Britney Spears’ father filed a petition to end his daughter's conservatorship on Tuesday, marking a major victory for the singer after her father held the reins of her estate for more than 13 years.
James “Jamie” Spears' petition to Los Angeles Superior Court states that his daughter "is entitled to have this Court now seriously consider whether this conservatorship is no longer required." The filing went on to say that Britney Spears' circumstances have changed "to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist."
Britney Spears, 39, has attempted to remove her father from her case twice in the last two years, saying last year that she refuses to perform while he retains control over her in any capacity. She told Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny during her June 23 testimony that her father ruined her life and “loved” to hear her in pain while he exerted his power over her.
She alleged that her conservatorship was “abusive” and that if she didn’t comply with the demands of her father or management, she was told she would not be able to see her children.
Her newly appointed attorney, Mathew Rosengart, filed a petition to remove Jamie Spears last month and asked the court to replace him with a professional accountant. Rosengart argued that Jamie Spears was not acting in his daughter’s best interest and indicated that he may have misused her finances.
The news of Jamie Spears’ request to end the conservatorship comes as a big win for the #FreeBritney fans who have spent years protesting against the conservatorship. Many of those in the #FreeBritney community are fans of Britney Spears who expressed fears that her father was exploiting her for his own benefit.
Jamie Spears has repeatedly denied all allegations of abuse against him, both in legal filings and in public comments.
In a response to the petition to remove him, Jamie Spears indicated that he would be “willing to step down when the time is right, but the transition needs to be orderly and include a resolution of matters.” But he still contested his removal, arguing there was no urgent need for his removal and urged the court not to make a decision based on “false allegations.”
He specifically addressed allegations made by his ex-wife, Lynne Spears, who also provided a declaration that said she didn't believe he was acting in the best interests of their daughter. She said Jamie Spears' "absolutely microscopic control" through threats and coercion has reduced his relationship with their daughter to nothing more than "fear and hatred.”
Lynne Spears said she became involved in her daughter's case during a "time of crisis" that began in 2018 and continued into the next year. She said that in that period, Britney Spears was being treated by a "sports enhancement" doctor hired by Jamie Spears who was "prescribing what I and many others thought to be entirely inappropriate medicine to my daughter, who did not want to take the medicine."
Jamie Spears rebutted the allegation, saying Lynne Spears "has not accepted the full extent" of the level of care and treatment their daughter needed for her mental health. The filing argues that the doctor was a Harvard-trained psychiatrist whom Britney Spears approved of after an interview.
He also denied having coerced his daughter to "do anything," including undergo forced inpatient facility treatment.
"If the public knew all the facts of Ms. Spears' personal life, not only her highs but also her lows, all of the addiction and mental health issues that she has struggled with, and all of the challenges of the Conservatorship, they would praise Mr. Spears for the job he has done, not vilify him," the filing says.
"But the public does not know all the facts, and they have no right to know, so there will be no public redemption for Mr. Spears," it says.
This story first appeared on NBCNews.com.