Drake Bell Sentenced to 2 Years of Probation ... For Child Endangerment
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Drake Bell won't be doing any time behind bars in his child endangerment case -- a judge just announced his fate, and the actor ended up getting probation instead.
The former Nickelodeon star was sentenced Monday in an Ohio court ... receiving 2 years of probation -- to be supervised in California, where he lives -- plus 200 hours of community service. If he doesn't keep his nose clean, he could face up to one year in prison on the felony charge of attempted endangering children -- to which he's pled guilty.
DB took the punishment in stride, saying he accepted it ... while also apologizing, explaining that it wasn't his intention to do harm, but that he's sorry to the girl and anyone else he hurt over this matter.
The woman, however, said he'd done irreparable harm -- issuing a victim impact statement via Zoom, and detailing what exactly this is all about. She claims they began exchanging messages online in 2017 (when she was 15), which she says eventually turned sexual in nature and included photos. She says this all happened over IG and Snap.
She went on to allege that she attended a concert of his back then, and that afterward ... he took her backstage to be alone -- where she claims she performed oral sex on him. Drake was seen shaking his head a few times during her remarks.
You'll recall, Drake was officially charged over this just earlier this year -- even though she filed a police report back in 2018. Up until now, it wasn't quite clear what sort of messages Drake was alleged to have sent to the minor -- but she shed a bit more light on it in her appearance.
Drake didn't put up much of a fight here, BTW. After initially pleading not guilty, he ended up copping a plea, acknowledging his actions and the consequences they could hold.
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Jodie Turner-Smith Police Report in Cannes ... Over stolen jewelry from hotel
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Jodie Turner-Smith's Cannes Film Festival visit came to an abrupt halt this weekend -- this after having to talk to cops about someone jacking her jewels ... according to a new report.
The "Queen & Slim" actress -- who was there promoting her new film, "After Yang" -- filed a police report Sunday after an alleged theft from her hotel room from this past Friday, which left her out a ton of money ... so says Variety, citing sources familiar with the situation.
The outlet reports that Jodie spent a good amount of time with officers Sunday ... something she herself shed some light on through her Twitter account, writing -- "didn’t think i would be spending 2.5 hours in the police station on my final day in cannes, but here we are…"
According to Variety ... the estimated value of the jewelry taken was somewhere in the ballpark of several tens of thousands of euros -- which is a heck a lot of greenbacks, too.
There's also this ... apparently, there was no sign of forced entry into Jodie's hotel suite -- rumored to have been at the Marriott there in town -- which requires a key card to get in. In other words ... the implication is that it could possibly be an inside job, and cops are investigating.
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SharkNinja Sued Your Blender Almost Turned My Hand into a Smoothie!!!
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SharkNinja's products are supposed to blend ingredients, not flesh -- but a California woman claims one of its blenders did a gory number on her fingers.
Nicole Guttormsen's suing the kitchen appliance company over its Nutri Ninja BL480 blender, which she alleges is a defective and dangerous product ... and she says these pics of the bloody mess support that.
In docs, obtained by TMZ, Nicole says she was blending ingredients in the Nutri Ninja when the canister shot off the base ... leaving the spinning blades exposed and causing significant injuries to her hand and fingers.
We'll say this ... her alleged photo evidence ain't for the queasy.
You can see 3 of Nicole's fingers suffered gnarly injuries. While it's not spelled out in her lawsuit, it sure looks like some of the cuts went to the bone.
In any event, Nicole claims the blender's defective because it generated an excessive amount of pressure and the threads that are supposed to secure the canister onto the blade assembly don't work properly.
Nicole's suing for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and loss of earning capacity. We've reached out to SharkNinja, but so far ... no word back.
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Ex-'NCIS' Star Zoe McLellan Wanted for Kidnapping ... Ex-Hubby Says She's Gone, Baby Gone
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Zoe McLellan -- an actress most famous from 'NCIS' -- has up and vanished with her and her ex's kid ... so claims the father ... who got a court involved, which has branded her as wanted.
