Judge sides with Britney Spears in ongoing court battle with her father over finances
By Chloe Melas and Paul Vercammen, CNN
Although Britney Spears’ 13-year conservatorship has ended, the legal battle over her finances is still going on.
The singer’s attorney, Mathew Rosengart, faced off in court on Wednesday against attorney Alex Weingarten, who now represents the pop star’s father, Jamie Spears.
Judge Brenda Penny ruled against a request from the elder Spears for Britney Spears to set aside money from her $60 million estate in a reserve to potentially cover legal fees, which would include her father’s.
CNN attended the hearing where Rosengart and Weingarten argued over whether the Grammy winner should be responsible for the latest round of legal fees incurred throughout her conservatorship.
The singer’s father was the conservator of his daughter’s finances and oversaw her medical decisions for more than a decade before he was suspended late last year.
Court documents filed by Rosengart ahead of the hearing and obtained by CNN, state that the pop star’s father allegedly paid himself $6 million from his daughter’s estate during the conservatorship, and that the estate had paid “dozens of different law firms” per Jamie Spears’ petitions throughout the conservatorship, totaling more than $30 million.
The documents also allege that the elder Spears attempted to use his daughter’s fame and resources in a plan to pitch a television show to the Cooking Channel in 2015 titled, “Cookin’ Cruzin’ and Chaos with Jamie Spears.”
CNN has reached out to Weingarten to clarify whether he ever did formally pitch the show.
During the hearing, Weingarten requested that the judge unseal the singer’s medical records, arguing that “the public has the right to know” the full picture.
In an interview with Variety following the hearing, Rosengart called that request “outrageous.”
The lawyers also argued over whether Jamie Spears illegally placed recording devices throughout his daughter’s home during her conservatorship. Weingarten disputed that claim, stating the allegation was “fake or taken out of context.” Rosengart hit back and called Weingarten’s statements “lies.”
CNN has reached out to both legal teams for further comment.
There are two upcoming court hearings in the dispute set for March 16 and July 27.
The-CNN-Wire
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