For the first time in 13 years, Britney Spears will be able to choose how she spends her fortune, estimated to be worth more than $60 million.
"Effective today ... the conservatorship of the person and estate of Britney Jean Spears is hereby terminated. And that is the order of the court," said Judge Brenda Penny on Friday in the historic ruling to formally end the guardianship that has controlled the pop star's life for more than a decade.
Spears herself posted an Instagram with the #FreedBritney hashtag shortly after the court decision.
"Good God, I love my fans so much it's crazy," she said. "I think I'm gonna cry the rest of the day! Best day ever ... praise the Lord ... can I get an 'amen'?"
While fans will be hoping for a new album and tour, the pop star has in the past expressed anxiety about the future.
"I've waited so long to be free from the situation I'm in and now that it's here, I'm scared to do anything because I'm afraid I'll make a mistake," she wrote in an Instagram post on October 15.
Under the conservatorship, imposed since 2008, Spears had no control over her how she spent her money, when she performed, who had access to her house and even what medications she should take. She was limited to a personal allowance of around $2,000 a week, according to court documents. And until recently, she was not allowed to drive her own car.
But with her newfound freedom, the Stronger singer, who turns 40 on Thursday, December 2, has a lot to look forward to. While her representatives have declined to comment on potential future plans, here's everything we know so far on what could be next for Spears:
Marriage with Sam Asghari
She's already picked Donatella Versace as her wedding dress designer, which indicates that a wedding could be the next big event in Spears' life.
"Donatella Versace is making my dress as we speak," the pop star announced last week on Instagram, while admitting that she's still unsure where she would like to tie the knot with Asghari, a personal trainer and her boyfriend of five years who proposed to her in September.
In October, Spears and Asghari asked fans for suggestions on a location for their nuptials.
"We're in a predicament right now. We have a really big problem. I don't know where I'm going to get married. We don't know whether we're going to get married in Greece or Italy or Australia or New York City," she revealed in a TikTok video, posted while on holiday in French Polynesia.
The marriage would be Spears's third. She was married to childhood friend Jason Alexander in January 2004, but the Las Vegas marriage was annulled after 55 hours. She then married Kevin Federline in September 2004. The couple divorced in July 2007 and have two sons, Sean Preston, 15, and Jayden James, 14.
In June, Spears told the Los Angeles judge overseeing that she wanted to have more children.
New music and a tour
Spears has not performed since October 2018, and is only rarely seen in public, but one of her fans' biggest wishes besides her freedom, has been new music and a potential tour. That may not be coming soon, however.
On Friday, right after the termination of her 13-year conservatorship, a source told Page Six that Spears "wants to make music and perform again," but it’s “not her top priority right now and hasn’t been for a while".
“It’s never been her intention to step away from her career altogether. People around Britney spoke for her and said she was retiring, but they were putting words in her mouth," the source said.
"The only thing she’s said is that she would not work again under her father’s control, but now that he’s out as her conservator, she’s willing and even excited to get back to it one day."
Another source told TMZ that Spears does want to go back in the studio, but no firm plans have been made. "There's a lot that has to fall into place. We're told she hasn't picked a producer and there are no writers tapped to pen the songs, but she wants back in the game," the entertainment website said.
Spears is still one of biggest-selling musical artists, and has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.
Films, tell-all books and interviews
A no-holds barred TV interview would attract a huge audience but none has been announced.
"Lord have mercy on my family's souls if I ever do an interview," Spears wrote in October. She has also mentioned, perhaps jokingly, the idea of writing her own book and asked fans for a suggested title.
Spears has said she is already being deluged with scripts for TV and film treatments about her life, although she wasn't pleased about it.
"Aren't I supposed to play the role in my own life?" she said in a video in October, of the suggestions of who could play her. "I'm not dead. What are they thinking?"
Framing Britney Spears, The New York Times-produced documentary detailing the conservatorship, which released in February, sparked the fan-driven #FreeBritney movement and spurred a number of other similar films, including Netflix's Britney ss Spears. Controlling Britney Spears, a follow-up by the same team behind Framing Britney Spears, was released in September.
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
HOW TO WATCH
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MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
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OPTA'S PREDICTED TABLE
1. Liverpool 101 points
2. Manchester City 80
3. Leicester 67
4. Chelsea 63
5. Manchester United 61
6. Tottenham 58
7. Wolves 56
8. Arsenal 56
9. Sheffield United 55
10. Everton 50
11. Burnley 49
12. Crystal Palace 49
13. Newcastle 46
14. Southampton 44
15. West Ham 39
16. Brighton 37
17. Watford 36
18. Bournemouth 36
19. Aston Villa 32
20. Norwich City 29
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'Unrivaled: Why America Will Remain the World’s Sole Superpower'
Michael Beckley, Cornell Press
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