Court records obtained by TMZ show an arrest warrant out of L.A. County was issued for Zoe a few months ago in May ... with outstanding charges of kidnapping, child custody deprivation and child stealing alleged against her for an issue dating back to 2017.
We covered the drama back then -- McLellan's ex-husband, J.P. Gillian, was in a custody war with her over their then 4-year-old, Sebastian ... whom Gillian claimed McLellan was taking to Toronto while she filmed "Designated Survivor" without his permission or consent.
It appears that ended up happening ... except, now, Gillian says he hasn't seen or heard from McLellan OR his boy since at least April 2019. His attorney, Lawrence Markey, tells us ... the child is still missing, and that Gillian and co. believe the kid is still with Zoe.
It doesn't appear she's been hauled in yet -- there's no record of her arrest within the L.A. County Sheriff's Office. Sources familiar with the case say last Gillian heard ... McLellan was said to be somewhere near NOLA. But again, we're told Gillian doesn't know their whereabouts now -- or their status for that matter. We're told they're virtually off the grid.
It's a pretty wild story ... made even more eyebrow raising by the fact that McLellan doesn't appear to have acted in anything major since 2019. So, there too she's kinda vanished.
We've tried reaching to McLellan's lawyers for comment ... so far, no word back.
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Upstate NY Cop Punches Woman Square in Throat During Wild Walmart Arrest
A police officer from upstate NY is on leave after he punched a woman he was arresting right in the throat -- knocking her flat on the ground ... and it's all on video.
The DeWitt Police Dept. released body cam footage -- which they spliced together -- showing what led up to the scuffle inside an East Syracuse Walmart on July 4 ... where the cops were dispatched on reports of women fighting inside, and allegedly using pepper spray.
When the cop in question showed -- who has since been ID'd as Rory Spain -- he tried separating the quarreling parties ... and ended up restraining the lady he ultimately punched, Tyreana Edmonds, with handcuffs. As he attempted to lead her away, things escalated.
In the video, you see Edmonds apparently try and bite Officer Spain's arm ... after which, he cocks his arm back, with his fist balled up, and unloads on the front of her neck. The punch lands, and Edmonds is tossed back ... falling hard to the ground after absorbing the blow.
You can hear people around who are filming react in outrage ... and when they approach, Officer Spain tells them to get back. He and his fellow officers arrested her and others involved in the prior altercation ... and they all face multiple charges over this.
Waiting for your permission to load the Facebook Video.
Edmonds has reportedly also been hit with 2nd-degree attempted assault of a police officer ... presumably because of what appeared to be her going for his skin. As for Officer Spain, he's on paid administrative leave while the department investigates ... which is SOP.
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Britney Spears Seeks New Lawyer ... To Fire Jamie, End Conservatorship
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Britney Spears has just taken the first step to end her conservatorship ... TMZ has learned she's contacted a large law firm ... and assuming the firm agrees and is permitted to represent her, the first order of business will be filing legal docs asking the judge to remove her father as conservator of her estate.
Multiple sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Britney wants to hire powerful lawyer and former federal prosecutor Mathew Rosengart. Britney has signed the following document:
"Pursuant to my statement in open court on June 23, 2021, my rights, and my desire to end the above-referenced conservatorship as to my father Jamie P. Spears, it is my desire to choose and retain my own counsel, at Greenberg, Traurig, LLP as set forth above."
The document is signed "BRITNEY JEAN SPEARS"
Rosengart, a partner in the firm, has represented a number of high-profile clients over the years, including Steven Spielberg, Sean Penn, Ben and Casey Affleck, Eddie Vedder, Soledad O'Brien, Michael Mann and NBA star Jimmy Butler.
TMZ broke the story ... Britney's long-time, court-appointed lawyer in her conservatorship case, Sam Ingham, resigned earlier this week. Our sources say Ingham believed he could no longer represent Britney because, in part, of her comments in court that she was never informed until recently she could end the conservatorship. We're told Ingham and others dispute that and say Britney was told numerous times over the years -- many times on the record in court -- that she could end the conservatorship, but she always declined to do so.
