
But why is Jodi having intimate discussions with Jamie about Britney?
It read to me like she called him to appeal to him to remove himself because he was causing more harm to Britney.
He used that, as he always does, against her and against Britney. I just hope she kept a recording of the call. No one should speak to that abuser without an audience because all he does is gaslight and lie.
It read to me like she called him to appeal to him to remove himself because he was causing more harm to Britney.
He used that, as he always does, against her and against Britney. I just hope she kept a recording of the call.
Because they’re co-conservators.
And her statement suggests that she was telling him that he needs to resign for the sake of her mental health.
And Jamie sounds like someone that has gotten away with something for so long by lies that he thinks he can continue the same way.
I would love to see a full audit.
Because he controls all of the money. Nothing can happen in Britney’s life without his approval.
He’s upset that she spent her own money to go to Hawaii. The absolute gall of this guy!!
I LOVE HER NEW LAWYER. Audit it all. Jamie is so screwed. I love it
Oh yes – Daddy Spears is not going to bully the new guy. From what I’ve read of his rep he will go toe to toe with Jamie, Brit made a very smart move when she got him to rep her. The Spears family and Lou Taylor better get lawyered up cause karma is coming.
I’ve been learning more about Lou Taylor in what Merricat aptly named this “Southern Gothic“. What a piece of work. She seems to have been pulling a lot of the strings and has likely pilfered a good deal of the money.
She and Jamie are pretty much the architects of the conservatorship and why it has lasted this long – she helped Jamie Dr shop.
Courtney Love has lots to say about Lou Taylor – check out her twitter.
Thanks for the tip Digital Unicorn. I will check it out. In case you haven’t read it, Ronan Farrow‘s article in the New Yorker also talks a lot about Lou Taylor.
Nothing would make me happier than to see Jamie, Lou and the rest of the criminals get thrown in the slammer. What they have done do that poor girl is unreal. I do worry for her safety – these people will do anything to hold on to the golden goose.
Rosengart just filed papers the day before this happened, saying that the hearing scheduled for September is too long to wait and he wants Jamie removed immediately because every day that goes by with him as Britney’s conservator is harmful to her. So it’s interesting that Jamie is only filing these papers now accusing Montgomery when his conversation with her happened early in July. Why didn’t he fell these papers at the time?. Now panic is setting in and the vermin are attacking each other.
The longer he is allowed to remain the more damage he will do not only to Brit’s mental health but to what is left of her estate – he is the type to bankrupt the estate rather than let her have complete access to it. You can bet he has millions stashed away.
TBH I think Ms Montgomery has been doing her job of working for Britney who is her client. She seems to be on Brit’s side and Brit is not asking for her to be removed. There was a story that she was going to resign but I think that was a plant by Jamie to force her into doing it – Jamie is threatened by Jodi and has been trying to get her ousted for a while.
Montgomery only began behaving like that once the publicity started and she was no longer anonymous. The writing was on the wall that the paycheck from Britney would be ending and she needs to worry about her reputation going forward. She is now looking like a champion. The Britney’s Gram podcast (or Toxic: The Britney Spears Story podcast by the same hosts — sorry I can’t remember which ) has an episode about a couple of other clients of hers and she comes across as predatory. It’s a very cozy little industry which has —until now — been working in the dark with somewhat vague ( as in: open to interpretation) regulations and lots of money to be made. A former probate judge said in an interview that they (judges) have to deal with so many cases per day that they can’t devote the time necessary to really evaluate properly and therefore they lean heavily on the lawyers and the conservators for information and guidance.
Am I only one that thinks she does need someone to watch and care for her and not her boyfriend?Her instagram videos are really manic.One she is pulling her shorts downing another one the same thing..She might as well take her clothes off.I hope the Free Britney movement will be supportive when she has another melt down.
There is context. She has been micromanaged and controlled for many years and her father won’t allow her to not wear a bra for example. So these posts may just be a giant FU aimed at him. The other thing to consider is that her Instagram has been controlled by an outside company. So she is doing what she’s doing, but she may not be in control of when it is released. By releasing one Instagram where she’s in a certain mood and another one shortly after where she’s completely different, it gives the impression that she’s not stable. This is all conjecture of course, but The fact that her Instagram is moderated is not. Even if she has mental issues, the conditions she’s living under would only be making them worse and may in fact be the cause of any current condition. Maybe she needs support but what she’s getting is not support. Check out some of the podcasts I mentioned on this page. They really help to round out what has been happening and who has been involved.
