A Los Angeles court has declined an application from Britney Spears asking to remove her father James Spears from the conservatorship of her estate, reports NBC News in the recent article “Britney Spears loses bid to remove father from conservatorship, refuses to perform.” The singer’s father has been her sole conservator in 2019, after attorney Andrew Wallet resigned from his role as co-conservator.

Superior court judge Brenda Penny declined to suspend James Spears from his conservatorship in a hearing in a Los Angeles court. She did not rule out the possibility of considering any future petitions for his removal or suspension.

Britney Spears’ attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, informed the judge that the singer is afraid of her father and has said that she will not perform again as long as her father is in charge of her career.

The financial company Bessemer Trust has been appointed as co-conservator.

James Spears’ lawyer has argued that in the time he has been in charge of her estate, Britney Spears’ net worth has changed from being in debt to a net worth reaching $60 million.

In addition to the conservatorship battle being waged in court, there is also an online campaign named #FreeBritney. The campaign maintains that the singer is being controlled by her father, despite her wishes to be an emancipated adult.

James Spears became his daughter’s conservator following a mental breakdown in 2007, which was widely covered in the media. An acting conservator, Jodi Montgomery, has stepped in to help Spears.

James has been critical of the #FreeBritney movement, comparing supporters to conspiracy theorists.

Britney has requested that her father be removed from his role as conservator earlier this year, but his conservatorship has been extended until February 2021.

This past September, James also withdrew his legal battle to rehire estate manager Andrew Wallet, who Britney Spears said was “uniquely unsuited” during his first period of service.

He worked from 2008-2019 as a co-conservator, but Britney said that she could not afford his services.

Wallet subsequently claimed that the pop star will likely need to be under conservatorship for the rest of her life.

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Reference: NBC News (Nov. 11, 2020) “Britney Spears loses bid to remove father from conservatorship, refuses to perform”