Britney Spears‘ father, Jaime Spears, spoke out via his lawyer about claims fans and the general public are making about Spears’ conservatorship.

Jaime’s lawyer, Vivian Thoreen, said the fans have it all wrong when it comes to the conservatorship.

“I understand that every story wants to have a villain, but people have it so wrong here,” Thoreen told Good Morning America on Thursday. “This is a story about a fiercely loyal, loving, and dedicated father who rescued his daughter from a life-threatening situation. People were harming her and they were exploiting her.”

Spears has been under a conservatorship since 2008, meaning someone else has helped her make financial and personal decisions for the past 13 years. In 2019, Jaime stepped down as Spears’ personal conservator due to health reasons. Jodi Montgomery, a licensed conservator, took over for him.

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Spears filed a petition last August to have Jaime removed as her conservator, but the judge denied the request. In November, the judge granted the financial firm, Bessemer Trust Company, co-conservatorship, meaning they split the responsibility with Jaime.

Jaime objected to the November decision, but earlier this month the judge ruled to keep the decision.

The New York Times released a documentary this month entitled Framing Britney Spears, that explained Spears’ relationship with the media and her conservatorship. The film brought more attention to the #FreeBritney movement on social media. The movement, started by fans, is petitioning for Britney to be freed of her conservatorship and her father’s control.

Thoreen said the court “carefully reviewed the conservatorship through a dedicated, trained, and highly experienced court investigator” and kept it in place for Britney’s sake. She said Jaime has always wanted to what was best for his daughter.

“He has collaborated with her to help her regain custody of her children. He has brought her finances back from disaster,” she explained. “And he’s created a safe environment for her to live her life the way she wants, away from the media that cause her so much pain.”

According to Thoreen, Britney was making $40 million a year before her conservatorship. When Jaime became her conservator, Britney’s assets totaled $2.8 million and she was in debt. She said Jaime helped Spears restore her finances, which total almost $60 million today.

“Thanks to Jamie’s efforts, Britney’s estate is now capable of taking care of Britney and her children for the rest of their lives, as long as no one is permitted to exploit or take advantage of her again,” said Thoreen. “(Jaime has) the kind of dedication and diligence that only a family member – that only a parent who loves his daughter unconditionally – can.”

Thoreen said Spears makes her own decisions all the time and that she speaks to his father very often. She said Spears has never mentioned removing him as her conservator directly to Jaime. Thoreen also noted that Spears could motion to end the conservatorship all together, but has not.

Thoreen is experienced with conservatorships and has worked on these cases many times. She said she knows how careful the courts are with these situations.

“(The court) would not have appointed Jamie or kept him on if Jamie weren’t a loving father and grandfather, and if he weren’t a responsible conservator – and he’s all of those things,” she said.

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