Britney Spears reportedly lays the blame for her diminished time with her two children on her father Jamie Spears.
The 39-year-old pop star considers him responsible for her unfavorable custody balance because he allegedly assaulted her 15-year-old son Sean Preston, Us Weekly reported on Friday.
The report follow’s Jamie’s claim to CNN that he and Britney had been on ‘good terms’ up until August of this year, after which point they hadn’t spoken.
Family feud: Britney Spears disputes her father Jamie Spears’ claims that they had a good relationship until August and blames him for her getting less time with her kids, Us Weekly reports; seen in July 2019
‘For Jamie to say that he and Britney were on “good terms” until August is outrageous,’ the insider said. ‘August 2019 maybe, but not August 2020.’
They continued by blaming Jamie, who is in charge of Britney’s long-running conservatorship, for her spending less time with Sean and her other son Jayden James, 14.
‘[Jamie] is the reason she has far less custodial time with her sons than she did before,’ the source continued.
‘The incident with Jamie and Preston changed everything. It was a major blow for Britney. She, Kevin, Preston and Jayden have all seen Jamie differently ever since.’
In September 2019, Britney’s ex-husband Kevin Federline told police that Jamie got into an intense argument with Sean, who was only 13 at the time.
Not buying it: ‘For Jamie to say that he and Britney were on “good terms” until August is outrageous,’ the insider said. ‘[Jamie] is the reason she has far less custodial time with her sons than she did before’; seen in 2008
Sean had locked himself in a room, but Jamie broke down the door and shook his grandson violently, TMZ reported at the time.
Although the Spears family patriarch was investigated by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department, no charges were ever brought against him.
Kevin was able to get a restraining order against his former father-in-law the same month.
Shortly after the incident, Britney and Kevin formalized a new custody arrangement, with the kids spending 70 percent of their time with their father and 30 percent with their mother.
Previously, the parents had a 50–50 split.
Cause and effect: Jamie allegedly assaulted his grandson Sean, then 13, in September 2019. Days later, Britney’s custody arrangement with her ex Kevin Federline went from 50–50 to 70–30 in his favor; seen with Lynne Spears in 2012
Furious: Britney reportedly blames Jamie for her decreased time with the kids, though she was reportedly following the 70–30 arrangement even before the alleged assault
Now Britney seems to blame her father for the significant cut in her time with her boys.
However, at the time the new custody arrangement was agreed upon, it was reported that the Toxic singer and her ex had already been unofficially following the new custody arrangement, suggesting that she had chose to have less time with the children before Jamie’s alleged assault.
On Tuesday, Britney’s father claimed that he hadn’t spoken to her since August of this year, though he claimed their relationship had been going smoothly prior to then.
‘I love my daughter and I miss her very much,’ he said. ‘When a family member needs special care and protection, families need to step up, as I have done for the last 12-plus years, to safeguard, protect and continue to love Britney unconditionally.
Conflicting statements: Jamie’s attorney Vivian Lee Thoreen claimed to CNN that Britney’s lack of communication with her father was a strategy thought up by her legal team
‘I have and will continue to provide unwavering love and fierce protection against those with self-serving interests and those who seek to harm her or my family.’
Jamie was accompanied in the TV interview by his attorney Vivian Lee Thoreen, who claimed that Britney’s lack of communication with her father was a strategy thought up by her legal team.
‘Jamie’s relationship with Britney is not that different than your average father-daughter relationship insofar as there has always been a mutual love and respect for each other,’ she said.
‘Until Britney’s court-appointed attorney Sam Ingham abruptly instructed Jamie not to contact Britney a few months ago, Jamie and Britney had spoken often and regularly throughout the entire conservatorship. In fact, they had spoken just the day before and had had a pleasant and collaborative conversation.’
Conservatorship: The Oops!… I Did It Again has been trying to get her father removed from her conservatorship, which began after her 2008 public breakdown
The Oops!… I Did It Again has had her ability to make legal and financial decisions curtailed since 2008, when she suffered a public mental health crisis.
In September 2019, Jamie took a break from being his daughter’s conservator amid health issues of his own, and her care manager Jodi Montgomery took over as conservator.
In recent months, Britney has been trying to get Jamie removed completely from the conservatorship and replaced permanently by Montgomery.