In her first interview in over a decade, Britney Spears‘ cousin and former assistant Alli Sims claims that Britney’s father Jamie Spears forced Alli to cut off contact with the pop star.
In the wake of the New York Times documentary Framing Britney Spears, Alli, who worked with the singer in the mid-2000s, told NBC News that Jamie was “100 percent was threatening me with my life” when he insisted she cease communication with the “Piece of Me” artist.
Jamie Spears’ attorneys have not responded to NBC News’ request for comment.
At the time, the star was dealing with a slew of mental health issues, including two involuntary psychiatric holds, and a custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two kids.
Alli explained, “I really do believe [Jamie] would have done something if I didn’t remove myself from the situation.”
Jamie is the subject of much controversy. As explained in the documentary, Britney is under a conservatorship, which means control over her finances and major life decisions are delegated to a third party—in this case, her father. Last year, Britney filed a petition with the court to remove Jamie as the sole conservator over her estate, saying that she wanted to place a financial institution in that role instead. According to NBC News, her lawyer, Samuel D. Ingham III, claimed Britney was afraid of her dad.
