Britney Spears supporters likely won't hear another explosive testimony from the pop star.- The Los Angeles Superior Court ended its remote dial-in program for court sessions on June 24.
- The decision came a day after Spears' testimony was illegally recorded and leaked online.
The next hearing in Britney Spears' contentious conservatorship case is happening at a Los Angeles court on Wednesday - but it is unlikely that fans will hear the pop star speak out this time around.
This next milestone in Spears' legal saga comes less than a month after her explosive June 23 testimony, in which she asked for an end to the "abusive" conservatorship arrangement that gives others, including her father Jamie Spears, control over her personal life, finances, and career.
At this Wednesday's hearing, on July 14, Judge Brenda Penny is expected to address a petition filed by third-party financial service Bessemer Trust to withdraw from the conservatorship. The judge may also make a decision about whether Spears can choose her own legal counsel after Spears' longtime court-appointed lawyer Samuel D. Ingham, III, filed to resign on July 6.
It is unclear whether Spears will dial into Wednesday's hearing, though some sources report she might. Even if Spears does virtually attend the hearing, she may not give another testimony.
But if Spears does attend and chooses to speak at the hearing, we won't get to hear her voice as we did with her last bombshell testimony. The LA court system ended its Remote Audio Attendance Program a day after Spears' June testimony.
"Widespread breaches by the public in a recent court proceeding highlighted the need to return to in-person, open courtroom proceedings, which is a welcome development," the press release about the decision said.
During Spears' June 23 conservatorship hearing, the judge told attendees, including reporters, that they weren't allowed to record the court session, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The audio of the session was only available to journalists and people involved in relevant court cases.
Despite that firm warning, an audio recording of Spears' impassioned testimony was quickly leaked on social media.
Spears' June testimony highlighted the pop star's allegations against her father Jamie and her claims that the conservatorship is "abusive." Among several shocking revelations, Spears said that she was being forced to work long hours and that she was being denied the right to remove her IUD despite wanting to have more children. She also requested an end to her conservatorship without being medically reevaluated.
"I just want my life back," Spears said at the hearing. "It's been 13 years. And it's enough. It's been a long time since I've owned my money. And it's my wish and my dream for all of this to end without being tested."