Britney Spears’ father says he would ‘love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship’

Since the debut of The New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears” last month, there has been renewed interest in the singer’s court-ordered conservatorship and calls for her father, Jamie Spears, to step aside as co-conservator.

Through his attorney Vivian Lee Thoreen, Jamie Spears said he, too, wishes the conservatorship could come to an end.

“[Jamie] would love nothing more than to see Britney not need a conservatorship,” Thoreen told CNN on Friday. “Whether or not there is an end to the conservatorship really depends on Britney. If she wants to end her conservatorship, she can file a petition to end it.”

“Jamie is not suggesting that he is the perfect dad or that he would receive any ‘Father of the Year’ award. Like any parent, he doesn’t always see eye-to-eye on what Britney may want. But Jamie believes every single decision he has made has been in her best interest,” Thoreen added.

CNN has reached out to representatives for Spears, who had no comment on Thoreen’s remarks and her attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, told CNN he “can’t comment on a pending case.”

Jamie Spears was first appointed by a court to be co-conservator of Britney’s estate and person in 2008, following a series of personal issues for the singer that played out publicly.

Ingham filed to remove Britney’s father as conservator last August. During a hearing on the matter in November, Ingham said Britney was “afraid” of her father. The judge ruled to keep Spears as conservator and appointed Bessemer Trust to act as co-conservator of her $60 million estate.

“Jamie never contested or objected to Bessemer being appointed as his co-conservator. And at the last hearing, it was reported that Jamie was trying to get more power than his co-conservator, and that is completely inaccurate. What we were arguing is that Jamie and his co-conservator should have equal power, that was always consistent,” Thoreen said.

She told CNN that her client has no control over whether his daughter needs a conservatorship and that it is entirely up to the court.

“The court investigator also interviews everyone who is involved in the conservatorship, and they do a deep dive to really study the conservatorship to find out what’s going on. And what I can tell you is every year the court has kept the conservatorship in place,” she said.

CNN has confirmed with the Los Angeles Superior Court that conservatorships undergo a review process but would not specifically comment on Spears’ conservatorship.

Although Jamie Spears told CNN in December that he had not spoken to his daughter since last summer’s court filing, Thoreen said the family quarantined together at the family home in Louisiana at the beginning of the pandemic.

CNN has obtained videos of the family from their two weeks together. In them, the singer is seen riding bikes and playing in the yard alongside her father, mother Lynne Spears, sister Jamie Lynn Spears, and her nieces.

“When the pandemic hit and everyone had to stay at home, Britney wanted to go home. She wanted to see her family,” Thoreen said. “Jamie unquestionably loves Britney, and he misses her very much. But he also respects her, and he wants to give her autonomy and space. And as I’ve said before, like any other family, there are ups and downs. So, Jamie is respectful of Britney’s space, and he is also respectful of her attorney’s request that he not contact her. But the key is Britney knows that she can contact her daddy anytime and that he will be there for her. Whether or not there’s a conservatorship, Jamie will love Britney.”

According to court documents obtained by CNN in December, Ingham said Britney would not perform again as long as her father remained in control of her fortune.

Although Britney has not publicly commented on the ongoing conservatorship battle, she did respond to recent speculation about whether she plans to perform again.

“I’ll always love being on stage,” she wrote on Instagram on February 9. “But I am taking the time to learn and be a normal person ….. I love simply enjoying the basics of every day life !!!! Each person has their story and their take on other people’s stories !!!! We all have so many different bright beautiful lives. Remember, no matter what we think we know about a person’s life it is nothing compared to the actual person living behind the lens.”

The next court hearing in the conservatorship is scheduled for March 17.