MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Who is Larry Rudolph? Britney Spears accuses manager of ill-treatment, says he 'should be in jail'

Britney Spears mentioned how Larry Rudolph threatened and punished her for not doing a dance move, but allowed Miley Cyrus to smoke a joint on stage

Britney Spears appeared before Los Angeles probate judge Brenda Penny on June 23, 2021, and kept a detailed 20-minute statement. The pop star who has been kept under conservatorship for the past 13 years, sounded desperate and helpless as she pleaded to end the 'abusive' system that had left her 'traumatized'. As soon as her latest statement surfaced, #FreeBritney supporters started condemning the singer's longtime manager Larry Rudolph. 

At her recent court hearing, Britney did not take Rudolph's name but mentioned alleged wrongdoings by her manager. She accused her management of forcing her to go on tours against her wish, lying in public about her mental health medication, and even threatening her for not agreeing to a particular dance move. However, in comparison, Britney mentioned Miley Cyrus who was also managed by Larry Rudolph. "... my management who played a key role in punishing me — ma’am, they should be in jail. They’re working for Miley Cyrus as she smokes joints onstage at the VMAs — nothing has ever been done to this generation for doing wrong things," Britney vented to the judge. 

READ MORE

Can Kim Kardashian rescue Britney Spears? Fans want reality star to free pop singer from conservatorship

Who is Sam Asghari? Britney Spears’ fitness trainer boyfriend beats Covid-19, here's a look at their love life

Who is Larry Rudolph?

Though he is most recognized as Britney Spears' talent manager, Laurence Herbert Rudolph has also represented several other pop icons beside her. The former entertainment lawyer has managed Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Avril Lavigne, will.i.am, Nicole Scherzinger, DMX, Backstreet Boys, Toni Braxton, 98 Degrees, among others.

The New York native started his career by founding the law firm Rudolph & Beer, where he worked as an entertainment attorney for 15 years. He took up artist management as a full-time career after his law firm closed in 2003. Rudolph also founded the management firm 'Reign Deer Entertainment'. In addition, he has also produced movies and TV series like 'Crossroads', 'There & Back' and 'Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica'. 

He had been associated with Britney from 1998 to 2004, and again from 2008 to the present. Rudolph's second wife Jennifer Barnet had worked as Spears' makeup stylist for a while. 

What did Britney say about her management?

In her latest court appearance, Britney explicitly accused her management of ill-treatment and threatening her on multiple occasions. 

She recalled, "I was on tour in 2018. I was forced to: my management said if I don’t do this tour, I will have to find an attorney. My own management could sue me if I didn’t follow through with the tour. He handed me a sheet of paper as I got off the stage in Vegas and said I had to sign it. It was very threatening and scary."

Britney further added, "It’s funny to hear my managers’ side of the story. They all said I wasn’t participating in rehearsals and that I never agreed to take my medication — my medication is only taken in the mornings, never at rehearsal. They don’t even see me. So why are they even claiming that? When I said no to one dance move into rehearsals, it was as if I planted a huge bomb somewhere. And I said no, I don’t want to do it this way."

She also recounted one incident where her manager called up her therapist and falsely accused Britney of not taking her medication, simply because she said no to a particular dance move. 

"Ma’am, I’m not here to be anyone’s slave. I can say no to a dance move. I was told by my at the time therapist, Dr. Benson — who died [in 2019] — that my manager called him and then that moment and told him I wasn’t cooperating or following the guidelines in rehearsals. And he also said I wasn’t taking my medication, which is so dumb, because I’ve had the same lady every morning for the past eight years give me my same medication," she added. 

'Larry Rudolph deserves to be in jail'

Britney Spears fans took over Twitter to lambast Larry Rudolph for his behavior towards the embattled pop star, even at times when she was struggling. 

"Britney mentioned Miley because Britney's manager Larry Rudolph managed Miley during the time she was smoking at the VMAs. He let's Miley smoke a joint on stage but Britney is being forced into a mental health facility when she wants to change her choreography. #FreeBritney," a fan tweeted. 

Another wrote, "Britney confirmed she was threatened by her manager into doing the Piece of Me tour in 2018. Meanwhile, he claimed during an interview that “she had an entire year off and wanted to do something”. Larry Rudolph deserves to be in jail. #FreeBritney"

"Larry Rudolph called her therapist to punish Britney with meds, because she didn’t want to do a certain dance move. PUT @larryrudolph
IN JAIL," a third fan tweeted.