Britney Spears Lost Her Court Bid To Remove Her Father As A Conservator

The #FreeBritney movement appears to have hit a wall: A court has rejected Britney Spears' request to remove her father, Jaime Spears, as the conservator of her estate. The singer has been been in and out of courts since the summer months in an attempt to remove her father from the aforementioned role, which he has held for the past 12 years.

During a hearing on November 10, Britney's lawyer, Samuel Ingham, said she and her father have no "viable working relationship" and that they hadn't spoken in a "long while." Ingham also noted that his client was afraid of her father and that as long as he remained in his conservatorship role, she refused to perform.

Jaime's legal team argued that Britney's lawyer had advised her against speaking to her father. Vivian Thoreen, Jaime's lawyer, noted the financial success of Jaime's guidance; the singer was fighting millions of dollars in lawsuits prior to the conservatorship, but now her estate is estimated at $60 million.

The fight for Britney's freedom isn't over quite yet. A judge said she would consider future appeals for Jaime's dismissal or outright removal, and that until then financial company Bessemer Trust would be appointed as a co-conservator, at the request of Britney.

Britney has been under a "temporary" conservatorship since 2008, when the singer began exhibiting erratic behavior that made for 24/7 tabloid fodder. A conservatorship is a legal provision in the United States that allows a court-appointed guardian or "protector" to make decisions on behalf of the elderly or those deemed unable to care for themselves. In the years under the conservatorship, Britney has released three albums, completed a two-year Las Vegas residency, and served as a judge on The X Factor. The discrepancy between the essence of conservatorship and Britney's prolific career has led fans to fight for her freedom against her father in what is known as the #FreeBritney movement.