According to new docs obtained by ET, Jamie filed a motion to compel the deposition of his daughter.
Jamie Spears is filing paperwork to compel a deposition from his daughter, Britney Spears. According to new court docs obtained by ET, Jamie's lawyers claim that Britney is not only dodging a deposition but stands to make a reported $15 million from an upcoming tell-all book about her conservatorship and the very things Jamie's lawyers claim Britney is refusing to talk about in court.
According to Jamie's lawyers, "Britney’s counsel has no legitimate legal basis to object to Britney’s deposition," adding that the 40-year-old pop star has testified in court previously in this case and she "continues to make public social media posts containing incendiary allegations of various factual matters."
"Britney’s own publicly-posted Instagram posts aimed at Jamie and soon to be publicly-published book directly contradict Britney’s counsel’s claim that Britney has no admissible evidence and that her testimony is not reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence," Jamie's legal team argued.
Furthermore, Jamie's counsel says that the 69-year-old has a "right to prepare his case and depose Britney" as she is making "inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims against him" in some of her Instagram posts.
"Jamie has a right to prepare his case and depose Britney (just as the Court of Appeal already found in another case where Britney was a party) as she is the individual making inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims against him. Britney’s testimony is directly relevant, reasonably calculated to lead to the discovery of admissible evidence, and well within the proper scope of discovery... Britney’s counsel has done nothing to meet the high burden to show good cause to prohibit Britney’s deposition," Jamie's lawyers claim in the docs.
While Jamie's legal team claims that Britney is avoiding testifying because it may involve delving into "emotionally difficult topics," they say it's something she cannot avoid and are topics she is already talking about on Instagram and in her upcoming tell-all book, which the "Sometimes" singer reportedly penned a deal for back in February.
"Britney cannot avoid testifying as a witness because her testimony may delve into emotionally difficult topics...Even a showing of some impact on Britney’s health is not a bar to her deposition in its entirety," Jamie's counsel said before bringing up the book. "That Britney can speak about the very issues she publicly raises (including to cash a $15 million check) but suddenly would be “unduly burdened” by the litigation her counsel initiated is ridiculous."
Forbes reported in February that Britney reportedly landed a $15 million advance to write her memoir for Simon & Schuster.
According to Jamie's lawyers, they say Jamie has offered "multiple times" since January to be deposed, and requested that he and Britney be scheduled to give their depositions during the same week to make it fair, but claims that Britney's counsel would not agree to that arrangement.
With no option left, they say that Jamie is seeking the intervention of the court. A court date for the motion has been set for July 13.
Jamie's motion to compel a deposition from his daughter comes just a month after Britney's lawyer, Mathew Rosengart, filed a motion to compel a deposition from him.
In the docs, Britney's lawyer claims that Jamie's deposition was initially noticed on Oct. 20, and said that his client's father has since been issued two subsequent notices, but hasn't agreed to "numerous" proposed dates or offered any potential dates of his own.
The docs additionally allege that Britney's legal team has offered Jamie's lawyers the option to conduct the deposition in Los Angeles, Louisiana, or any other city in the country with a suitable facility, all to no response from Jamie or his lawyers.
"Mr. Spears can run, but he cannot forever hide from his legal and fiduciary obligations. His stonewalling and obfuscation must not stop the truth from coming to light; it has only required that the parties expend unnecessary resources in a protracted battle to obtain his compliance," the docs read. "But, after using his daughter’s money for more than 13 years to fund his legal fees and expenses, for the first time, Mr. Spears will now have to pay his own legal fees."
Because of Jamie's alleged failure to show up or schedule a deposition, Britney's lawyer argues, "It is evident that Mr. Spears will not voluntarily sit for his deposition and that he must be compelled to do so."
"Despite his demonstrably false claims that he has 'nothing to hide' and would therefore 'hide nothing,' James P. Spears has been running and hiding from his deposition and accounting for his misconduct -- under oath -- as required by law," the docs read, additionally claiming that Jamie has "engaged in stonewalling and obstruction -- for over six months -- dodging his deposition and repeatedly failing to respond to simple requests for basic information."
The docs additionally allege that Jamie has failed "to produce communications concerning the shocking electronic surveillance apparatus set up to spy on his daughter," including information that Jamie allegedly obtained by "placing a bug in his daughter’s bedroom." The docs argue that, as a suspended conservator, Jamie is "legally required to produce all such email and text message communications."
When allegations that Jamie had bugged Britney's bedroom first emerged, Jamie's lawyers told The New York Times, "All of his actions were well within the parameters of the authority conferred upon him by the court. His actions were done with the knowledge and consent of Britney, her court-appointed attorney, and/or the court. Jamie’s record as conservator -- and the court’s approval of his actions -- speak for themselves."
The docs conclude by arguing that Jamie has "no valid legal grounds on which to refuse to appear for his deposition."
Britney's father was suspended as conservator of Britney's estate in September 2021. Her conservatorship was terminated two months later.
ET has reached out to both Jamie and Britney's lawyers for comment.
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