Britney Spears' father questions her mental health

Britney Spears' father has rejected efforts to remove him as the controller of his daughter's estate, and even revealed there have been discussions as to whether the pop star should be placed in a mental health facility once again.

James Spears said in a court filing that there are "no grounds whatsoever" for removing him from the conservatorship that controls the pop star's financial affairs.

The 69-year-old "has dutifully and faithfully served as the conservator of his daughter's estate without any blemishes on his record," the court document said.

'Spiraling out of control'

The filing also said that Jodi Montgomery, who is in charge of Britney's personal and medical affairs, called him in early July to express concern that the Spears was not taking her medications properly.

"Ms. Montgomery felt that Ms. Spears was spiraling out of control," the filing continued. "She raised potential options including a 5150 psychiatric hold."

Under California law, an individual can be held for psychiatric evaluation if they are deemed to be a danger to either themselves or others.

What is a conservatorship?

Britney Spears, who burst onto the scene at age 16 with the song "Baby One More Time," was placed under the conservatorship, usually reserved for the aged and infirm, after suffering from a series of mental breakdowns.

Until recently, the conservatorship was largely controlled by her father,

The request to end his control was first filed by Britney's lawyer in November last year.

Free Britney

In June, Britney made an emotional plea to end to the "abusive" conservatorship that has been in place for 13 years.

The pop star's cause has seen significant traction from her fans on social media, with the hashtag #FreeBritney trending.

jsi/dj(AP, Reuters)