Britney Spears' conservatorship questioned by legal specialists, more news

By Wonderwall.com Editors 5:22am PST, Feb 12, 2021

Conservatorship attorneys question Britney Spears' conservatorship as case returns to court

Amid a new round of scrutiny thanks to the recent New York Times documentary, "Framing Britney Spears," the pop star's conservatorship case returned to court in Los Angeles on Thursday, Feb. 11. In the latest hearing, Judge Brenda Penny denied objections made by Britney's father, Jamie Spears, regarding the delegation of powers between Jamie and Bessemer Trust, which was named a co-conservator last year. NBC News reports the two are now "expected to work together on a budget and investment proposal" for the singer's estate ahead of the next hearing. Meanwhile, California attorneys who specialize in conservatorship law are weighing in with questions about why the singer is still under the grip of her father, 12 years after her mental health issues sparked the conservatorship to be put in place. "Conservatorship essentially strips away a person's ability to make their own decisions," says Barr & Young attorney Don Slater in a new feature for Vice. "It's a very serious matter to take away somebody's personal freedoms and rights like a conservatorship does … there's no way she would, in my mind, qualify for conservatorship under normal circumstances." Alex Ripps, a conservatorship specialist at the firm Bohm Wildish & Matsen, adds that Britney has no "disease that severely limits her cognitive function, or at least it doesn't appear that way," making it odd that the arrangement would continue for so long. In 2020, Britney's lawyers filed to remove her father, Jamie Spears, from the conservatorship Britney, 39, was placed in at age 27, telling the court she was "afraid of" him. For now, it seems, the addition of Bessemer as the co-conservator will stay in place, with Jamie maintaining some power over his daughter's finances and career. It remains to be seen whether Jamie's role will be affected by interest in the new film, which makes the case that those closest to Britney were complicit in her breakdown all those years ago. Another hearing is scheduled for next month.

Keep reading to see why The Weeknd won't get paid for his Super Bowl performance and more …

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher took their kids to a 'baby rave'

While trying to keep themselves and their kids, Wyatt and Dimitri, busy during lockdowns in Los Angeles over the past year, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher have been all about "drive-thru experiences." "We've done all of them," Mila said on the Wednesday, Feb. 10, edition of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". One "drive-thru experience" in particular, however, stands out in Mila's mind as, "one one of the worst, one of the greatest things I've ever done," she shared. "I'm not kidding you, I took my 4-year-old and my 6-year-old and my grown-a– husband to a baby rave," the actress said. "It was lights everywhere, music. It was physically put on by a rave company," she explained. "You felt like you were tripping on acid. They give you these glasses… My kids were like, 'This is the best experience ever!' I was like, 'Oh no,'" she recalled. When the former "That '70s Show" stars weren't busy baby raving over the past year, they apparently took on a project Ashton's Iowa-based family could be proud of. Despite concern from friends about the viability of corn in Los Angeles, the couple managed to grow "hundreds and hundreds of ears" of the stuff, according to Mila. "We didn't know what to do," she admitted. "…We're in a pandemic. We can't have a barbecue, we can't have people over for a pool party. We were just stuck eating corn. We had corn for breakfast, we had corn for lunch, we had corn all …," she drifted off, then added: "My kids are now made of corn."

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The Weeknd's music streams, sales surge after Super Bowl performance

The NFL traditionally does not pay its Super Bowl Halftime Show performers — it just covers the cost of production and expenses — and one look at The Weeknd's post-game streams will tell you why. Billboard reported on Thursday, Feb. 11, that the "Blinding Lights" singer saw a 41 percent spike in streams across his entire catalog in the wake of his unique, COVID-19-safe Super Bowl show in Tampa over the weekend. His sales have surged as well, with Rolling Stone proclaiming this week to be one of his "biggest in Rolling Stone Charts history," thanks to "triple-digit sales" spurred on by his Halftime Show.

Kristen Wiig confirms she and Avi Rothman are married

Back in May, Kristen Wiig used a "Saturday Night Live" appearance to casually let the world know she had some baby news with a shoutout to her mom in which she thanked her for "preparing me to be a mom myself." By June, People had confirmed Kristen and Avi Rothman had welcomed twins. This week, the actress and writer dropped another tidbit about her personal life. It seems she and Avi, also an actor and a writer, have tied the knot. During a chat with Howard Stern for his SiriusXM Radio show, Kristen said she knows she's "lucky to have these two babies and my husband," given what's happening outside the confines of their home. "They make it all better, and it's changed my life," she said. Kristen, 47, also shared a bit about her experience of parenting with Avi, 48, saying she knows things will change when a more normal version of her work life returns. "Right now, I'm not going to an actual set, but because of all of this stuff, I'm not as present as I would like to be," Kristen explained. "And it's really hard because I'm always convinced they'll forget who I am if I'm gone for a day," she added, laughing. "I have looked at my children and been like, 'I am your mother.'" In the meantime, she's enjoying what she can about life during the pandemic, while keeping in mind that things will eventually change. "There's something really nice about just being home with them all the time," Kristen said. "But that time is coming and I'm gonna do my best to balance and they will come first."

