(NBC) – Thursday morning, Britney Spears is waking up for the first time in more than 13 years without her father in control of her life or her money. It’s being seen as a huge victory for Britney and her team.
After living her life for the past 13 years under a conservatorship at the hands of her father Jamie, Britney spears is now free from his control.
Jamie Spears called in to the hearing remaining silent as the judge ruled to suspend him as conservator, calling the situation “toxic.”
The new conservator in charge of her finances is an accountant handpicked by Britney’s legal team. And that could be a strategy. If the conservatorship had ended, the records of how it worked would have been closed. Now, Britney’s favored conservator has insight. He and others will work in the coming months to unravel the conservatorship, eventually leaving Britney to run her own life as she chooses.
Liz Day has reported on this story for the past year for the New York Times. Day explained, “She will theoretically now be able to be in control of where she wants to go when she wants to go with who she wants to go and she’ll be able to spend her money that she earned, however, she’d like and really regain her life.”
Britney, absent from the hearing, appeared on Instagram in a video flying a plane, writing she’s on “cloud nine.”
Outside the courthouse, hundreds of supporters gathered, many a part of the Free Britney movement. The crowd erupted in cheers as news of the decision spread, fans could be heard from inside the courtroom.
Britney’s lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, received a rock star-like welcome after the hearing. He called the ruling a substantial step towards her freedom.
“It’s a great day for Britney Spears, and it’s a great day for justice,” he said, “And there’s definitely something to celebrate. But it’s also a solemn day. Britney Spears has been faced with the decade-long nightmare.”
In June, Britney ended years of silence with explosive testimony in court. It followed a documentary by the New York Times raising questions about her conservatorship.
Day said, “A lot of people thought it would never end. And now we’re seeing the beginning of the end with Jamie being removed. And I think a lot of that goes towards the public pressure from Brittany’s fans and Brittany herself finally speaking out.”
© 2024 KOBI-TV NBC5. All rights reserved unless otherwise stated.