Britney Spears' father to step down as conservator

Britney Spears' father has agreed to step down as the singer's conservator after 13 years.

The singer's career has been in the hands of legal guardians since public concerns over her mental health in 2008.

The court-ordered agreement gave her father Jamie control over her estate and other aspects of her life.

But she later sought to remove him from the role, calling for him to be charged with "conservatorship abuse".

Jamie Spears has consistently denied any accusations of wrongdoing and has expressed concern for his daughter's wellbeing.

A grassroots movement of fans, known as the #FreeBritney campaign, wants the singer to regain autonomy over her affairs.

The prolonged legal row gained renewed attention in 2021 following the release of Framing Britney Spears - a documentary which centred on the conflict over the singer's guardianship.

The 39-year-old later told a judge that she had been drugged, forced to perform against her will and prevented from having children.

Spears' conservatorship is split into two parts - one is for her estate and financial affairs, the other is for her as a person.

Her father stepped down as his daughter's personal conservator in 2019 due to health issues, but the singer filed a petition in July to remove her father from controlling her estate in July. She later said she would not perform again while he remained in the role.

Responding to that request, Mr Spears' lawyer said on Thursday in a court document there were "no actual grounds" for him to step back, but added that he had become "the unremitting target of unjustified attacks".

The star's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, said in a statement: "This is a major victory for Britney Spears and another step toward justice."

Mr Spears' decision was "vindication for Britney. We are disappointed, however, by their ongoing shameful and reprehensible attacks on Ms Spears and others".

Mr Rosengart added that an investigation into the actions of those involved in managing her estate throughout the conservatorship would continue.