There have been a number of developments in the case of pop star Britney Spears' conservatorship since the release of The New York Times' documentary Framing Britney Spears. All of them culminated in the recent announcement that Britney's father, Jamie Spears, would be stepping down as the primary conservator of his daughter's estate.
Jamie Spears took over control of his daughter's financial and medical affairs in 2008 following an infamous public breakdown. Shortly thereafter, many of Britney Spears' fans began to question her father's actions while acting as her conservator, some of which seemed to be more concerned with building Britney's brand than her mental and physical well-being. For 12 years, the #FreeBritney movement called attention to Jamie Spears' alleged mismanagement. This led to a public battle in the Fall of 2020, as Britney Spears attempted to end her father's conservatorship or at least mitigate Jamie Spears' influence by adding a co-conservator of her choosing.
Framing Britney Spears debuted in February 2021, further fueling the fire of the #FreeBritney movement, as many public figures began to speak out in support of Britney Spears and her efforts to free herself from her father's control. In March 2021, Britney's lawyer requested that Jodi Montgomery, the licensed fiduciary who acted as a temporary conservator in 2019, be made the permanent and sole conservator of Britney's estate. One month later, Britney's mother, Lynne Spears, filed a request with the court that they review the legal fees charged by Jamie Spears' lawyers, claiming that they were "utterly excessive," particularly since he was reportedly paying them with Britney's estate. This led to another legal battle and Britney requesting that she speak for herself in court for the first time.
Britney made a 24-minute statement before Judge Brenda Penny on June 23, 2021, describing her treatment under her father's management as "abusive." Britney Spears claimed that she had little to no privacy and that her father had often forced her to perform against her will or while sick. Despite an increased outpouring of support from the public, Judge Penny denied Britney's request that her father be removed from his position as co-conservator. One week later on July 6, both Britney's attorney, Samuel D. Ingham III, and her manager, Larry Rudolph, resigned. Ingham stepped down due to Britney's desire to choose her own lawyer, while Rudolph claimed that he had not spoken to Britney directly in over two years and that she had communicated a desire to officially retire from performing.
Less than one month later, Britney Spears' new lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, filed a new petition to remove Jamie Spears from his co-conservator position. At the same time, Jodi Montgomery and Britney's medical team voiced their opinions that it was not in her best interest for her father to have any influence over her or her estate. This led Jamie Spears to agree to step down on August 12, saying through his attorney that while there were no actual grounds for removing him from the position he did not feel a lengthy public battle would do anyone any good. Indeed, he specifically cited the "public battle with his daughter" as the reason for his resignation; a battle that was, in large part, renewed and bolstered by the Framing Britney Spears documentary.