Britney Spears' father Jamie suspended as conservator
Jamie Spears was suspended as conservator of his daughter Britney Spears' estate on Wednesday.
Judge Brenda Penny made the ruling in Los Angeles on Wednesday, citing concerns that the arrangement was no longer helpful to the pop star.
"The current situation is not tenable," the Los Angeles Superior Court judge said during the hearing. "It reflects a toxic environment which requires the suspension of Jamie Spears, effective today."
The ruling is a monumental win for the 39-year-old, who publicly spoke out against the legal arrangement in June. In the bombshell testimony, she accused her father, who has orchestrated her conservatorship since it was instituted in 2008, of abusing his power over her, among many other shocking allegations.
A temporary conservator, accountant John Zabel, who was chosen by Britney's legal team, will take Jamie's role of managing her $60 million (£44.6 million) estate. Jodi Montgomery will continue to act as temporary conservator of her person, a role that manages her day to day affairs, including medical treatment.
The 69-year-old filed a petition last month in support of terminating the singer's conservatorship over a period of time. His lawyer, Vivian Lee Thoreen, argued that the ruling was unnecessary due to all parties agreeing that the arrangement should end.
"She wants him out of her life today rather than a lingering and toxic presence," Britney's lawyer Mathew Rosengart said during the hearing. "Britney deserves to wake up tomorrow without her father as her conservator." He added that he believed Britney's father is "a cruel, toxic, abusive man."
Rosengart asked the judge to schedule a new hearing to discuss terminating the conservatorship altogether, once an investigation into Jamie's conduct is complete. The next hearing is scheduled for 12 November.
