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Britney Spears’ father Jamie Spears is suspended as conservator of the singer’s estate, a judge ruled Wednesday in Los Angeles. John Zabel, a certified public accountant, was appointed temporary conservator, CNN reported. The pop star reportedly didn’t call into the hearing.
Another hearing will take place to determine whether the conservatorship will be removed altogether, according to CNN. The date isn’t yet known, but it could happen before the end of the year.
Spears, a 39-year-old mother of two, hasn’t been allowed to manage her own finances since her father was appointed her conservator in 2008. She’s also said she isn’t allowed to remove her birth-control device, preventing her from having more kids. The conservatorship gained heightened attention following a New York Times documentary about Spears that debuted in February.
Spears requested her father be removed from the arrangement at a court hearing in June, calling the conservatorship “abusive.” In July, a Los Angeles judge said the singer could hire her own lawyer going forward, approving a request for attorney Mathew S. Rosengart to represent Spears. Rosengart then filed a separate petition to have Jamie Spears removed from the conservatorship, asking that Jason Rubin, a California certified public accountant, be named conservatory of Spears’ multi-million-dollar estate.
Earlier this month, the pop star’s father filed a petition to end Spears’ conservatorship, urging the Los Angeles Superior Court to consider whether the arrangement is needed. He noted the singer’s circumstances have changed “to such an extent that grounds for establishment of a conservatorship may no longer exist.”
CNET’s Gael Fashingbauer Cooper contributed to this report.