After watching her IG videos, I think she’s in a manic phase and refusing to take her meds. However, as someone who suffers from bipolar I, in the past I’ve refused to take meds as the side effects were horrible and I switched to a new drug without side effects. Britney has every right to do that too without her scammer father threatening to put her on a 5150 hold.
I hope her new lawyer can get Jamie removed, this is not healthy for her.
Up until recently, her social media was not managed by her. One of the recent hearings gave Britney control over her social media again. It’s not surprising that the social media manager(s) paid by Jamie made her look unstable.
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There’s a whole lot of options for support and treatment before you get to the extreme of conservatorship. Kanye seems to have his own episodes, not take care of himself at times, make frivolous purchases but it would be extreme and wrong to declare he has no capacity and prevent him from making his own decisions. Conservators are typically for people who have dementia and truly lack capacity. Britney should be allowed to make her own decisions even terrible ones that other people are allowed to do
No, you are not the only one. I have actually stopped paying attention to all this (for the most part) because she makes me very sad.
She might but it’s impossible to know right now. Her dad needs to be out of the picture and probably a team of doctors to agree on a diagnosis and find proper meds.
You aren’t alone. I still think of that shy teenager on what must have been the first or second season of The View, addressing all of the then-panelists as “ma’am”, and my heart breaks for what has become of her life. She deserves so much more, but I am with you, I’m scared for her to be in complete control of her medical care.
Someone here said it weeks ago, but the parallels to Karen Carpenter are very real. Karen Carpenter needed someone to be in her corner, for her own health, and that didn’t happen.
No, you are not the only person who thinks women who have the audacity to show their body how they like, are not polite & have moods should be controlled & on a psychiatric hold.
Her IG is manipulated by someone – ever notice how they speed up the tempo to make her look a little manic? I put NOTHING past this group of people; they’ve stolen most of her money and now they’re buying time to cover their tracks. I think it’s too late to cover their crimes up but with a corrupt Judge presiding over this no telling what will happen. There was zero reason for her to deny the latest request made by B’s attorney – makes zero sense.
Hoping for much better news for Britney soon. I hate that she has worked so hard and everyone benefits but her.
They are all cut from the same cloth these guys who use their positions of power to abuse. I agree that he’ll try and tear her down and embezzle even more before he’s thrown out. He will not walk away willingly.
Audit audit audit. Expose them all and set Britney free.
I wonder how much of Britneys money her dad paid that guy to say that!!
The oversexualisation of herself that concerns people that you see on Britney’s Instagram is a common sign to look out for in people who have been sexually abused/ assaulted or have suffered sexual harm
Britney shows many of the signs other than hypersexualisation of sexual harm and trauma
At a time when we are celebrating Lil Nas X, we really should slow down on making assumptions like this. For some survivors of sexual abuse, that can be a symptom of what happened to them, but there are other people both sexually abused and not who choose to express themselves that way for other reasons. Just a word of caution.
Especially considering all the gross policing of Britney’s body when she was young.
Even if Britney is a victim of sexual abuse (and that’s a big IF), her body is her own. God knows everybody else can post pictures of their body on social media without being analyzed for sexual trauma. Why can’t she?
Sigmund: Thank you. Regardless of IF she was a victim of something like this, her body is her gd own & she gets to do with it what she wants. “Why” she does what she does is really nobody’s business.
This conjecture….that she does something because she was abused….so is “damaged”…and people need to control her…is really dangerous. 1 in 4 women have suffered abuse, so watch yourselves women, when you start to throw this kind of mud.
We do not need the days of easily committing women when they act “hysterical” at not liking their abuse.
I feel so incredibly sorry for Britney. That picture of her in the white dress shows the vulnerable, hurt, sad, sad woman that so many, including her horrible father, are trying to control for her money. I just can’t.
