Ever since the "New York Times" documentary "Framing Britney Spears" debuted a few weeks ago, the #FreeBritney movement has been given new life. Fans of the pop singer believe that the conservatorship she's been under, that her father controls, is unfair. After all, if she is healthy enough to perform a lengthy Las Vegas residency, release albums, and be a judge on "The X Factor," shouldn't she be, at the very least, partially in control of her personal life and finances? Well, not according to her father Jamie. On Thursday, February 25th, he released a statement through his attorney denying claims that he's controlling her against her will. Au contraire, he claims he saved her life and finances from being exploited by other people.
Britney, on the other hand, recently claimed in court documents that she was afraid of her father. She wasn't asking to be released from the conservatorship, she just wanted a court-appointed professional to take it over from her dad. Her father is fighting that move tooth and nail saying he must remain in charge of her conservatorship because he loves her and wants to protect her. For the record, Britney Spears is a now 39-year-old mother of two teenagers who has completely bounced back and revived her career from the 2008 meltdown that led to her conservatorship.
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Mr. Spears' attorney Vivian Thoreen appeared on "Good Morning America" to dispel certain notions about her client and his relationship to his daughter's finances. "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 exploiting her. Jamie saved Britney's life," she said.
Ms. Thoreen went on to claim that Britney Spears only had $2.8 million in the bank when her father established the conservatorship over her. Under her father's guidance, Britney's net worth has grown to $70 million. Thoreen claims that before Jamie Spears took over, Britney's money was being mismanaged. However, Britney's many fans believe Jamie is using Britney as a workhorse and a way to make money for himself off of her.
Back in late 2007, Britney was struggling personally and professionally. She was constantly hounded by the paparazzi. She had been famous for more than a decade. She was a young mother. She was barely 26 years old. Britney had just released her album "Blackout." At the same time, she was in a fierce custody battle with her ex-husband Kevin Federline. She lost custody of her sons after a judge found out that she was a "habitual, frequent, and continuous user of controlled substances and alcohol." She basically lost her mind for a while. That led to the now-infamous shaving of her head and the attack on a paparazzi member's car with an umbrella. Not long after these incidences, her father filed for the conservatorship. You'd never know it now, but back then people thought that was the end. The Pop Princess had fallen and people really thought she would never get back up.
Around the same time, Britney's parents took out a restraining order against Sam Lufti, alleging that he was taking advantage of Britney. Lufti has always denied these accusations. The conservatorship was put in place in 2008.
2007 and 2008 were not kind to Britney Spears, but they were a lifetime ago. Now 39, the mother of two has her personal and professional life back on track. Her Instagram account is filled with cute pics of her and her sons. We never should have doubted her. Remember, "It's Britney, Bitch."
Thoreen also said in her "Good Morning America" interview: "Jamie serves as her conservator because he loves her. He wants the best for Britney."
