How Lou Taylor Became Involved in Britney Spears's Conservatorship

3 years ago

As more details continue to emerge about the conservatorship that controlled Britney Spears’s life for more than a decade, more questions seem to come up as well. During the conservatorship – which was terminated in November – not only was the Spears family deeply involved in any decisions made about Britney’s life and career, but business associates were as well, including Lou Taylor. The CEO of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment Group was Britney’s business manager for several years, putting her in the middle of the #FreeBritney campaign and firmly on the list of people strongly disliked by the singer’s devoted fans. Here’s everything you need to know about Taylor and her relationship to Britney and the Spears family.

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Who Is Lou Taylor, and What Does She Do?

Taylor is the founder of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, where she and her team manage a number of high-profile clients. She currently serves as the CEO of the company, which she created in 1992. Her company provides business-management services for celebrities, which, according to Taylor’s own website, include “accounting, financial statement preparation, royalty audits, participation rights audits, tour accounting, production accounting and estate planning.”

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How Did Lou Taylor Come to Manage Britney Spears?

Taylor started working with the Spears family when Jamie Lynn Spears got pregnant at the age of 16, according to Page Six. However, it was January 2008 when Taylor first appeared on Today as the Spears family spokesperson, speaking on behalf of Britney.

Lynne Spears wrote in her 2008 memoir “Through the Storm” that Taylor and Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, had a discussion shortly after this about putting Britney under a conservatorship. “Jamie was going to file for the conservatorship on January 22 . . . but he and his business manager, Lou, felt God leading them to wait, fast and pray, despite the frustration of a phalanx of lawyers,” Lynne wrote, according to Page Six.

Taylor abruptly stepped down as Britney’s business manager in November 2020.

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What Are Britney Spears's Allegations Against Lou Taylor and Tri Star?

In the documentary “The New York Times Presents: Controlling Britney Spears,” it’s alleged that Taylor’s Tri Star colleague Robin Greenhill had Britney’s phone bugged to monitor her during her conservatorship. However, per Vanity Fair, Tri Star denied those allegations. Britney spoke out against Taylor in December, though, writing in an Instagram caption at the time, “my dad may have started the conservatorship 13 years ago…but what people don’t know is that my mom is the one who gave him the idea!!!! … I will never get those years back … yes I will call her and Lou Taylor out on it … so take your whole ‘I have NO IDEA what’s going on’ attitude and go f*ck yourself!!!!”

A New York Times report, also from December, implied that Taylor may have financially benefited from Britney’s conservatorship, along with other conservators, though she, Tri Star, and Jamie all denied these allegations as well.

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What Other Acts Does Lou Taylor Manage?

Taylor’s other clients throughout the years have included the Kardashian family, Gwen Stefani, Priyanka Chopra, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Reba McEntire, and Mary J. Blige, according to Page Six.