(CNN) – The legal battle over custody of Britney Spears’ estate continued in court on Thursday.
Although the pop star was not in attendance, her father Jamie Spears was virtually there when Judge Brenda Penny of the Los Angeles County Superior Court heard arguments from Spears and her father’s attorneys.
The hearing focused on the nomination of the Bessemer Trust in November to act as co-guardian of Spears’s estate along with her father. Judge Penny ruled to maintain co-tutoring and made no changes to the proceedings on Thursday.
Spears had previously requested that her father be removed as a co-guardian. The latest ruling does not prevent his attorney, Samuel Ingham III, from filing another request for his removal.
Ingham, who also virtually attended the hearing, reiterated that his client “does not want his father as a co-guardian and we recognize that expulsion is a separate issue.”
Vivian L. Thoreen, a lawyer for Jamie Spears, issued a statement to CNN Thursday night.
Today’s Probate Court rulings demonstrate the court’s confidence in our client Jamie Spears and Bessemer Trust to jointly manage custody of Ms. Spears’s estate. My client looks forward to working with Bessemer to pursue an investment strategy that is in the best interests of his daughter, ”said Thoreen in part.
Spears Sr. was first appointed by the court as guardian of his daughter’s estate, along with attorney Andrew Wallet, in 2008 after a series of personal troubles with the singer that went public. For most of that period, he also oversaw his health and medical decisions. Jamie Spears became the sole custodian of the singer’s $ 60 million estate in 2019, following Wallet’s resignation.
Ingham filed the first filing for the official removal of Jamie Spears as a legal guardian last August. Spears Sr. told CNN in December that he hasn’t spoken to his daughter since that presentation.
“I love my daughter and I miss her very much,” Spears said of her daughter. “When a family member needs special care and protection, as I have done for the past 12 years or more, families must stand up to protect, protect and love Britney unconditionally. I have and will continue to offer unwavering love and fierce protection against those with selfish interests and those who would harm her or my family.
Interest in the singer’s custody has grown after The New York Times documentary “Framing Britney Spears”. Celebrities and supporters have been advocating for Spears on social media with the hashtag #FreeBritney.
A new hearing in the case is scheduled for March 17.