NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Jamie Spears' lawyer claims he 'saved Britney's life' amid controversy

By Lexie Cartwright
news.com.au·
26 Feb, 2021 12:53 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Watch: Framing Britney Spears trailer. Video / Britney Spears Media

Jamie Spears' lawyer has claimed the pop star's father "saved Britney's life" and that people "have it so wrong" about him.

The 68-year-old has been the subject of growing scrutiny, particularly in the aftermath of the controversial Framing Britney Spears documentary, which recently aired in the US.

The doco explores the rise of Britney's fame, her mental health struggles, being under her father's conservatorship and the subsequent mobilisation of the #FreeBritney movement set in motion by her fans.

While it's widely believed Jamie has controlled her life and fortune, his lawyer Vivian Thoreen has told ABC News the Times' documentary "has it all wrong".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I understand that every story needs a villain but people have it so wrong here," Thoreen said, adding Jamie was a "furiously loving, dedicated and loyal father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation".

"People were harming and they were exploiting her," she said.

While Thoreen didn't detail the "life-threatening situation", she said, "Jamie saved Britney's life. Britney's assets were clearly being mismanaged and she was being taken advantage of financially by some of those around her."

Celebrities and fans rallied around Britney after the confronting documentary aired. Photo / Supplied
Celebrities and fans rallied around Britney after the confronting documentary aired. Photo / Supplied

Celebrities and fans rallied around Britney after the confronting documentary aired, with the overall essence being that she was failed by Hollywood and her own circle. It airs in Australia on Channel 9 on March 2.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Spears' boyfriend Sam Asghari, who has been dating the singer since 2016, recently called out Jamie for allegedly "trying to control" his relationship with her.

"It's important for people to understand that I have zero respect for someone trying to control our relationship and constantly throwing obstacles our way," the 27-year-old said on his Instagram Story after the doco aired. "In my opinion, Jamie [Spears] is a total d**k."

In November, Britney's lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, claimed in a hearing that the Toxic singer had become "afraid" of her dad and wanted him removed from her conservatorship.

Britney Spears with her father Jamie Spears in 2008 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo / Getty Images
Britney Spears with her father Jamie Spears in 2008 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo / Getty Images

The case returned to court in early February, where a judge overruled Jamie's objections to an order that established Bessemer Trust Co. as co-conservator of her estate.

Discover more

Entertainment

Lady Gaga's dog walker shot and French bulldogs taken

25 Feb 05:41 PM
Entertainment

How Daft Punk used robot disguise to take over the world

25 Feb 06:41 AM
Entertainment

Kanye West's shocking move before divorce announcement

25 Feb 06:23 AM
Entertainment

Lionel Richie reveals 40-year age gap romance

24 Feb 06:46 PM

Bessemer Trust had originally been appointed as co-conservator alongside Jamie back on November 10 last year. Jamie had since objected, arguing it reduced his powers over his daughter's estate.

The star's treatment by the media is under the microscope following the release of a new documentary. Photo / Getty Images
The star's treatment by the media is under the microscope following the release of a new documentary. Photo / Getty Images

Judge Brenda Penny said making the Bessemer Trust and Jamie Spears co-conservators was in the hopes they would "sit down and figure out together the best way to handle this complex estate for the benefit of my client".

She also reportedly acknowledged Britney's desire to have her father removed entirely from the conservatorship arrangement she's been living under since shortly after her 2007 breakdown. Ingham said Britney's desire to remove her father was "a separate issue" and might be discussed at a later date.

It was a small but significant victory for Britney in the slow-moving saga that is her conservatorship.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Scarlett Johansson: AI can't replicate the soulfulness of actors

30 Jun 06:49 AM
Entertainment

'Lorde's not here to look good': The 'anti-glam' critique of Kiwi popstar in US beauty mag

30 Jun 05:58 AM
Entertainment

Henry Golding compares Charlize Theron to Tom Cruise in high praise

30 Jun 03:00 AM

A new care model to put patients first

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Scarlett Johansson: AI can't replicate the soulfulness of actors

Scarlett Johansson: AI can't replicate the soulfulness of actors

30 Jun 06:49 AM

She feels AI threatens society's foundational trust and moral compass.

'Lorde's not here to look good': The 'anti-glam' critique of Kiwi popstar in US beauty mag

'Lorde's not here to look good': The 'anti-glam' critique of Kiwi popstar in US beauty mag

30 Jun 05:58 AM
Henry Golding compares Charlize Theron to Tom Cruise in high praise

Henry Golding compares Charlize Theron to Tom Cruise in high praise

30 Jun 03:00 AM
Rita Ora shares new details of how she proposed to Taika Waititi, after an A-List introduction

Rita Ora shares new details of how she proposed to Taika Waititi, after an A-List introduction

30 Jun 01:15 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP