HOLLYWOOD—Oops she did it again. The man who guided her career for the last 25 years is stepping down as her manager. Yes, Larry Rudolph, who helped and guided Britney Spears career for over two decades has stepped down. Rudolph said, the star’s intention to officially retire prompted him to resign. The move comes two weeks after Spears told an LA judge that she had been forced to perform against her will.
She is currently seeking to end a conservatorship that has governed her life and finances since 2008. Rudolph announced his intention to resign in a letter to the star’s father, Jamie Spears, and co-conservator Jodi Montgomery. Rudolph had been her manager for almost the entirety of her career, ever since her mother Lynne Spears, asked his opinion about Spear’s singing voice.
At that time, he was a music industry lawyer, representing clients including the Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake and Jessica Simpson. He was so impressed with her voice that he took the then 15-year-old to record labels in New York, eventually securing her a deal with Jive. He then guided her to stardom, global stardom. With hits such as “Oops! I did it Again” and “Toxic.”
Back in May 2019, as the singer announced she would not continue performing at her Las Vegas residency, Rudolph said, “She’s putting herself ahead of everyone else, and I’m proud of her for that. If she never works again, she never works again.” Rudolph, who has also represented clients like Miley Cyrus, Aerosmith and Pitbull, announced his resignation amid increased scrutiny of Spears’ conservatorship.
In a specially-convened court hearing two weeks ago, Britney said she had been drugged, forced to perform against her will and prevented from having children. The testimony was the singer’s first full public statement about her situation and has sparked an outpouring of public support. Including Diplo, who posted a pic of himself with a sign #FreeBritney. A day prior to the testimony, Spears called US emergency services to report herself as a victim of conservatorship abuse.
In the wake of her statement, a financial firm that was appointed to help oversee her conservatorship asked to withdraw. However, a day earlier, Judge Brenda Penny denied a request Spears made in November to have Jamie Spears removed from his position as her co-conservator. The next court hearing in the case is scheduled for July 14.
In a turn of events, her court-appointed lawyer asked to resign from his role, as the fallout from the dramatic court testimony continues. Samuel Ingham who has represented Britney since she was placed under a conservatorship in 2008, is calling it quits. The lawyer revealed his desire to resign in court papers filed in Los Angeles on July 6.
Loeb and Loeb, a law firm brought in to help Mr. Ingham, also offered its resignation in the filing. Neither explained why they were stepping down. According to published reports, in the most recent accounting available, in 2019, Mr. Ingham was paid $373,000 for working with the singer. Spears pays the legal costs for both sides in her conservatorship case. He is the third party involved to step down in the past week.
Last week, financial management firm the Bessemer Trust, which was appointed to help oversee Spears financial affairs requested to resign from that role, citing her desire for the conservatorship to stop. The plot thickens. Let’s see what happens on July 14.
Rose’s Scoop: Condolences go out to Robert Downey Jr. on the passing of his father the filmmaker Robert Downey Sr. It should be an interesting weekend, soccer fans will enjoy both the Copa America on Saturday night and the UEFA Euro 2020 on Sunday. May the best teams win.
