EXCLUSIVE: Britney Spears' father claims he helped the troubled star climb out of debt, build a $60M fortune and 'restore her to good health', as he fights singer's attempt to remove him as her conservator
Britney Spears' father helped his troubled daughter climb out of debt and build a $60 million fortune, his lawyer claims in newly-filed court documents found by DailyMail.com.
And Jamie Spears, 68, who is fighting Britney's efforts to dump him as her conservator, also claims he helped the Toxic singer duck lawsuits which would have cost her tens of millions of dollars.
'For over 12 years, Mr Spears has more than capably and dutifully served as the conservator of his daughter's estate, always doing what he believed was in his daughter's best interest,' said Vivian Thoreen, attorney for Jamie, in a legal declaration.
'Mr. Spears has performed his job well. This is a fact. He has taken the estate from being in debt and facing tens of millions of dollars of lawsuits, to a current value of well over $60 million.
'Mr. Spears did this all while also serving as conservator of the person … and working diligently with a team of professionals to restore to good health and revive her career as best as possible under the circumstances.'
Britney Spears' father helped his troubled daughter climb out of debt and build a $60 million fortune, his lawyer claims in newly-filed court documents found by DailyMail.com
And Jamie Spears, 68, who is fighting Britney's efforts to dump him as her conservator, also claims he helped the Toxic singer duck lawsuits which would have cost her tens of millions of dollars
Thoreen's written declaration proclaiming the achievements of Jamie serving as the Grammy-winning pop star's conservator were filed at Los Angeles Superior Court ahead of a hearing Wednesday before Judge Brenda Penny
Thoreen's written declaration proclaiming the achievements of Jamie serving as the Grammy-winning pop star's conservator were filed at Los Angeles Superior Court ahead of a hearing Wednesday before Judge Brenda Penny.
Neither Britney, nor her parents were in court because of COVID-19 restrictions.
But Jamie and a total of nine attorneys - representing Britney, her mother Lynne, Jamie, and the conservatorship, were live on audio or video connection with the judge during the hearing in downtown LA.
After listening to Thoreen and Britney's lawyer, Samuel Ingham, sparring and bickering over conservatorship management payments and attorney fees, Judge Penny set new dates in February, March and April 2021 for continued hearings on how the star's conservatorship should be run.
Last month Ingham told the court that Britney, 39, was 'afraid' of her dad and would not perform again until he was no longer in charge of the conservatorship he's been overseeing since her much-publicized breakdown in 2008.
But despite those claims from Ingham - who also accused Jamie of making questionable business decisions without consulting Britney - Judge Penny ruled that Jamie should stay on.
And California-based Bessemer Trust has been appointed as co-conservator at least for the moment.
The judge did not rule out the possibility of eventually granting Britney's wish to be free of her father.
Jamie has admitted that he hasn't seen Britney in four months.
The judge did not rule out the possibility of eventually granting Britney's wish to be free of her father. Jamie has admitted that he hasn't seen Britney in four months
Still, this week he told CNN: 'I love my daughter and I miss her very much. When a family member needs special care and protection, families need to step up, as I have done for the last 12-plus years, to safeguard, protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally.
'I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family.'
Jamie claimed that he had been on good terms with Britney till her lawyer, Ingham, filed court documents in the summer, seeking his removal from the conservatorship.
From that time, he said, communication ended between father and daughter.
Last year, at her father's request, Spears' conservatorship was temporarily transferred from Jamie to longtime Britney care-giver and associate Jodi Montgomery.
While he blamed his temporary stepping down on health issues, Jamie's decision came amid accusations that he had gotten into an altercation with Britney's then 14-year-old son Sean Preston.
Kevin Federline - Britney's ex and the father of Sean and his brother Jayden James, 13 - made a police report and took out a restraining order against his former father-in-law after the incident in which, reportedly, a 'very angry' Jamie broke down the door of a room Sean had locked himself in and 'shook' the frightened teen.
Jamie claimed that he had been on good terms with Britney till her lawyer, Ingham, filed court documents in the summer, seeking his removal from the conservatorship. From that time, he said, communication ended between father and daughter
Britney was said to be furious over what happened and worried that the incident could jeopardize the joint custody agreement she has with Federline that already gives him a much larger percentage of time with the boys than she has.
Her mother, Lynne Spears, 65, went to court last year - hand in hand with her troubled daughter - to try to take a bigger role in her care and support Britney's request to Judge Penny that she be given more say in her life decisions than the conservatorship allows.
Lynne wanted the judge to grant her more access to medical records and treatment plans for Britney, who pulled out of her Las Vegas residency show Domination last year and soon afterward, spent a month at a mental health facility.
At last month's court hearing, Lynne's attorney, Gladstone Jones, told the court that she agreed with Britney's decision that Jamie should be removed as her conservator.
'It has broken Lynne's heart that things have come to this point' said Jones, who added that the relationship between Britney and her father had become 'toxic.'