Britney Spears’ father, Jamie Spears, spoke out this weekend for the first time in more than a decade – more than a year after the singer left conservatoire.
In an interview with the Chron on Sunday, he openly addressed the court’s decision and defended his role during his daughter’s 13-year conservatorship. He also said he doesn’t know if she would be alive without him.
“Not everyone will agree with me,” Jamie Spears said. “It was a damn good time. But I love my daughter with all my heart and soul. Where would Britney be now without that conservatorship? And I don’t know if she would still be alive. I don’t.”
The father said he “won’t paint pretty pictures” but the court order protected Britney Spears through the trying times.
“To protect them and the children as well, the conservatory was a great tool. I don’t think she would have gotten the kids back without her,” he added.
In November 2021, an LA judge granted a motion to terminate the agreement during a hearing that lasted less than 30 minutes. This comes after an emotional statement from Britney Spears this summer, in which she claimed the conservatory was abusive and wanted to end it. According to the statement, the singer was allowed to hire her own lawyer for the first time, which led to an investigation into the alleged abuse.
Then, after more than a decade of the #FreeBritney movement and years of fan speculation that Britney Spears was unhappy, the singer was freed from the court order.
Britney Spears now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, model Sam Asghari. In April she announced that she is expecting her first child with Asghari; The following month, Britney Spears announced that she had miscarried. She also has two sons, Jayden and Preston, with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Jamie Spears lives in rural Louisiana with his other daughter, Jamie Lynn Spears. He told the Chron he had to be careful what he said because he didn’t want to cause the singer grief.
“I miss my two boys [Jayden and Preston] really, really bad,” said Jamie Spears. “I do. You know, we were very, very close. They were about the age to start having a good time with them. But they developed a mind of their own. God allows things for a reason happened. I don’t know why, but it’s been a tough three years without her. The family is a mess. We can only keep praying.”
Britney Spears’ access to her two sons was also part of the conservatory. Although Federline was initially awarded full custody of her, Jamie Spears said he worked out an agreement with Federline so they could spend time with their mother.
“They didn’t miss the time with their mother. You didn’t miss the time with your father. Not many knew that. The main purpose was to get Britney back into a comfortable relationship with her children,” he said. “My relationship with Kevin gave them a sense of peace and protection. Kevin will tell you that too – it was us who raised the kids. I just did what I was supposed to do or felt like I had to do.”
Jamie Spears also claims that the conservatory helped build his daughter’s finances because “she was broke” and “had no money at all.”
“My understanding of a conservatory is to help someone get their life back and be able to get back into society and live normally,” he added. “I want to say that I made a difference. There were a few people behind me who really helped bring it to a point where we could help her.
But on the outside, many disagreed. In January 2019, the singer canceled her second planned visit to Las Vegas amid a hiatus. A few months later, she entered a psychiatric facility, and fans soon began speculating that her father had committed her against her will. The #FreeBritney movement also claimed the conservatory would restrict the singer.
“All I can say is that most people have no idea what the truth is,” Jamie Spears responded to the allegations. “Your lawyer has no idea what the truth is. The media haven’t heard the truth. You heard Britney’s allegations. I don’t mind taking that beating because I know it’s not true and I don’t want to do anything else. That my daughter ends up going further down the hole than before.”
has reached out to Britney Spears’ spokesperson for comment.