Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears suspended from guardianship

A Los Angeles judge suspended Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears from the guardianship that controlled the singer’s life, career and finances for 13 years. The move is a major victory for the pop star, who prompted her father to withdraw from the court-appointed arrangement.

Judge Brenda Perry accepted a petition from Britney’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, and appointed John Zabel, a chartered accountant, to serve as temporary manager of her finances. The judge said her father’s suspension was in Britney’s best interests and said the decision could not be appealed.

“This suspension is directly what Britney wanted, she doesn’t want Jamie in her life,” Rosengart told court on Wednesday.

A hearing on whether to end the trusteeship is scheduled for November 12.

The judge also rejected a request by Jamie’s attorney to investigate Zabel, saying the temporary appointment only requires a background check. Lawyers have a December 30 deadline to provide judges’ registers for the past 13 years.

Britney’s fiancé, Sam asghari, celebrated the decision on Wednesday. “Free Britney!” he wrote on Instagram. “Congratulations!!!!”

Outside the courthouse, supporters of the pop star cheered as the news broke. Her fans held up posters with her photos and the phrase “Free Britney” while singing her most popular songs.

Rosengart said removing Jamie from the arrangement would be the first step to “end the Kafkaesque nightmare imposed by his father so that his dignity and fundamental freedoms can be restored.”

A New York Times and FX documentary was the focus of Wednesday’s hearing. In the film, a former employee of the security firm Black Box claimed that Jamie “was in charge of an intense surveillance apparatus” which secretly captured audio recordings of her daughter’s bedroom, including interactions with her boyfriend and children. Jamie’s legal team denied the allegation.

Earlier this month, Jamie sworn only to resign and filed a petition to end the arrangement, saying “whatever he wants is the best for his daughter.” His legal team maintains that Jamie has always had Britney’s best interests at heart and that her estate has gone from debt to an appraisal of over $ 60 million.

In June, Britney made her first public comments in court, bear witness that the guardianship was abusive and gave his father unprecedented control over his life, body and sanity.

“This tutelage does me more harm than good”, Britney noted in an emotional statement. “I lied and told the whole world that I’m fine and happy – that’s a lie. Been in shock. I’m traumatized.