Toxic? Britney Spears’ family, especially her parents and her siblings, has been under a microscope amid her conservatorship battle.
The Grammy winner was born in Mississippi in December 1981 to father Jamie Spears and mother Lynne Spears. She joined older brother Bryan Spears and later became a big sister to Jamie Lynn Spears.
Britney, with the help of her family, pursued stardom from an early age. She appeared on Star Search and The Mickey Mouse Club before breaking out with her debut album, …Baby One More Time, in 1999.
The singer’s acclaim only grew as she racked up hit after hit, but amid a series of personal issues, she was placed under a conservatorship in 2008. Jamie and attorney Andrew Wallet took over as co-conservators at the time, making personal and financial decisions for Britney.
Wallet abruptly resigned in March 2019, leaving Jamie as the sole conservator. However, Jamie then temporarily stepped down from his position as conservator of Britney’s person in September 2019 amid health problems and an alleged altercation with his daughter’s eldest son, Preston. Licensed fiduciary Jodi Montgomery assumed the role in Jamie’s absence, though he remained the conservator of Britney’s estate.
The “Toxic” songstress requested in August 2020 to have her father removed as the conservator of her person and her estate, asking instead for Montgomery to take the reins. Her attorney Samuel Ingham III filed a request in September 2020 to instate Bessemer Trust Company as the conservator of Britney’s estate. A judge approved the appointment of Bessemer Trust in November 2020 but determined that Jamie would remain co-conservator of the estate. Bessemer Trust filed an emergency application in July 2021 to resign from Britney’s case.
Britney broke her silence on the conservatorship drama and her family’s involvement during a June 2021 court hearing. “I just want my life back. It’s been 13 years, and it’s enough. It’s been a long time since I’ve owned my money,” she said. “And it’s my wish and my dream for all of this to end without being tested.”
She added: “I would honestly like to sue my family, to be totally honest with you. I also would like to be able to share my story with the world, and what they did to me, instead of it being a hush-hush secret to benefit all of them.”
Scroll through the gallery below for a comprehensive guide to the Spears family.
