Britney Spears’ dad, Jamie Spears, took the stand during a court hearing on Thursday, June 13, that ended with the judge granting the pop star a five-year restraining order against Sam Lutfi, the man who claimed to be her manager in 2007 and 2008.
During Jamie’s testimony, Lutfi’s attorney, Marc Gans, asked the 66-year-old about the status of his relationship with Britney, 37, prior to becoming her conservator in February 2008. “Me and my daughter’s relationship has always been strained,” Jamie responded.
When Gans pressed further and asked Jamie whether he had “little to no” relationship with his eldest daughter before the conservatorship was initiated, one of Britney’s attorneys objected and stated that the question was beyond the scope of the proceeding.
Jamie and Lutfi, 44, both testified before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brenda Penny on Thursday about the latter’s contact with the Spears family in recent months as Britney sought mental health treatment in the wake of Jamie’s near-fatal November 2018 health scare and her struggle with changing medications.
“He tried to reach out to me, but I wanted him to leave my family alone,” Jamie testified. “He kept calling me to see if we can repair our relationship, but what Mr. Lutfi was doing was not repairing. He is a predator.”
By the end of the hearing, the judge ordered Lutfi — who detailed his recent communications with Britney’s mom, Lynne Spears, and her sister Jamie Lynn Spears’ husband, Jamie Watson — to stay away from Britney and her family for five years, extending the temporary restraining order that was first put in place on May 8. Penny stated that she found Jamie’s testimony to be “forthright,” while Lutfi was “not credible.”
In response to the outcome, Lutfi’s attorney, Gans, tells Us Weekly, “We think the restrictions on speech are unconstitutional and are considering appealing.”
As Britney’s conservator, Jamie has controlled much of the Grammy winner’s personal and professional lives for the past 11 years since her highly publicized breakdown.
“Britney has made improvements since being released from treatment, but Jamie’s biggest concern is that the judge will end the conservatorship prematurely,” a source tells Us. “Since Britney appeared in court [in May] and requested to formally end the conservatorship, she has been given additional privileges that weren’t in place. Jamie decided to give Britney full access to her social media accounts. She always had input about what was posted, but it was always carefully curated … for Britney’s protection.”
The source adds, “Britney absolutely still wants the conservatorship to end.”
With reporting by Marjorie Hernandez