Chadwick Boseman covers Vanity Fair's awards season special edition

When the 2021 Academy Awards nominees are announced on March 15, the late Chadwick Boseman is expected to get at least one nod for his work on George C. Wolfe's big-screen adaption of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" or Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods." The star, who died at age 43 in August after a private cancer battle, has already made SAG Awards history this season, by scoring four nominations in one year. He's also been honored with multiple tributes and awards for the films, making him an ideal cover star for Vanity Fair's "Awards Extra" special edition, which features a look inside Chadwick's performance as Levee, a horn player in blues singer Ma Rainey's band. Dubbing the film his "grand finale," the piece features memories and musings about Chadwick from his costars, his director, and others who worked on the movie. "He was so observant that he would just look at a film and pick up all the nuance," marvels Branford Marsalis, who was the "voice" of Levee's horn in "Ma Rainey." "That part is hard — unless you're him," the musician adds. Producer Denzel Washington, who once helped fund Chadwick's stint in a summer theater program at Oxford when he was a college student, recalled what Chadwick said in a 2019 speech at Denzel's AFI Life Achievement Award ceremony. "An offering from a sage and a king is more than silver and gold," Chadwick said at the time, referencing Oxford assistance. "It is a seed of hope. A bud of faith. There is no 'Black Panther' without Denzel Washington." "What a poet," Denzel says today. "What a gentleman. He stole the night."

Lori Loughlin is on track to complete her community service hours this week

Lori Loughlin is almost ready to put her involvement in the 2019 college admissions fraud and bribery scandal behind her. According to Us Weekly, the former "Fuller House" star is on track to fulfill her remaining community service hours this week. "She's been working with children who have learning disabilities and has found it very fulfilling," a source tells the outlet. A second insider adds that Lori, 56, has also been working for Project Angel Food, which prepares and delivers healthy meals to people battling serious illnesses. After she and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to charges related to their daughters' college acceptances, Lori was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service and two serve two months in federal prison. She completed the prison sentence in December. Mossimo, who's currently serving five months behind bars, will have to complete 150 community service hours after his release. They have also both paid fines related to their guilty pleas.

Justin Theroux sends ex-wife Jennifer Aniston some birthday love

When Jennifer Aniston turned 52 on Thursday, Feb. 11, her still-loving ex-husband sent her a sweet birthday wish on his Instagram Story. Sharing a black and white photo of Jen ascending a staircase, Justin added in large font, "Happy birthday @jenniferaniston," at the top. On the bottom, he used a red heart emoji for the word love, signing the greeting, "[Love] you B!" The former couple began dating in 2011 and said "I do" in 2015. According to People, Justin's shared a "happy birthday" wish with his ex every year since they announced their split in 2018.

Morgan Wallen breaks his silence on controversial video: 'Our words matter'

Country star Morgan Wallen has broken his silence on the controversial video that leaked online last week in which he can be heard yelling a racial slur. In the clip, posted on YouTube on Wednesday, Feb. 10, the singer said that while he knows he's "overdue" to address the footage, he needed time to "seek some real guidance" before speaking out. "The video you saw was me on hour 72 of a bender and that's not something I'm proud of either," said Morgan, who later added that he was nine days sober. "Obviously the natural thing to do is apologize further and just continue to apologize but because you got caught and that's not what I wanted to do." Later in the video, Morgan admitted he'd "let so many people down," but said he's been contacted by Black leaders and Black-focused organizations who offered to help him "learn and grow" from his mistakes. "My words matter. My words can truly hurt a person and at my core, that's not what I'm okay with," he continued. "I wish the circumstances were different for me to learn these things but I'm also glad it started the process for me to do so." He added: "Our actions matter. Our words matter. And I want to encourage anyone that is watching to please learn from my mistake. There's no reason to downplay what I did. I was wrong. It's on me to take ownership for this and I fully accept the penalties I'm facing." Per THR, those "penalties" have so far included losing his contract with Big Loud Records, being dropped from his talent agency WME, having his music and appearances removed from CMT's platforms, hacing his music removed from most major radio stations, including streaming platforms and being made ineligible for this year's Academy of Country Music Awards. "Who knows if I'll be able to live down all the mistakes I've made," he said in the clip, "but I'm certainly going to try."

Blake Shelton 'can't imagine' his 'life without' Gwen Stefani's kids

Before he proposed to Gwen Stefani last year, Blake Shelton reportedly asked her kids for permission to marry their mom. They apparently said "yes," as did Gwen when the singer popped the question. Now, as Blake contemplates his future as an official stepdad, he's "very serious" about that role, he said in a recent interview for "The Ride With Kimo & Heather" on KFROG. "I don't know if it's as hard or harder or not as hard as being an actual, biological parent, you know?" Blake mused, according to People. "I have a stepfather in my life who's one of my heroes. I love my stepfather and I look up to him and he's like a father to me, so I have a good inspiration in my life for how to do this and the kind of stepdad I want to be. And I take it very serious." He went on to say he also appreciates the fun he has with Kington, 14, Zuma, 12, and Apollo, 7, who Gwen shares with her ex, Gavin Rossdale. "… I also have a blast with it, I'm not gonna lie. I don't take it so serious that I'm not enjoying this time because I really am, especially now that we're five years into this thing," he explained, adding, "I can't imagine my life without these kids now."

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