Jamie is saying a 5150 is completely up to his request, I thought the local government decided someone was a risk to themselves and others and out someone on a 5150 hold it’s not just a request from one person and it’s done
My mother expected me to live on nothing and when I’d spend money say I had some sort of shopping addiction and would call my therapist saying this and that j shouldn’t have access to my own money. When I’d point out how neglectful emotionally abusive my mom was she’d keep claiming I was just sick and everyone else lives on less and is treated worse only I can’t survive like this so the therapist needed to help her control me too. People act like this only happens in extreme situations in a movie or someone with the money and fame of Britney, but it doesn’t.
No ones civil liberties should be taken away for over a decade on the say so of someone who benefits financially. I think there is a special place in hell for her father. Nevertheless the decisions should not rest with anyone with a financial stake in keeping control. I hope he can be prosecuted.
It’s strange to me that if the petition is to remove him that he is allowed to remain in that role until it is settled in court. Surely if this was (and is ) a case of abuse the victim in this case would not be allowed to remain under his control. Why is this different? Shouldn’t an independent court appointed person temporarily be in charge until it is resolved?
Even if she does need help, there are so many other ways she can be helped that do not involve Jamie Spears remaining in control.
It’s amazing how he keeps making things worse for himself. If he had any sense, he’d be cooperative and step down. The more he fights and lies and tries to hide the truth, the worse it’s going to be when it all comes out. And it will all come out.
I wish the best for Britney.
Basically when something doesn’t go his way he makes hospitalize his daughter.
Jamie Spears is reaching the Joe Jackson level of abuse, and that is a tough one to beat.
This is incredibly sad and frightening for Britney.
OMG so terrifying that he has this power and is using his power to punish her for speaking out. Imagine if this had happened only a year or so ago before she got her voice back and he could (and probably did) do anything that he wanted to hurt her… like drug her up with lithium?!?!
The tone of the comments here versus Nicki Minaj’s Jessie J piece is shocking. People called NM names and disparaged her for defending herself yet here we have a White man who’s abused his daughter for YEARS be met with reserve and decorum.
I swear to god I’m not even a Nicki fan but I am a Black woman and this right here shows our unconscious biases. Jaime is accorded respect even through his heinous crimes yet NM is excoriated for the most benign stuff
Good point, Bibi.
I wish NONE of her business was laid bare for everyone to gossip about & I fear none of this will end well. Seems people are cheering it on.
I agree.
Stop misconstruing commenters’ intentions. What people are “cheering on” is Britney getting her life back —not having to fear punishment if she doesn’t do what she’s told like some six-year-old child, not being forced to work to make millions of dollars for her parents and siblings to live on, being able to choose the color she wants to paint her effing kitchen cabinets. If — and it’s a big if— she needs mental support, she can get mental support WITHOUT being in a conservatorship. It doesn’t follow that in order to get mental support she has to live the life of a virtual prisoner.
If her business hadn’t been made public, she would still be being oppressed by her father. SHE chose to testify publicly in court because she wanted the public to know what was going on. But I’m guessing you — in the name of pearl clutching — would be willing to take that right away from her too. If not for the publicity this generated, the system would’ve continued on with business as usual. Besides Britney‘s case, the publicity is also shining a light on conservatorship law and the often abusive circumstances it allows.
Jamie continues to show what despicable piece of trash he is. Britney “was not timely or properly taking her medications, was not listening to the recommendations of her medical team and refused to even see some of her doctors.” And that he was worried about her mental health. When did this happen? Was it about the same time she wanted to retire from performing, stating that she never wanted to perform again as long as her father was managing her career?
Sounds like she got fed up with being told what to do and what was best for her — all without her choice or input. This motherfucker threatened her with institutionalization before and he was threatening to do it again — this time using Jodi as the reason — because Britney said NO. NO to performing, NO to the medical team HE arranged for her, and NO to being plied with medications that she’s not comfortable taking. And I don’t care what anyone thinks of her mental state, she has every right to have a say about the care she’s receiving. And that right includes saying no.
Even if Brittney needs psychiatric help, she is old enough to be dealing with her issues without the conservativeship of her father.
Did Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan and the list go on have to be under a conservativeship….NO. Brittney is an adult and should be treated as one; let her live her life, whatever the outcome maybe.
They should 5150 Jamie instead.
100% Agree with you on that! He’s an abusive alcoholic and needs to be put away.
Her dad is a psychopath. The sooner she’s free of him, the better off she’ll be.