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Britney Spears’ father is firing back after Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., and House Oversight Committee ranking member Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, teamed up to call for an end to his what they call his "questionable" conservatorship over the pop star.
Jamie Spears has been the target of the #FreeBritney movement since renewed attention was placed on the singer following the release of the documentary "Framing Britney Spears." Currently, the conservatorship gives Jamie control of the star’s estate. However, she recently began taking legal steps to reclaim agency over her life.
The pair of lawmakers joined forces and issued a letter requesting a hearing to "review and examine the plight of Americans trapped unjustly in conservatorships," and specifically highlight Spears’ case.
However, in a statement provided to Fox News, Jamie’s attorney, Vivian Thoreen, says that the lawmakers are misunderstanding the situation. She notes that Britney’s legal team has been part of the decision-making process around her conservatorship for years. She also says that a professional third-party also has a say when it comes to some aspects of the conservatorship.
"Britney’s Conservatorship of the Estate was co-managed by a private professional fiduciary and her father until early 2019," Thoreen shared in a statement. "At that time, Britney requested in court papers that her father be the sole conservator of her estate. Her Conservatorship of the Person is not managed by her father but by a private professional fiduciary."
Britney Spears' father has been her legal conservator for years. (Chris Farina/Corbis via Getty Images)
In response to Gaetz and Jordan calling Jamie’s motives "questionable" in their letter, Thoreen paints a picture of a loving father.
"Jamie Spears has diligently and professionally carried out his duties as one of Britney’s conservators, and his love for his daughter and dedication to protecting her is clearly apparent to the court."
She adds: "Any time Britney wants to end her conservatorship, she can ask her lawyer to file a petition to terminate it; she has always had this right but in 13 years has never exercised it. Britney knows that her Daddy loves her, and that he will be there for her whenever and if she needs him, just as he always has been -- conservatorship or not."
In their letter, Gaetz and Jordan highlight Spears’ case as one of many allegedly unjust and nefarious conservatorships in the country they believe need to be examined by way of a hearing.
"If the conservatorship process can rip the agency from a woman who was in the prime of her life and one of the most powerful pop stars in the world, imagine what it can do to people who are less powerful and have less of a voice," wrote Gaetz in his statement.
In a statement to Fox News on Tuesday, Gaetz said that he believed Spears would be a "great witness" and would bring much to the table, should she testify.
Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears' attorney responded to a call from lawmakers to have a hearing about conservatorships. (VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images)
"I think Britney would be a great witness … and would likely have a lot to say on this subject," said Gaetz.
The letter was sent by the two congressmen to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., and described the charge of the committee as "safeguarding the rights afforded to Americans by the U.S. Constitution."
Thoreen’s comments, meanwhile, echo those she made during an appearance on "Good Morning America" in February in which she outlined the necessity of Jamie taking over his daughter's business and personal decisions when the conservatorship was first established.
"This is a story about a fiercely loving, dedicated and loyal father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation," she explained at the time. "People were harming her and exploiting her. Jamie saved Britney’s life."
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According to Thoreen, when Jamie took over his famous daughter’s finances, she allegedly had a mere $2.8 million in the bank, despite earning tens of millions every year for more than a decade. Thoreen shared that with Jamie’s guidance, Spears’ earnings have since grown and she now has an alleged $60 million in assets.
Britney Spears is reportedly hoping to end her father's conservatorship. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Intimate Britney Spears)
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Spears released several albums, held a successful Las Vegas residency, and worked as a judge on "America’s Got Talent."
"Britney’s assets were clearly being mismanaged," Thoreen told the outlet. "She was being taken advantage of by some of those around her.
Fox News' Houston Keene contributed to this report.
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