Britney became increasingly upset over the years ... especially with her dad, and wanted him out both as the conservator of her person and conservator of her estate. Jamie resigned as conservator of her person but remains sole conservator of her estate.
Bessemer Trust was scheduled to become co-conservator of Britney's estate but withdrew a week ago.
Our sources say Rosengart and his team have not formally agreed to represent Britney, but if he does the mission will be to attempt to end the conservatorship, although the first step is removing Jamie.
Britney has already asked the judge to end the conservatorship without any further medical evaluation. That will be an uphill climb, because nearly 2 dozen doctors and therapists have weighed in over the years ... saying Britney has a serious mental illness that would imperil her safety if left to her own devices. The judge did not indicate whether she's receptive to bypassing a mental health exam as a pre-condition to ending the conservatorship.
The other hurdle Britney must jump -- she's in a conservatorship, so she's unable to enter into a contract without the approval of her conservator. The person who must sign off -- none other than Jamie Spears. This would explain why the first step would be to attempt to remove Jamie.
Britney is going full steam ahead ... signing documents that would allow Rosengart to represent her ... that is if he agrees and the court approves it.
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Britney Spears Gloves Come Off in Conservatorship Battle ... Jodi Rips into Jamie!!!
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Britney Spears has a front-row seat for a battle royale between her father and her personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, who's firing back at Jamie Spears ... claiming she's the only one moving Britney closer to her ultimate goal of freedom.
Montgomery filed docs Friday, blasting Britney's dad for attempting to lay blame at her feet for Britney's brutal testimony about her treatment under the conservatorship. In the docs, Montgomery says she's received "countless" messages about one thing -- getting her father out of her life and the conservatorship.
Jodi says, "It is ironic that Mr. Spears now wants the conservatorship to 'reflect her wishes' since it is no secret that Ms. Spears has wished her father out of her life for years."
As for Jamie implying, in a previous filing, that Jodi or others have prevented him from communicating with Britney ... Jodi's attorney writes, "Ms. Spears is the one who cut him off ... That is her choice not Ms. Montgomery's."
According to the docs, Jodi also says it's absurd for Jamie to suggest she's making decisions without him, because "everything costs money," and all the expenses go through Jamie in his role as conservator of Britney's estate.
Jodi insists she is actively working to address the concerns Britney raised during her testimony by working with her medical team to develop a "comprehensive care plan" that will create a path to ending the conservatorship.
The driving point Jodi's making is ... she's down with Britney's desire to be free of the conservatorship, but wants to do it responsibly with input from her doctors -- and she's implying Jamie is not.
In the docs, she points out Britney's father has never fully relinquished control, as he's remained either a sole or co-conservator for the last 13 years -- and she claims he's left open the possibility he'll be the last man standing to claim full control.
As we've reported, several entities have recently jumped ship -- including intended co-conservators of the estate, Bessemer Trust, Britney's attorney, Sam Ingham, and her longtime manager Larry Rudolph ... although he was not directly involved in the conservatorship.
Jodi says she's "committed to staying" so she can complete Britney's new care plan and eventually dissolve the conservatorship. Something she calls "a goal that may not necessarily be shared by Mr. Spears."
Yeah, it's a full-on war now.
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Britney Spears' Conservator Hey Judge, Approve My $221K Fees
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Britney Spears' personal conservator, Jodi Montgomery, is looking to get paid for her work ... and she's asking the court to approve a 6-figure check.
According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Jodi is asking the court to approve her fees of $221,090 for the work she did for Britney's conservatorship from Nov. 1, 2019 to the end of February 2021.
In the docs, Jodi's also asking the court to approve an additional $65,465 to cover the cost for her personal lawyer.
Jodi's fee requests come on the heels of her seeking 24/7 security in the wake of what she claims is a flood of death threats coming her way since Britney's scathing testimony, filled with complaints about her treatment under the conservatorship.
As we first told you ... Britney's dad, Jamie Spears, objected to Jodi's request to have the estate pick up the tab for beefed up security, which she estimated would cost $50k per month.
