Jamie Spears is defending himself.
The #FreeBritney movement has never been a fan of Britney Spears’s dad, and the recent New York Times/FX documentary Framing Britney Spears has turned even more of the pop star’s fans against him. We have to admit, it’s really hard to imagine why Jamie doesn’t just step aside at this point, but he continues to fight to be in charge of his daughter’s conservatorship.
Related: Jamie GROUNDED Britney Over The Summer?!
On Thursday, his lawyer Vivian Thoreen spoke with Good Morning America in defense of the patriarch’s actions. Thoreen said:
“I understand that every story needs a villain. But people have it so wrong here. … This is a story about a fiercely loving, dedicated and loyal father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation. People were harming her and they were exploiting her. Jamie saved Britney’s life.”
Well, there’s no doubt it was a dire situation for Brit back in 2008 when the conservatorship was put in place. Whether removing her from control of her own life was the right answer is a moot point now, but she certainly needed help. Now that it’s been more than a decade later, Thoreen claimed:
“Britney makes decisions all the time. If she wants to perform, if she wants to record an album, if she wants her name and likeness used, or if she just wants to live her life like a normal person, Jamie collaborates with Britney to make that happen. … He has collaborated with her to help her regain custody of her children. He has brought her finances back from disaster. And he’s created a safe environment for her to live her life the way she wants, away from the media that cause her so much pain.”
We don’t know exactly how much of this is true (we know the Lucky singer’s lawyer claimed she wouldn’t perform again as long as Jamie was in charge). But we do know that it was Jamie himself who actually cost Britney custody of her sons. Sources say Jamie’s physical altercation with her kids Sean Preston Federline was the reason their custody agreement went from 50-50 to 70-30 in Kevin Federline’s favor. And of course, the boys both still have a restraining order in place against their grandfather.
Thoreen did have some specifics to share about Britney’s finances, though, which are certainly a hot button issue for the #FreeBritney crowd. She explained:
“Britney’s assets were clearly being mismanaged and she was being taken advantage of financially by some of those around her… Before the conservatorship, it was reported that Britney was making $40 million a year. When Jamie stepped in as conservator in 2008, court records show that Britney’s assets were worth $2.8 million and she was in debt and facing lawsuits to the tune of millions of dollars. So it’s under Jamie’s stewardship for the past 13 years that he’s been able to restore Britney’s finances to where they are today to nearly $60 million.”
Thoreen added:
“Thanks to Jamie’s efforts, Britney’s estate is now capable of taking care of Britney and her children for the rest of their lives, as long as no one is permitted to exploit or take advantage of her again.”
Asked why, if Jamie had done such a good job as a father and a conservator, the Crossroads actress was now fighting to have him removed from the position, the attorney remarked:
“Throughout 2020, Britney and her father had many conversations. And, in fact, early on in the pandemic, they spent two weeks with other family members hunkered down in Louisiana. Britney and Jamie went on long drives together. They played and worked in the family garden and every night, Jamie cooked southern comfort food that the family ate and enjoyed together. In that time Britney never expressed those words to her father. She’s never asked him to step aside.”
Hmm. Seems doubtful, but in any case, she’s asking him to do so now, in court, so that should be respected. Of course, the lawyer trotted out the old party line that Britney could file to end the conservatorship completely and never has. But again, we highly doubt it would be that easy.
Thoreen was also asked to address why the Mickey Mouse Club alum’s lawyer claimed she was “scared” of her father. The answer was somewhat evasive:
“Jamie loves his daughter and like any other family, issues come up from time to time, but this in no way takes away from the love and support that they have for each other. Britney knows that her daddy loves her and she knows that she can call on him anytime, conservatorship or not.”
Related: Britney’s Cousin & Former Assistant Says Jamie Threatened Her LIFE
Thoreen had other arguments as to why Jamie stayed in charge, including that the court “would not have appointed Jamie or kept him on if Jamie weren’t a loving father and grandfather, and if he weren’t a responsible conservator.” (Again, that restraining order kinda suggests otherwise.) She also said that he fulfilled his duties as his daughter’s conservator with “the kind of dedication and diligence that only a family member — that only a parent who loves his daughter unconditionally — can.”
She concluded:
“Jamie serves as Britney’s conservator because he loves her. He wants the best for Britney.”
Giving Jamie some EXTREME benefit of the doubt, perhaps at the beginning, it truly was good and necessary for him to be in charge of the conservatorship. But more than ten years later, the fact that he won’t step aside when asked seems more like he loves control than loves his daughter. This arrangement is clearly doing more harm than good, and we really hope he begins respecting Britney’s wishes.
Check out Thoreen’s GMA interview (which includes footage Jamie provided of Brit on vacation… a tad exploitative of him, no?) below:
[Image via Britney Spears/Instagram & ABC/YouTube]
The post Britney Spears 'Never' Asked Her Dad To Step Aside As Conservator, His Lawyer Says: 'Jamie Saved Britney’s Life' appeared first on Perez Hilton.
