The legal team of Britney Spears’ father is trying to recover the #FreeBritney narrative that reviled him while the singer’s guardianship case persisted, insisting that James “Jamie” Spears loves his daughter and wants what is best for her.
But #FreeBritney supporters are not accepting.
“I understand that every story wants to have a villain, but people get it really bad here,” said Jamie Vivian Lee Lee Thoreen’s lawyer on Thursday during a virtual appearance on ABC News’ “Good Morning America”.
Holland & Knight’s lawyer defended the role of Spears’ older sister as the conservative of the 39-year-old artist – known in some states as legal guardian – despite renewed scrutiny of the protracted deal catalyzed by the #FreeBritney viral movement and the New York Times this month and the FX documentary “Framing Britney Spears”.
In fact, Thoreen, who specializes in complex issues of trust, estate, guardianship and guardianship, participated in a documentary about the hitmaker “Baby … One More Time” before returning to the Spears elders legal team last year. In the documentary, she said she never saw a person successfully leave guardianship.
“This is the story of an extremely loyal, loving and dedicated father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation. People were harming and exploiting it, ”said Thoreen in“ GMA ”.
That is why guardianship was first instituted in 2008, after the singer’s public disclosure of “Toxic” following her divorce from husband Kevin Federline, a bitter battle for custody and highly publicized hospitalizations, said Thoreen. This allowed his father to make personal, medical and financial decisions for the besieged artist with an inventory agreement generally used with the elderly or infirm.
“Jamie saved Britney’s life,” said Thoreen, adding that the singer’s assets “were clearly being mismanaged, and she was being used up financially by some people around her,” said Thoreen.
Thoreen said the older Spears had increased the singer’s $ 2.8 million fortune to nearly $ 60 by collaborating and empowering her, she added.
“He collaborated with her to help her recover custody of her children. He brought his finances back from the disaster, ”she added. “And he created a safe environment for her to live her life the way she wants, away from the media that causes her so much suffering.”
But the legal arrangement changed dramatically last summer.
That was when Spears’ lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, told the court in August that Spears no longer wanted his father to be his only conservative and wanted a bank to be named conservative of his finances. In November, Ingham also made the bombastic revelation that the former child star is “scared of his father” and will not perform again as long as he remains in charge of his career. (He repeatedly declined requests for comment from The Times.)
In response, Thoreen deviated from the subject and tried to paint a picture of a loving father who was confused by these accusations.
“At the beginning of the pandemic, they spent two weeks with other family members, crouched in Louisiana and spent a lot of time together,” she said. “Britney and Jamie took long trips together. They played and worked in the family garden. And every night, Jamie prepared homemade southern food that the family ate and enjoyed together.
“At that time, Britney never expressed those words to her father,” added Thoreen. “She never asked him to stay away.”
Nor did he say whether he thinks the reaction against Jamie comes from the singer or his lawyer.
“Jamie loves his daughter. And like any other family, problems arise from time to time, but this in no way diminishes their love and support for each other. Britney knows that her father loves her, and she knows that she can call him at any time, with guardianship or not, “said Thoreen, later repeating his view:” Jamie is Britney’s conservative because he loves her. He wants the best for Britney. “
Thoreen did not really address the powerful #FreeBritney movement, which Jamie had previously ridiculed as “conspiracy theorists”, who believe that the singer remains under guardianship against her will and is being taken advantage of by her father.
“I think we have to remember how this guardianship was started and that Britney needed help, which is why the guardianship was created and why Jamie was appointed,” she said.
The “Piece of Me” singer did not participate in the documentary, nor did she speak directly after her debut earlier this month. However, his Instagram account, which has long been exploited for clues to his well-being, indirectly referred to the renewed interest in his case.
“Framing Britney Spears”, which explores the origins of the #FreeBritney movement, encouraged diehard Britney fans and casual viewers to look into Spears’ tutelage.
The documentary also generated a reckoning that drew empathetic ideas and excuses from those who believe they have offended the singer in the past, including her ex, Justin Timberlake, shock athlete Howard Stern, comedians, journalists and MTV VJs.
On Thursday, #FreeBritney’s vocal advocates countered Thoreen’s Twitter narrative, criticizing the lawyer for his posture and for passing the interview “trying to remember what his fake script said”.
A Thoreen representative did not immediately respond to The Times’ request for comment on Thursday.
Here’s a look at what Spears fans have to say: