Britney Spears' controversial former manager Sam Lutfi apologises, admits he 'failed her'

Britney Spears celebrates her birthday with her manager Sam Lutfi in 2007. Photo / Getty Images

Britney Spears' former manager has apologised for "failing" the singer.

Sam Lutfi - who was previously accused by Jamie and Lynne Spears of taking "control" of their daughter when she was struggling with her mental health in 2007 - thinks he "let down" the Toxic hitmaker and failed to "protect" her after she was placed under a conservatorship in 2008.

Last month, Britney told a court she felt the conservatorship was "abusive" and she didn't want to have other people in control of her affairs any more, and Sam reflected on her testimony on Twitter this morning.

He posted: "Just sitting here listening to that court recording, if she hates me after she's free I won't blame her.

"I failed her. I was supposed to protect her from all this, I let her down and we both paid dearly for it –– head in hands ... I'm so sorry."

At another hearing today, Britney was granted permission to have Mathew Rosengart as her new lawyer and he's set to file documents requesting her father Jamie is removed from his post as co-conservator of her affairs.

And Sam is hopeful major progress can now be made.

He tweeted: "This is a premature celebratory post but for now there's a new sheriff in town and heads are about to roll. The war may be coming close to ending but the healing is a tremendous journey that has yet to even begin. God bless the entire army. I love all of you."

Just sitting here listening to that court recording, if she hates me after she's free I won't blame her... I failed her, I was supposed to protect her from all this, I let her down and we both paid dearly for it - - head in hands..I'm so sorry

— Sam Lutfi (@SamLutfi) July 14, 2021

Jamie and his ex-wife Lynne previously accused Sam of having "drugged" Britney and cut her phone lines after he took "control of her life, home and finances" when he moved in with her.

The Womanizer singer was granted a temporary restraining order against her former manager in February 2008, the month her conservatorship began.

In June 2019, a year after the first court order expired, Britney obtained another court mandate ordering Sam to stay away after claiming he had caused "severe mental trauma" by threatening and disparaging her family.

However, the Svengali - who received a settlement in 2016 after suing the Spears family for defamation years earlier - maintained his innocence and insisted he had not made contact with the 39-year-old pop star for a decade.