Britney Spears Won’t Be Deposed in Conservatorship Case as Judge Denies Jamie Spears’ Request
Britney Spears has scored another legal victory.
During a Los Angeles court hearing on July 27, where E! News was present, Judge Brenda Penny ruled that the pop star will not have to sit for a deposition in her conservatorship case.
Britney's father Jamie Spears originally filed a motion that his daughter be deposed as he gathers evidence in his defense against the surveillance allegations made against him in his former role as conservator of Britney's estate.
During the latest hearing, Jamie's lawyer stood by the fact that he did "nothing wrong" in the conservatorship, which was terminated after nearly 13 years in November 2021, adding that he "will be vindicated" one way or another.
In court, Britney's lawyer Mathew Rosengart issued a "plea for decency" for Jamie to withdraw the request, saying, "Whether he believes it or not, or accepts it or not, his daughter feels traumatized by what she went through for more than a decade at his hands." He argued that a deposition would re-traumatize Britney.
The judge ultimately ruled in favor of Britney, saying Jamie's defense will be limited to other sources. The judge also ruled Britney does not have to provide Jamie with her current address, because it was deemed irrelevant to the case.
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The surveillance allegations first came to light in 2021's The New York Times Presents: "Controlling Britney Spears," in which a former member of Britney's security team alleged that Jamie monitored the singer's phone and put a listening device in her bedroom without her knowledge. In court documents filed on June 29 and obtained by E! News, Jamie's attorneys called those allegations "salacious and false."
"In fact, there are no documents regarding the alleged bugging or surveillance of Britney's bedroom," read the filing, "and this is because it never happened."
Following the July 27 decision to not depose Britney, her lawyer said Jamie "should go away" and let Britney live her life.
"For the first time in 13 years, what happens next for Britney, professionally, creatively, personally is up to one person," he told reporters outside the courthouse. "It's up to Britney Spears. She has her dignity back and those decisions are hers."
He continued, "Jamie and his counsel are interfering with that now, by filing a serious meritless, profligate motions as Judge Penny herself has found. He should stop. His motions are being rejected as a matter of law. They're being rejected as a matter of fact. He lost. He should stop. I've tried everything."
While Britney is off the deposition hook for now, Jamie is not. During a Los Angeles court hearing on July 13 that E! News was also present for, the judge ruled that Jamie must sit for a deposition and produce documents as part of the ongoing inquiry into the conservatorship.
Jamie and his legal team have less than 30 days to present their documents and must be deposed by Aug. 12.
E! News has reached out to Jamie's lawyer for comment and hasn't heard back. However, Jamie's lawyer told reporters on July 27 that he wants to file a writ in response, which would order a person to perform or not perform a certain action.
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