Britney Spears may be free of the conservatorship that her father held over her life for 13 years, but the legal drama continues. Following Jamie Spears’ removal as the singer’s conservator last year, Britney’s mother Lynne Spears filed documents requesting that her daughter pay the legal fees accumulated while trying to help the former pop star regain her freedom. Now, the younger Spears' lawyers have responded, asking the court to deny Lynne’s request.
Lynne Spears has not escaped Britney Spears’ criticism as the singer continues to partially blame the "people closest to her” for allowing the abuse she suffered under her conservatorship to go on for so long. That doesn’t appear to have changed, as, according to legal documents obtained by ET, lawyer Mathew Rosengart says there is “no legal basis” for asking his client to pay her mother’s $663,202 legal bill:
First, and most fundamentally, there is no legal authority supporting the petition… [The petition cites] no authority at all to support the conclusion that a conservatorship estate can be held financially responsible for the attorney's fees of a third party.
The “Toxic” singer’s lawyer said as far as what Lynne Spears owes to the firm Jones Swanson Huddell & Garrison LLC, which she'd hired in 2019, those terms are between the firm and their client, and that Britney Spears herself shouldn’t be put in the middle of something she had no part of. Lynne, however, maintains that without her help and that of her legal team, the conservatorship would still exist.
In fact, Lynne Spears’ attorneys says her daughter’s objection to pay the legal was “astounding,” according to documents filed in response to Mathew Rosengart’s request, per ET:
[Lynne Spears’] involvement in the matter at hand signified the beginning of the end of Ms. Spears' conservatorship… [The objection to payment is] quite an astounding turn of events.
The objection seems to stem from the fact that Lynne Spears and others in the family benefited financially from the conservatorship for many years. Even Jamie Spears spoke out last August about his ex-wife’s inability to put “her daughter’s interests ahead of her own,” claiming that despite their estranged relationship, Britney pays for her mother’s Louisiana mansion, including all of her utilities.
Mathew Rosengart’s request cited those issues as reasons why his client should not be held responsible for further financial matters, unless it was her choice to do so:
Lynne Spears has for at least a decade resided in a large, expensive house owned by Britney Spears in Kentwood, Louisiana, for which her daughter has also continuously — and generously — paid Lynne Spears' utilities, telephone services, insurance, property taxes, landscaping, pool work, pest control, repairs, and maintenance, totaling approximately $1.7 million.
It seems unlikely that Britney Spears would choose to voluntarily give her mother any additional money, at least if her past comments about Lynne are any indication. Despite the role her mother may have played in getting the conservatorship reversed, the Crossroads actress went on an unfiltered rant last year against her mother, saying she held her responsible for Jamie Spears taking over her life in the first place. She did not hold back in her criticism of Lynne or her former business manager Lou Taylor when she said:
She secretly ruined my life, and yes, I will call her and Lou Taylor out on it. So take your whole 'I have NO IDEA what's going on' attitude and go fuck yourself. You know exactly what you did.
It’s unfortunate that Britney Spears is still having to deal with fallout from the 13-year conservatorship even after she’s regained her freedom, but she seems to have found a way to work through some of the trauma. She recently explained that talking about her experiences has been healing for her. Hopefully the court will rule on this latest issue quickly so that she can continue to move forward.
