Jodi Montgomery says Jamie Spears 'misrepresented' a private telephone call in his new court documents.
Jamie Spears is claiming that Jodi Montgomery, personal conservator to his daughter, Britney Spears, has expressed concern over the pop star's behavior and mental health. In new court docs obtained by ET, Jamie alleges that he received a call from Jodi on July 9, in which she sounded very distraught, and voiced her concerns about Britney's recent behavior and her refusal to listen to or even see her doctors.
In a sworn statement to the court, Jamie said, "Ms. Montgomery acknowledged that many of my daughter's statements at the last hearing were not true and attributed her statements to the fact that my daughter is 'mentally sick.'"
He went on to claim that Jodie pleaded for his help to address these issues but explained that he no longer had access or insight into any of his daughter's medical information and claimed that Jodi raised the idea of a 5150 psychiatric hold for the singer.
"After Ms. Montgomery shared her detailed concerns about my daughter's recent behavior, safety, and overall health, she raised potential options including a 5150 psychiatric hold, which raised my concerns," Jamie went on to say.
But just days later, the singer's father told the court he received an email from Jodi in which he claims she backtracked on most of the details of their call and changed her mind on implementing a 5150.
Despite his differing opinions with Jodi and Britney's new lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, Jamie maintains that he would do anything he could to help his daughter.
Montgomery's lawyer, Lauriann Wright, responded to Jamie's claims in a lengthy statement to ET. Read it below in full:
"My client Jodi Montgomery was hired by Jamie Spears in his role as Conservator of the Person to serve as a Case Manager on August 21, 2018. As Case Manager, Ms. Montgomery worked under the sole direction and control of Jamie Spears. She had no power or authority to place Britney Spears in any facility as a Case Manager – only Jamie Spears had that power in March 2019.
It is unequivocally NOT TRUE that it was Ms. Montgomery and Sam Ingham 'who admitted Ms. Spears to a facility in early 2019.' In fact, that would have been impossible. Neither a Case Manager nor a Court Appointed Counsel could have had that power, either working alone or together. Only the Conservator of the Person would have had that power (with the Conservatee’s consent) – and, again, that was Jamie Spears in March 2019. Although Ms. Montgomery might have signed routine paperwork for the facility, she did so only as Case Manager and only at the direction of Jamie Spears. In fact, the decision to place Britney Spears in a facility March 2019 was made by Ms. Spears’ treating psychiatrist at the time, Dr. Timothy Benson. Further, Ms. Spears consented to her placement at the facility in March 2019. In fact, pursuant to Probate Code §2356(a), a probate conservator of the person cannot place a conservatee in a mental health facility without a conservatee’s consent. This consent was obtained.
Ms. Montgomery does have concerns about Ms. Spears’ 'recent behavior and overall mental health' as set forth in Jamie Spears Declaration dated August 6, 2021. Due to medical privacy, Ms. Montgomery cannot go into those concerns with any further detail except to say that having her father Jamie Spears continuing to serve as her Conservator instead of a neutral professional fiduciary is having a serious impact on Ms. Spears’ mental health. Notably, Jamie Spears has yet to resign as Ms. Spears’ Conservator of the Person, which is why Ms. Montgomery continues to serve as Temporary Conservator of the Person. It is in Ms. Spears’ best interests that her father step down as her Conservator, so he can go back to just being Ms. Spears’ father, and working on a healthy, supportive father-daughter relationship.
Mr. Spears’ declaration misrepresents what Ms. Montgomery said to him in relation to a potential 5150 psychiatric hold for Ms. Spears. At no time did Ms. Montgomery express to Mr. Spears that Ms. Spears would currently qualify for such a hold. The concern that Ms. Montgomery did raise to Mr. Spears during their telephone call is that forcing Ms. Spears to take the stand to testify or to have her evaluated would move the needle in the wrong direction for her mental health. Ms. Montgomery had concerns about Mr. Spears’ recent filings which were seeking for both to happen, neither of which would be in Ms. Spears’ best interests.
Lastly, Ms. Montgomery is saddened that her telephone call to Mr. Spears, made out of genuine concern for Ms. Spears, and intended to re-establish a working relationship with Mr. Spears towards Ms. Spears’ mental health and well-being, is now being misrepresented and manipulated to gain some sort of tactical advantage in the pending proceedings to remove him as Conservator. Ms. Montgomery implores Mr. Spears to stop the attacks – it does no good; it only does harm. We all need to focus on one thing, and one thing only – the health, well-being and best interests of Britney Spears."
Earlier this week, Britney requested the immediate removal of her father from her conservatorship.
In court documents obtained by ET, Britney's attorney filed a motion requesting that the judge expedite Jamie's removal as conservator of her estate ahead of the scheduled Sept. 29 hearing. In his place, Britney requests that Jason Rubin step in as temporary conservator.
She asks that the court remove her father "as early as the court will permit" or on or after Aug. 23.
"Every day that passes is another day of avoidable harm and prejudice to [Britney] and the estate," the document states, adding that the singer's "emotional health and well-being must be, and are, the paramount concern…his immediate suspension—is 'critical' at this juncture."
The document also states that if Jamie chooses to put his daughter’s well-being first and accept an outcome that does not even ask him to admit to fault, Britney can begin to have a semblance of her "life back." It also mentions that if Jamie chooses to put his own self-interest first by opposing his ultimate removal (thereby putting himself at risk for attorneys’ fees), this court can take that fact into account in determining whether to suspend Jamie pending the outcome of that litigation.
"Although a two-month wait for a hearing on the petition may not seem significant in the context of 13 years, Ms. Spears should not be forced to continue to feel traumatized, lose sleep, and suffer further. Every day matters," the document reads.
The filing also includes quotes from Britney's testimonies that she gave on June 23 and July 14. It also cites Jodie and mom Lynne Spears' latest court filings in which they agree to have Jamie removed.
Among the 39-year-old pop star's claims against her father and his team include a tight rein over her finances, her career, her personal life and even her reproductive decisions. She told the court that she is forced to have an IUD so that she cannot have children and has not been permitted to marry.
During Britney's conservatorship hearing on June 23, Jamie's attorney relayed a statement on his client's behalf, telling the court, "He is sorry to see his daughter suffering and in so much pain. Mr. Spears loves his daughter and misses her very much."
For more on Britney's legal battle, watch below.
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