When will the singer return to the stage?
Almost the most discussed topic of this week was Britney Spears’ release from her father’s custody. However, the singer can’t dispose of her money yet. Forbes estimates the pop princess’ fortune at $60 million dollars, but for over 13 years, she can’t spend a penny of it without Jamie Spears’ consent. Britney won’t be able to regain control of her money until Nov. 12. On that date, the court must decide whether the singer can be declared fully competent. Will Britney Spears return to the big stage after custody is revoked? And will she be able to catch up with her colleagues in terms of annual earnings?
The life of one of America’s most popular singers of the early noughties changed dramatically in 2008. After a difficult divorce process, the paparazzi followed the celebrity’s every move. As a result – a nervous breakdown, problems with substances and treatment in rehab. In the end, the singer was declared incompetent, and full control over her life, money and property passed to her father Jamie Spears.
The pop princess was still recording albums, releasing music videos and touring for a while. In 2012, she accepted a seat on the American X-Factor show and ended the year as Forbes’ highest-paid female singer in Hollywood. Two and a half years ago, she suddenly announced that she was taking an indefinite leave of absence, ostensibly to care for her ailing father. Fans did not believe this version and launched a campaign with the hashtag #FreeBritney. This summer, it turned out that the singer really did need help.
“In 2018, I was forced to go on tour. Managers said they would sue me otherwise and even handed me some papers. If I refused to work 10 hours a day, seven days a week, I would not be allowed to see my children and my boyfriend. This is despite the fact that I am the one who has been feeding my relatives and team all these years. Why do I have to be in foster care? It doesn’t make sense,” Spears shared.
Of course, Jamie Spears didn’t like it, and he demanded a $2 million payout from his daughter – the only way he was willing to give up custody. The court, however, sided with Britney and took away her father’s right to control her life. Now he’s likely to pay, with Mr. Spears facing several lawsuits at once, says American lawyer Christopher Melcher: “Her father was always watching her, not out of curiosity, but to isolate her even more. How can you ask for help when you realize that your parole officer will know about it instantly? But it is important to realize that Jamie Spears is only one of many involved in this story. I would be cautious in assessing his role directly. He didn’t act alone, after all.
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All these years, Britney had to pay over a hundred thousand dollars to her father and his lawyer every year. No one knows how much money Jamie Spears could have embezzled without informing his daughter. Now the singer’s finances are being handled by an independent auditor, and her personal life is being overseen by an agreed-upon manager. The question on fans’ minds is: What will happen after custody of the singer is finally removed? Britney Spears’ lawyer Matthew Rosengart answers this question reluctantly: “Her future on stage, if she starts performing again, is a decision that Britney herself will make. For too long, all decisions have been made for her. Now she has the last word. That’s the way it was years ago, and that’s the way it’s going to stay.”
Now, however, not everything will depend on the singer’s own wishes, and it’s not certain that listeners will accept her as they did in the noughties, says Vladimir Zavyalov, music editor of Afisha Daily: “How competitive the dream form of the people who write her music is against the people who are on the charts now is a question. The history of pop music doesn’t know very many examples of artists experiencing a second wave of popularity. That’s singer Cher. In 1998, her husband died and the album was dedicated to him. It sold very well, it had multiplatinum circulation in the States and in many countries.
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