Whoops, she did it again. Days after shocking the world by sharing her own intense feelings about the conservatorship that led to the Free Britney movement in recent years, news is coming down the pipeline that Ms. Spears has decided to retire. This is coming from her manager -- now ex manager -- Larry Rudolph, who resigned from the position on Sunday night. The reason? Britney Spears no longer has skin in the music game.
In a letter that was sent to Britney Spears’ conservator Jodi Montgomery and her now-infamous father Jamie Spears, Larry Rudolph revealed that he was actually hired by Britney and not the conservatorship and that he was there to assist Britney. If she no longer plans to to tour or have a music career, the gist seems to be that his services are no longer needed, as evidenced by a portion of the letter he sent (via TMZ):
It has been over 2 1/2 years since Britney and I last communicated, at which time she informed me she wanted to take an indefinite work hiatus. Earlier today, I became aware that Britney had been voicing her intention to officially retire.
If you are someone working in the entertainment industry, 2 ½ years is a long time to go without communication with your manager. In fact, however, it has been a long time since Britney Spears actually performed. The “Hold It Against Me” singer had a very lucrative Las Vegas residency for a long period in the 2010s, performing from 2013 to 2017 at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. After that stint ended, she had a few performances in 2018 as part of Dick Clark’s New Year's Rockin’ Eve and at the United States Grand Prix. Then her tour slate went blank.
That's seemingly a long period of time to go without planning for a new tour or new content. Of course, it's worth pointing out that the year 2020 was a wash for a lot of people in the entertainment sector. For Britney Spears, though, it seems like it gave her a chance to regroup and reevaluate her life (as well as bring her fans lots of energetic dance videos).
Then, it was in February of 2021 that Hulu and FX dropped Framing Britney Spears, a documentary that explored Spears' life, including her rise to fame and her 2007 breakdown. The fans rallied around her after the documentary premiered and even other celebrities, including the likes of Bella Thorne and Justin Timberlake weighed in. (Jessica Simpson famously refused to watch.) The documentary made waves with the public and with Britney Spears' fanbase, and led to Spears speaking to a judge directly about her conservatorship in court.
Now, it seems Britney Spears is taking what control she can over her life and career even with the conservatorship still in place, and that means retirement. According to Larry Rudolph's official letter of resignation, he wishes the pop star nothing but the best in her future endeavors.
I will always be incredibly proud of what we accomplished over our 25 years together. I wish Britney all the health and happiness in the world, and I'll be there for her if she ever needs me again, just as I always have been.
Previously, the rumor mill had indicated that Britney Spears was unhappy with the possibility of going on a European tour, though some sources connected to Ms. Spears and her conservatorship had said the opposite. Right now, no official tour is in the cards. If Spears has decided to retire, we wish her only the best in whatever comes next.
