November 11, 2021, 9:14 a.m.
November 11, 2021, 9:14 a.m.
Update: November 11, 2021, 9:22 a.m.
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Los Angeles (dpa) Britney Spears finally getting free after 13 years under guardianship? The next round in the court battle is on Friday – and could bring an important decision for the singer.
– Britney Spearswill have her freedom back.
The legal battle over the 13-year guardianship of Britney Spears is entering the next round.
«This week will be very interesting for me. There is nothing that I have prayed for more in my life, ”wrote the singer on Instagram at the beginning of the week, without specifically mentioning the hearing. The countdown to the appointment with Judge Brenda Penny on Friday afternoon (local time) in Los Angeles has been going on for weeks, fueled by the headline-grabbing tug-of-war between Britney’s team and the estranged family.
Shortly before her 40th birthday (December 2nd), Spears could get her freedom back – if the court gives the green light to lift all guardianship requirements.
Judge Penny had deposed Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, 69, as the guardian of his famous daughter in late September. She complied with the urgent request from Mathew Rosengart, who, as the singer’s lawyer, had long been demanding the removal of her father. At the hearing, he had portrayed Jamie Spears as a “cruel, toxic and abusive man.” The court temporarily appointed accountant John Zabel as guardian of the singer’s finances.
So it was only a partial victory for Britney on her long road to a self-determined life. The mother of two – her sons are 15 and 16 years old – has been under guardianship since 2008 after the pop star collapsed mentally due to professional and personal problems. Initially, her father managed his daughter’s million dollar fortune and private affairs. In 2019 he stepped down, but remained responsible for finances. Since then, Jodi Montgomery has been responsible for the singer’s personal concerns, including medical issues.
At hearings in June and July, Spears had tearfully attacked her father and accused her family and carers. She is controlled by everyone and cannot determine her own life, explained the singer of hits such as “Oops! … I Did It Again “or” Baby One More Time “.
The singer has been openly sharing on Instagram for months. In addition to revealing dance videos and photos, she also posts sharp words, recently against her mother Lynne. In a post that was later deleted, the 39-year-old wrote: “Thank you for disappearing from my life and finally enabling me to live my own.” Her mother forced guardianship, wrote the singer.
Both parents have meanwhile spoken out in favor of an end to guardianship, but the wrangling is far from over. The bitter argument also revolves around money. Spears attorney Rosengart wants Jamie Spears to be held accountable. He accuses the father of having enriched himself with his daughter’s million dollar fortune. Mother Lynne is said to have recently sought a payment of around $ 650,000 from her daughter’s assets to cover her own legal fees in court, US media reported. In 2019, she hired lawyers to help Britney “free” her from guardianship, the mother claims in court documents.
Spears is obviously already making plans for a life without a guardian. In mid-September, she announced her engagement to longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari. She met the 27-year-old dancer and fitness trainer in 2016 on the set of the music video “Slumber Party”. The couple has not yet revealed a wedding date, but Spears does not hold back with hints. “No, this is not my wedding dress,” she wrote on Instagram on Wednesday to photos of herself in a pink tulle dress. But fashion designer Donatella Versace was already working on it, she told her followers.
As in previous hearings, hundreds of fans of the singer are expected in front of the courthouse in Los Angeles on Friday. The noisy Free Britney movement has planned a rally there. Supporters also want to gather in cities like New Orleans, New York and London.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 211111-99-952678 / 2
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