Britney Spears' father agrees to step down as conservator

Britney Spears' father has agreed to step down as conservator of her estate "when the time is right," according to a Thursday court filing.

Fore more than a decade, James Spears has controlled his daughter's affairs after she suffered a series of mental breakdowns. She recently launched a legal bid to remove him from the guardianship role that she said amounted to "abuse."

"We are pleased that Mr. Spears and his lawyer have today conceded in a filing that he must be removed," the singer's lawyer Mathew Rosengart said in a statement.

"We look forward to continuing our vigorous investigation into the conduct of Mr. Spears, and others, over the past 13 years, while he reaped millions of dollars from his daughter's estate, and I look forward to taking Mr. Spears's sworn deposition in the near future."

'An orderly transition'

Without providing a timetable for his resignation, the legal documents filed by Spears said he would step down after several lingering issues were resolved. 

"Mr. Spears continues to serve dutifully, and he should not be suspended or removed, and certainly not based on false allegations,'' the filing said.

"Mr. Spears is willing to step down when the time is right, but the transition needs to be orderly and include a resolution of matters pending before the court."

It said that he was "the unremitting target of unjustified attacks." However, "he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests." 

He had earlier refused to step down as her guardian, arguing that her mental health was not stable. 

Free Britney 

Fans of the singer have rallied under the "Free Britney" slogan, demanding the removal of her father as conservator. 

From 2008 to 2019, James Spears controlled much of his daughter's personal affairs and money. He later stepped down as the so-called conservator of her person but remained in control of her finances. 

In the last few months, the pop star made a pair of emotional speeches before the court, detailing the "abusive" dynamics of the guardianship. 

She said she had been forced to take medication, prevented from getting married and required to use an intrauterine device (IUD) for birth control.

Spears recently wrote on Instagram that she was "not gonna be performing on any stages anytime soon with my dad handling what I wear, say, do, or think."

fb/msh (AFP, AP, Reuters)