Britney Spears' Dad Called The #FreeBritney Movement 'A Joke'

Just a week and a half ago, Britney Spears was forced to reschedule her quarterly conservatorship hearing with a judge because tech-minded fans found a way to Zoombomb the meeting. Though this was perhaps not the best way to support the cause, the chatroom crashing was something of an extension to the #FreeBritney movement, which seeks to address the increasing concerns many have about Britney's life under the strict rules and regulations of her father — who has the power to influence almost all of his daughter's decisions, including those about her business, health, relationships, and even voting. Unsurprisingly, most Britney fans are not happy about the control her father wields over her life, and now, her father is responding to those concerns by disparaging the entire campaign.

The #FreeBritney movement, which has been circling around the internet off and on for years, has gained tremendous momentum in recent months. Celebrities have chimed in to offer their support to the pop star, the hashtag trends on both Twitter and Instagram constantly, and a Change.org petition calling for a deep investigation into the specifics of the conservatorship has amassed over 104,000 signatures so far ("Abuse in power in conservatorships is often rampant and easy to cover up. Where there is smoke there is fire," it says).

Over the weekend, Jamie Spears referred to the entire #FreeBritney movement as "a joke" while calling those who support the ongoing campaign "conspiracy theorists." In an interview with Page Six, he said, “All these conspiracy theorists don’t know anything. The world don’t have a clue. It’s up to the court of California to decide what’s best for my daughter. It’s no one else’s business.” After being accused of using his power over Britney to privately funnel money from his daughter's estate, the 68-year-old father said, “I have to report every nickel and dime spent to the court every year. How the hell would I steal something?”

According to Page Six, Jamie's denial of these accusations was "angry," an interesting detail given that his chief complaint about supporters of the movement was that they were overly aggressive. “People are being stalked and targeted with death threats. It’s horrible. We don’t want those kinds of fans," he told the tabloid. In the end, Jamie tried to muster up sympathy by playing the role of the dutiful father. "I love my daughter,” he continued while allegedly "getting emotional." "I love all my kids. But this is our business. It’s private.”

In recent months, the #FreeBritney movement has gained the vocal support of everyone from Paris Hilton to Ruby Rose, Miley Cyrus to Rose McGowan. Even Britney's siblings, 29-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears and 43-year-old Bryan Spears, both offered their support for their 38-year-old sister. “She’s always wanted to get out of it. It’s very frustrating to have. Whether someone’s coming in peace to help or coming in with an attitude, having someone constantly tell you to do something has got to be frustrating," Bryan told Drew Plotkin on his As NOT Seen on TV podcast back in July. Around the same time, Jamie Lynn posted a few words of support for her sister in a since-deleted Instagram post about the necessity for privacy and respect when dealing with anyone who may suffer from mental illness. After a troll commented about Britney's "OBVIOUS mental illness," Jamie Lynn clapped back with, “You have no right to assume anything about my sister. And I have no right to speak about HER health and personal matters." She then referred to Britney as a "strong, badass, unstoppable woman" and insisted that "that’s the only thing that is OBVIOUS.”

I can't help but agree. #FreeBritney