Bottom line ... Britney's conservatorship ain't cheap.
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Ohio State Trooper Saves Choking Driver's Life ... Guy Swallowed Weed!!!
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A driver in Ohio got in serious trouble when he tried to avoid a weed bust by swallowing the green, and he's damn lucky the state trooper who pulled him over knows the Heimlich.
Law enforcement tells TMZ ... the crazy traffic stop went down in Portage County, when Trooper Charles Hoskin pulled over Stephan R. Elash for speeding. Police say he also wasn't wearing a seat belt, but that was the least of his worries
As you can see in Hoskin's dash cam footage of the July 3 stop ... he realizes Elash is having trouble breathing, so he tells him to step out to try to dislodge what's caught in his windpipe.
After a few Heimlich thrusts, the driver tries to throw up, but it's still not working. That's when Trooper Hoskin had to really apply some force ... which saved Elash's life.
You can see the driver admit he swallowed a gram of weed, and apologize to the officer. EMS checked him out and he was okay, medically. Legally? Well, he was cited for speeding, failure to wear a seat belt -- and yes, hit with a misdemeanor for marijuana possession. It's still illegal in Ohio.
After Elash's stop, the Ohio State Highway Patrol issued an important, though pretty obvious, warning -- "Don't try to swallow a bag of drugs prior to getting pulled over in an attempt to keep a trooper from finding them."
Tell that to the guys from "Super Troopers."
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'Marrying Millions' Star Bill Hutchinson Charged with Rape ... Denies Allegations
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4:22 PM PT -- Hutchinson is denying the allegations, and his lawyer tells us they plan to fight the charges in court.
Hutchinson's lawyer, Dan Hagood, tells TMZ ... Hutchinson knows both accusers in the California case, and one is the same accuser from his sexual assault case in Texas.
His legal team says the accuser in both the Cali and Texas cases is full of it ... claiming she's telling a "fantastical" story about being sexually assaulted while unconscious twice in consecutive months.
Hutchinson's lawyer is chalking the allegations up to a money grab.
"Marrying Millions" star Bill Hutchinson has just been charged with raping an unconscious teenager while vacationing in Southern California.
Prosecutors from the Orange County D.A's Office revealed Friday the 63-year-old real estate developer allegedly sexually assaulted two 16-year-old girls vacationing with him in the ritzy beach town of Laguna Beach.
Prosecutors say Hutchinson raped one of the teens while she was unconscious. He's accused of bringing the two 16-year-old girls on vacation on 2 different occasions in April. He's accused of raping one of the girls while she was unconscious and committing four acts of sexual battery against the girl.
What's more ... prosecutors say when the alleged victim declined to go back to Laguna Beach again, Hutchinson is accused of returning to his vacation home with the other 16-year-old girl at the end of May and committing sexual battery against her during the trip.
He's been charged with 1 felony count of rape of an unconscious person and 5 misdemeanor counts of sexual battery.
Prosecutors say, if convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 8 years in state prison and 2 1/2 years in Orange County jail. The news comes on the heels of Hutchinson's arrest in Texas, where he's accused of assaulting a 17-year-old girl at his Highland Park home.
He turned himself in to Highland Park police earlier this week but later posted $30k bond. There's now an active arrest warrant in Orange County for Hutchinson.
Originally Published -- 2:24 PM PT
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Tekashi 6ix9ine Sued You Trashed My Good Name ... Called Me Heroin Addict!!!
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Tekashi69 is a reputation slayer ... so says a Japanese tattoo artist in a new lawsuit claiming the rapper jacked his name and defamed him by calling him a heroin addict.
The tattoo artist, Takashi Matsuba, filed legal docs in NY claiming his reputation is in danger thanks to Tekashi69. According to docs, obtained by TMZ, Matsuba claims 6ix9ine "has created confusion and the false public perception that" Matsuba is associated with Tekashi69. He says he’s not.
Matsuba says the confusion is easy to see … the rapper’s moniker is substantially similar to Matsuba's first name. Only 1 letter's different.
