Britney Spears' dad James claims he has no say in daughter's 'reproductive desires'
James P Spears, the father of Britney Spears and the man who has long had a leading role in overseeing his daughter’s affairs, has said that he is not keeping his daughter from getting married or having a baby. He also said that he wants to make sure it’s clear he has nothing to do with any of her medical treatment or restrictions.
In February 2008, a California judge placed Spears in a conservatorship, a legal arrangement that granted oversight of her personal life and finances to her once-estranged father, amid concerns around her mental health and potential substance abuse.
Spears, in her first public statement in court in thirteen years, said that the conservatorship had denied her reproductive rights.
She said, “I would like to progressively move forward, and I want to have the real deal. I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told right now in the conservatorship, I’m not able to get married or have a baby. I have a ID [IUD] inside of myself right now so I don’t get pregnant. I wanted to take the ID [IUD] out so I could start trying to have another baby. But this so-called team won’t let me go to the doctor to take it out because they don’t want me to have children, any more children. So basically, this conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good.”
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Responding to Britney's testimony on June 29, James Spears called for an investigation into her claims. According to legal documents accessed by news sites, he claimed that he was concerned following his daughter’s testimony about her issues with the conservatorship. In the filing in an LA court, James said that it was the pop star’s own lawyer who filed to appoint Jodi Montgomery, a professional conservator, as the conservator of the pop star. So, any issues she has with the treatment or the restrictions on her life rests solely with Montgomery, the filing claimed.
According to his legal team, “Mr Spears does not speak or meet with Ms Spears’ medical team, and he is not permitted to nor does he have the opportunity to provide any input into his daughter’s current medical treatment, diagnosis, or therapy. Nor does Mr Spears participate in or discuss Ms Spears’ personal affairs with her, such as issues related to her self-care, marriage, and reproductive desires.”
They further said, “These are issues under the purview of Ms Montgomery as Ms Spears’ conservator of the person, and issues that Ms Spears presumably discusses with her court-appointed attorney, Mr Ingham. Mr Spears is simply not involved in any decisions related to Ms Spears’ personal care or medical or reproductive issues.”
“Mr Spears believes it is important for the integrity of the conservatorship proceedings and in the best interests of Ms Spears for the Court to order an investigation into the issues and claims raised by [Britney],” adding, “Either the allegations will be shown to be true, in which case corrective action must be taken, or they will be shown to be false, in which case the conservatorship can continue its course.”
In the most recent development, the judge has denied Britney's request to have her father removed from overseeing her conservatorship. According to court documents, the singer said she wanted a private wealth management firm the Bessemer Trust appointed as her “sole conservator”.
The next court hearing for the case takes place on July 14.