Weeks after Britney Spears’ father announced in a court filing he’d be willing to step away from her conservatorship at some point, the singer is again telling an L.A. judge that he needs to be removed as soon as possible.
In a supplemental petition to suspend and remove Jamie Spears filed Tuesday (Aug. 31), Britney’s attorney argues that an Aug. 12 filing is further proof Jamie is concerned about his own well-being instead of his daughter’s.
“The thrust of his response is that although (i) he expressly recognizes that a ‘public battle’ regarding his departure would not be in Ms. Spears’s best interests and (ii) for that reason, he even intends to support ‘an orderly transition,’ his idea of ‘orderly’ is to hang on until someone first brands him ‘father of the year’ and awards him a gold star for his ‘service,’” writes Rosengart in the filing, which is embedded below. “In other words, although Mr. Spears has, at last, been forced to recognize that it is best for his daughter if he departs now, he claims the right to drag his feet because it is best for him to cling to this conservatorship until he feels sufficiently-vindicated.”
Rosengart argues that Jamie is trying to redeem his image and use his remaining leverage to ensure the pending accounting is approved, which includes about $2 million in fees to third parties including his attorneys.
“A ‘transition’ can just as easily occur while Mr. Spears is suspended, as opposed to while he lingers as conservator waiting for his inevitable removal,” argues Rosengart. “The only difference is that the former is in his daughter’s best interests, while the latter severely undermines those interests.”
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Rosengart reiterated that the situation reeks of quid pro quo. “Britney Spears will not be bullied or extorted by her father,” he says. “Nor does Mr. Spears have the right to try to hold his daughter hostage by setting the terms of his removal. This is not about him, it is about the best interests of his daughter, which as a matter of law, mandate his removal. Even putting aside the legal issues requiring his prompt removal, if he loves his daughter, Mr. Spears should resign now, today, before he is suspended. It would be the correct and decent thing to do.”
A hearing on the petition is currently set for Sept. 29. Representatives for Jamie Spears have not yet responded to a request for comment.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