Matsuba says in the Hulu documentary "69: The Saga of Danny Hernandez" ... there's a scene where the tattoo artist's name "TAKASHI MATSUBA" is superimposed on the screen. He claims the director's then heard saying "Peter's roommate, a Japanese tattoo artist named Takashi would inspire Danny's new persona, Tekashi69."
Matsuba also has beef with Showtime, claiming the documentary on that channel defamed him in the March documentary "Supervillain: The Making of Tekashi 6ix9ine."
Matsuba says Tekashi's heard in the doc saying, "There was this tattoo artist named Takashi from our neighborhood. And he was this heroin addict. He did heroin to create. He did it to get himself in his little world. He did it to be himself. And that’s where I got the name Tekashi from. And that’s who I am.”
Matsuba says the quote is false and defamatory because he has never used heroin.
The tattoo artist says the quote is damaging to his profession because "tattooing requires the use of needles, and heroin is connected in the public’s mind with hypodermic needles.”
Matsuba says he demanded producers to edit the documentary to remove his image, name and likeness from the Hulu doc ... but says they've refused. He's suing for damages.
We've reached out to Tekashi and Showtime for comment, so far no word back.
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Tristan Thompson Awarded $50k in Libel Case
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Tristan Thompson's pockets could get a little more swollen soon ... he's just been awarded a nice chunk of change in the libel case against his paternity accuser.
According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the court has entered a default judgment in favor of Tristan against Kimberly Alexander for the amount of $50k ... plus 10% interest per year until it's paid off. She's also gotta fork over $2,901.75 in court costs.
TMZ broke the story ... Tristan was headed to a victory after the court said it was leaning towards awarding Khloe's ex more than $50k. He sued Alexander for libel last year and wanted $100k in damages after claiming her allegation he fathered her child hurt his reputation, and cost him endorsement deals because companies saw him as a brand hazard.
The judge ultimately slashed the damages in half because Tristan didn't specifically lay out which endorsements he lost due to Alexander's allegations.
Alexander may not be out of the woods just yet with this baby mama drama. Remember ... Khloe also threatened to sue Alexander after she claimed Alexander faked DMs from her.
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Kim Kardashian Gets 5-Year Restraining Order Against Guy Who Sent Plan B, Ring
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3:05 PM PT -- 7/8 -- A judge has granted Kim a 5-year permanent order of protection against Costanza.
Kim Kardashian now has legal protection against the man who allegedly showed up to her home on multiple occasions and sent a package containing Plan B and a diamond ring ... thanks to a restraining order.
KK filed docs Wednesday against Nicholas Costanza, whom she claims is the person who disturbingly shipped Plan B pills and an engagement ring to her home earlier this month ... a package that was intercepted by Kim's security team.
In her filing -- from attorney Shawn Holley -- Kim says Costanza has shown up to her property a handful of times this year ... including once in February, and then again in late May. She claims he sprung up at her gated community, telling guards he was there to pick her up for dinner on one occasion.
On top of the alleged behavior ... Kim says Costanza's been obsessing over her online as well -- posting a bogus marriage cert and other bizarre messages, alluding to her waiting for her "knight in shining armor" (which he clarified as himself).
A judge agreed with Kim's concerns and granted the temporary order ... Costanza will have to stay at least 100 yards away and refrain from contact.
This ain't the first alleged stalker who's been trying to get at her either -- remember, she filed for and received a separate restraining order against another man who said he was just dying to get into her pad.
Originally Published -- 6/16 10:24 PM PT
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'RHOC' Star Shannon Beador Sues Facebook ... Someone's Using Me to Sell Diet Pills!!!
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Shannon Beador wants diet pill companies to keep her name out of their mouth, and her face off their Facebook and Instagram ads ... and now she's suing to make it happen.
The 'Real Housewives of Orange County' star filed suit against FB, which also owns IG, claiming third-party vendors are using her good name to hawk dietary supplements on the social media platforms and tricking customers into thinking she endorses the products.
According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, Shannon claims at least 15 vendors are using her name, image and likeness to prop up their products ... even though she says she has no connection whatsoever with the companies.
