"It's a great day for justice": Britney Spears' attorney thanks fans after court victory

Record ID: 1639368

  • Title: "It's a great day for justice": Britney Spears' attorney thanks fans after court victory
  • Date: 30th September 2021
  • Summary: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 29, 2021) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MATHEW ROSENGART, ATTORNEY FOR BRITNEY SPEARS, WALKING UP TO PODIUM FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATHEW ROSENGART, ATTORNEY FOR BRITNEY SPEARS, SAYING: "Today is a great day, it's a great day for Britney Spears and it's a great day for justice and there's definitely something to celebrate, but it's also a solemn day. Britney Spears has been faced with a decade-long nightmare, a kafkaesque nightmare, orchestrated by her father and others. And I'm so proud of her for her courage, her strength and her poignancy. And I've only been on this matter for a couple of months, but I'm proud to say that we've gotten to know each other very well, and she's so pleased and she's so thankful to all of you (cheering) and I am as well. In terms of what happened today, I'm so pleased and proud to say, Jamie Spears is no longer a conservator." CROWD CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATHEW ROSENGART, ATTORNEY FOR BRITNEY SPEARS, SAYING: "I'm very proud of the work that my firm and I were able to do. I think the difference is, I'm a former federal prosecutor, I'm aggressive. I'm very proud that I pledged and maybe went out on a limb on July 14th when I was hired, that we would move aggressively and expeditiously to remove Jamie Spears. We filed our petition about two weeks later and here we are today. It's been a lot of hard work, it's been intense. I'm proud, Britney's proud." CROWD LISTENING NEWS CONFERENCE HAPPENING (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATHEW ROSENGART, ATTORNEY FOR BRITNEY SPEARS, SAYING: "I think the support of the Free Britney movement has been instrumental (cheering). And to the extent that it allowed my firm to carry the ball across the finish line, I thank them as well." CROWD LISTENING VARIOUS OF ROSENGART AT PODIUM AS CROWD LISTENS (SOUNDBITE) (English) MATHEW ROSENGART, ATTORNEY FOR BRITNEY SPEARS, SAYING: "The attorney-client communications between Mr. Spears on the one hand and his lawyers on other, I believe, will reveal corruption in that regard, and that's something we look forward to vigorously looking into. As important as this matter is to Britney, and it is monumental to Britney because this is a substantial step toward her freedom. She's free today in a sense, just to finish the point. But there's a larger issue here, and the larger issue is now being looked into by state legislatures throughout the country, certainly in California, and by the United States Congress, and to the extent we can shine a light on that issue as well, that's something that's very important." VARIOUS OF ROSENGART LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 14th October 2021 02:13
  • Keywords: Britney Britney Spears FreeBritney Jamie Spears Spears conservatorship arts court court cases entertainment law law
  • Location: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • City: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions,United States
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EWRXYKN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A Los Angeles judge on Wednesday set a November date for a hearing about whether to terminate the controversial conservatorship that has controlled the personal and business affairs of pop star Britney Spears for 13 years.
    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny also suspended the singer's father Jamie Spears from his long oversight of his daughter's $60 million estate.
    "The current situation is not tenable. It reflects a toxic environment which requires the suspension of Jamie Spears, effective today," Penny said during a contentious three-hour hearing. She scheduled the hearing on Nov. 12.
    The decisions marked a huge victory for the "Circus" singer, now 39, who has been struggling for years to get free of the legal arrangement. She did not take part in Wednesday's hearing but was represented by her attorney, Mathew Rosengart, who thanked fans after the victory.
    "Today is a great day, it's a great day for Britney Spears and it's a great day for justice," Rosengart said.
    Jamie Spears will be replaced by an accountant, John Zabel, on a temporary basis, Penny said.
    #FreeBritney fans who gathered outside the court in Los Angeles erupted in cheers as the judge's ruling was conveyed. Pop singer Cher tweeted, "I'm more than thrilled 4 her. Bless our super star."
    Jamie Spears had been in charge of his daughter's business affairs since 2008, when he put in place a wide-ranging, court-approved conservatorship after she suffered a mental breakdown. The details of her mental health have never been revealed.
    The singer's father made a surprise request earlier in September for her conservatorship to end but argued that he should remain in his role to smooth the transition.
    Rosengart, however, demanded that he be suspended immediately, saying his presence in such a key role was harmful to his daughter's well being.
    "The attorney-client communications between Mr. Spears on the one hand and his lawyers on other, I believe, will reveal corruption in that regard, and that's something we look forward to vigorously looking into," Rosengart said in a news conference afterwards outside the courthouse.
    A New York Times documentary released last week alleged that the singer's phone and bedroom were bugged by security staff working for her father. Conversations with friends, her children and her previous lawyer were monitored, a former security staffer said.
    Jamie Spears has said his actions were within his authority as conservator.
    Spears stepped up her efforts in June to break free of the conservatorship, telling the judge in her first public comments that she found it abusive and humiliating.
    Public support for her has since swelled, and some restrictions Spears complained about have been loosened. She gained the freedom to drive her own car.
    Two weeks ago she announced her engagement to Sam Asghari, 27, her personal trainer boyfriend of more than four years. The pair hope to marry soon after negotiating a pre-nuptial agreement.
    (Production: Alan Devall, Nathan Frandino, Rollo Ross, Sandra Stojanovic, Cath Turner)
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