Britney Spears' legal team have accused her father, Jamie Spears, of trying to extort $2 million from the singer in order to leave his role as conservator of her estate.
The “Toxic” hitmaker has repeatedly requested that her dad step down as conservator of her estate and he announced a few weeks ago he would leave his position "when the time is right", but now her lawyers have asked the court for his suspension and removal as soon as possible.
In court documents filed on Monday attorney Mathew Rosengart claimed Jamie has sought $2 million in payments - including $1.3 million in legal fees, $500,000 for Britney's former management company, and additional payments to the patriarch himself - and branded the request "extortion".
He wrote: "The status quo is no longer tolerable, and Britney Spears will not be extorted.
"Mr. Spears’s blatant attempt to barter suspension and removal in exchange for approximately $2 million in payments, on top of the millions already reaped from Ms. Spears’s estate by Mr. Spears and his associates, is a non-starter.
"Having finally acknowledged that his time as Conservator should end, Mr. Spears is obligated to step down without condition and without seeking to extract anything further from his daughter."
And the lawyer also accused Jamie of trying to "bully" the 'Circus' hitmaker and not acting in Britney's best interests.
He said in a statement: "As we wrote in our new filing with the Court that was released today, however, the quid pro quo preconditions that Mr. Spears’s sought in his August 12, 2021 court filing are inappropriate and unacceptable. Britney Spears will not be bullied or extorted by her father.
"Nor does Mr. Spears have the right to try to hold his daughter hostage by setting the terms of his removal.
"This is not about him, it is about the best interests of his daughter, which as a matter of law, mandate his removal.
"Even putting aside the legal issues requiring his prompt removal, if he loves his daughter, Mr. Spears should resign now, today, before he is suspended. It would be the correct and decent thing to do."
When Jamie agreed to step down as conservator eventually, his lawyer argued the request from Britney's team to have him removed was "unjustified" but he had decided to leave and work with the court on an orderly transition as he felt it was best for his daughter.
His lawyer stated in legal documents: "Even as Mr. Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests.
"So, even though he must contest this unjustified Petition for his removal, Mr. Spears intends to work with the Court and his daughter's new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator.
"Regardless of his formal title, Mr. Spears will always be Ms. Spears' father. He will always love her unconditionally, and he will always look out for her best interests."
Mathew - who had filed a motion on 5 August requesting the judge expedite the removal of Jamie ahead of a hearing on 29 September - hailed his decision to step down as a "major victory for Britney Spears and another step toward justice."