In her suit, Shannon claims the whole operation is a big scam ... and she says it's undermining her career, sullying her good name and making it harder for her to endorse brands she actually likes.
Shannon's going after FB for damages ... and she wants an injunction blocking the vendors from using her name and likeness to hawk their products.
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Michael Avenatti Sentenced to 30 Months In Nike Extortion Scheme Case
Michael Avenatti was just sentenced to 30 months in his Nike extortion scheme case.
A very emotional Avenatti appeared in court Thurdsay in NYC where the sentence was handed down, on top of the 30 months, he'll also have 3 years of supervised release. The sentence is light considering the recommended sentence was 108-135 months ... a recommendation the judge called "excessive."
Avenatti addressed the court during the hearing, having to stop several times while he fought through tears. At one point, he said, "I betrayed my profession. I became driven by the things that don’t matter in life. Over the last 2 years, I have often thought to myself, why did this need to happen? What lessons am I supposed to learn from this experience, from what I’ve done?"
He continued, "Your honor, I’ve learned that all the fame, notoriety and money in the world is meaningless. TV & Twitter mean nothing. Everyone wants to ride in a limo with you but very few are willing to sit next to you on the bus."
The disgraced attorney was given a surrender date of September 15.
As we reported ... Avenatti was arrested and charged with trying to extort $20 million out of Nike. The feds had claimed the infamous lawyer told Nike's legal team that if they didn't pay him between $15 million and $25 million he would hold a news conference and allege misconduct by employees at the shoe company.
According to the criminal complaint ... Avenatti had demanded Nike hire him to conduct an internal probe for the enormous salary. Prosecutors said Avenatti was repping a client who was the coach of an AAU basketball team. They said Avenatti gave Nike the option to not hire him but pay $22.5 million to resolve the dispute and buy his silence.
Prosecutors would later allege the Nike scheme played out over the course of a few days back in March 2019. Prosecutors said Avenatti repped an AAU coach whose team had just lost a Nike sponsorship worth $72k a year.
The coach had claimed Nike made payments to families of some HS basketball players ... and Avenatti had allegedly demanded payment from the shoe giant to keep him quiet.
Avenatti was ultimately arrested at the location where he was supposed to meet with Nike brass ... presumably to iron out a deal or keep the convo going.
Prosecutors also have conversations and video recordings ... in which they allege Avenatti made threats. Avenatti also allegedly told Nike he had them by "the balls."
Avenatti's also facing fraud charges after prosecutors in California claim he embezzled client money to cover expenses for his coffee corporation. He's also alleged to have committed bank fraud by submitting false tax returns to get $4.1 million in loans.
He was also indicted for allegedly stealing money from his former client, Stormy Daniels.
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Britney Spears Dad Tells Conservator ... Estate Can't Afford Your 24/7 Security
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Britney Spears shouldn't have to foot the bill for round-the-clock security guards for Jodi Montgomery, her personal conservator ... at least according to Britney's dad.
Jamie Spears filed an objection to Montgomery's request for increased security in the wake of what she calls a flood of death threats since Britney testified. Jamie's reaction to that is, basically ... welcome to the club.
In the docs, obtained by TMZ, Jamie says he's been getting threats for years, as has Brit's attorney, Sam Ingham, and others connected to the conservatorship. He's not totally cold-hearted, though, saying the court should evaluate how much security is necessary to keep Jodi and others involved safe.
He bristles at the cost for 24/7 security -- which Jodi herself estimated at more than $50k per month -- and says the estate can't afford that kinda cost for multiple people over an extended period. Jamie also says if the estate covers that expense for Jodi, there will be others coming forward with similar pricey requests for protection.
TMZ broke the story ... there's already tension between Jamie and Jodi because he suggested she's to blame for most of what Britney complained about in her testimony. His rejection of her demand for protection won't help.
According to the docs, Jamie suggests Jodi and the court should consider other security measures ... such as calling the local Sheriff's department -- something Jodi herself says she's already done.
The judge will have final say on Jodi's security request.