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Who is Vivian Thoreen? Britney Spears' dad Jamie's lawyer says he's not a 'villain', Internet calls her 'snake'

She also described Jamie as a 'fiercely loving', 'dedicated' and 'loyal' father who rescued her from people who were harming and exploiting her

The lawyer for Britney Spears' father Jamie Spears has reportedly remarked that people are wrong in vilifying him. Vivian Lee Thoreen appeared on 'Good Morning America' recently and said, "I understand that every story needs a villain, but people have it so wrong here." She also described Jamie as a "fiercely loving", "dedicated" and "loyal" father who rescued her from people who were harming and exploiting her. 

People across the country have joined in on the #FreeBritney movement, demanding the removal of her father Jamie Spears from the role of her legal conservator. Amid the unrest, Thoreen publicly addressed the demands and queries of fans. 

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Who is Vivian Lee Thoreen?

Vivian Lee Thoreen is a lawyer and legal partner at the Los Angeles-based firm Holland & Knight. She also chairs the firm's national Private Wealth Services Dispute Resolution Team.

Her LinkedIn profile shows her as a graduate of the University of California's School of Law. Prior to that, she earned a Bachelor's degree in Linguistics and a Master's degree in Sociology, both from Stanford University. 

She started her career as an associate with Holland and Knight in 2002, before joining Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps in 2006. She again rejoined Holland & Knight in 2008 as a partner.

As a litigator, Thoreen specializes in trust, estate, conservatorship and guardianship matters. "She represents individuals, families, charities and financial institutions in cases including will and trust disputes, contested conservatorships and guardianships, breach of fiduciary duty matters, and elder abuse matters," reads an excerpt from her bio on Holland & Knight website. Previously, she won a $2.8 million case for actor Mickey Rooney in an elder abuse lawsuit against his stepson. 

Thoreen got involved with Britney Spears' conservatorship case since its beginning in 2008 when her father became her legal conservator following her breakdown and hospitalization in 2007. In November 2020, Britney's legal attempt to remove her father as the conservator of her estate was denied. Thoreen also appeared in the documentary series 'Framing Britney Spears' which premiered on FX and Hulu on February 5, 2021. 

While speaking on 'Good Morning America', Thoreen said, “This is a story about a fiercely loving, dedicated and loyal father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation. People were harming her and they were exploiting her. Jamie saved Britney’s life.”

She added, "Britney’s assets were clearly being mismanaged and she was being taken advantage of financially by some of those around her.” Thoreen also insisted that it was Jamie's shrewd handling of his daughter that protected her from financial ruin. 

Britney's lawyer Samuel Ingham had claimed that she would never perform again while her father oversees her life. Thoreen contradicted the same saying how Jamie helped Britney regain custody of her children, saved her finances and created a safe environment for her. She also revealed that during the pandemic when Britney stayed with a father for a while, she enjoyed her time going on long drives, working in the garden or eating with the family, according to a report. 

She remarked, "In that time, Britney never expressed those words to her father. She’s never asked him to step aside.”

Fans call Thoreen 'corrupt', 'devil' and 'a snake'

Responding to Thoreen's interview on 'Good Morning America', Britney fans took to Twitter to call her out. Many even cited evidence that clearly contradicts her claims. 

"Fuck Vivian Lee Thoreen for stealing Britney’s money and acting like it’s perfectly normal for a working adult woman to have her finances and personal life controlled by her father, or anyone else. That woman is a snake. Free Britney!" tweeted one fan. "Vivian Thoreen is a devil," said one user while another called her a "grotsky little byotch."

"Vivian thoreen is a real life Marla Grayson. She lives off trapping people into conservatorships and gets a secure check for keeping them," tweeted a user by the name El Black Philipp. Some Britney fans even found out that Thoreen's firm was sued for professional negligence. "Vivian Thoreen saying 'daddy' so much was creepy. They try to act like Britney is a child," wrote a fan.