Britney Spears conservatorship hearing: What to expect

LOS ANGELES — The battle over pop star Britney Spears’ conservatorship will return Wednesday to a Los Angeles courthouse as a judge considers several petitions, including one that could see the end of the 13-year conservatorship.

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The court hearing is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET, according to CNN.

James “Jamie” Spears, Britney Spears’ father, filed a petition earlier this month seeking an end to the conservatorship that has controlled the singer’s finances and life for more than a decade. It came weeks after he agreed to step down as her financial conservator, a position he has held since 2008.

In court filings, he urged Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny to make a decision on the issues Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.

>> Related: Britney Spears’ father files to end court conservatorship

“As Mr. Spears has said again and again, all he wants is what is best for his daughter,” Jamie Spears’ attorney wrote in the petition, according to NPR. “If Ms. Spears wants to terminate the conservatorship and believes that she can handle her own life, Mr. Spears believes that she should get that chance.”

Jamie Spears sought a conservatorship for his daughter in 2008, as Britney Spears underwent a series of public mental health struggles exacerbated by constant and obsessive media scrutiny, according to the AP. In June, Britney Spears told Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny that she wanted to end the conservatorship, calling it “abusive.”

>> Related: Britney Spears asks judge to end court conservatorship

Britney Spears’ attorney, Matthew Rosengart, said in court records obtained by the AP that Jodi Montgomery, a court-appointed professional who has served as the conservator of Britney Spears’ person since 2019, has consented to ending the conservatorship so long as it can be done safely and smoothly. Previously, Jamie Spears served as his daughter’s personal conservator, giving him control over her life decisions for more than a decade, according to the AP.

Rosengart has also called for Jamie Spears to be investigated over allegations that he secretly recorded audio in his daughter’s bedroom, according to CNN. Allegations that Jamie Spears and the security firm he hired to protect his daughter secretly recorded Britney Spears and her conversations with her fiance, Sam Asghari, her children and others were first made public in “Controlling Britney Spears,” a documentary released Friday from The New York Times and the FX network.

It was not immediately clear whether Britney Spears would be present for Wednesday’s hearing. Previously, she has attended hearings by phone, CNN reported.

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