Britney Spears’s lawyers compare singer to a comatose patient during conservatorship hearing
Lawyers say Spears lacks the mental capacity to sign a declaration about her future career
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Britney Spears was compared to a “comatose patient” by her lawyer during a hearing regarding her conservatorship.
Amid the ongoing legal battle, Spears’s lawyers appeared in court on Wednesday to discuss her future career.
Lawyer Sam Ingham said that the singer doesn’t want to perform again, but that her father, who she wants to be removed as her sole conservator, is intent that she resume her career.
As reported by TMZ, the judge asked Ingham whether Spears would be willing to sign a declaration regarding her feelings about the conservatorship, so that the court had a first hand account rather than always hearing from her lawyers.
In response, Ingham reportedly stated that Spears lacked the mental capacity to sign such a document.
He then likened her to a comatose patient, saying that while she was by no means unconscious, she was not capable of signing the declaration and could have a lawyer speak on her behalf.
The “Toxic” singer has been under her conservatorship, where a guardian or protector is appointed by a court to manage the life of someone due to physical or mental limitations, since 2008. It was managed by her father for 12 years.
Earlier this week, Spears’s former estate manager Andrew Wallet, who used to manage her estate along with Jamie, said that the former singer may be under the conservatorship for the rest of her life.
“Britney is in a conservatorship for good reason but a lot of the Free Britney people have no experience with the law,” he said, referring to the fan campaign that alleges Spears is being exploited and kept in the conservatorship against her will.
“I have had people in conservatorship who have got themselves right and it has been terminated but you don't see that because they're not people in the public eye," Wallett said.
“Other people can be in a conservatorship their whole lives. I’m not saying that's going to be Britney but it could happen to her.”