Britney Spears' manager says she may never return to the stage

A new interview with Britney Spears' longtime manager, Larry Rudolph, calls into question whether her canceled Las Vegas Domination residency will resume in the future.

Rudolph, who managed Spears from 1998 to 2004 and then again from 2008 to the present, spoke to TMZ about Spears' current status, sharing that she hasn't been in contact with him about returning to the road. 

"As the person who guides her career – based on the information I and all of the professionals who work with her are being told on a need-to-know basis – from what I have gathered, it's clear to me she should not be going back to do this Vegas residency – not in the near future and possibly never again," he said. 

Spears has had a tumultuous 2019, beginning with her January announcement that she was postponing her Domination residency (scheduled to begin on Feb. 13,) so that she could tend to her her father, Jamie Spears, who is recovering from a ruptured colon.

"It was the perfect storm," Rudolph said. "We had to pull her show because her meds stopped working and she was distraught over her dad's illness."

Rudolph claimed that Spears had been eager to tour last year, but that she hasn't contacted him in recent months.

"Last summer, when she wanted to tour – she called me every day," he said. "She was excited. She hasn't called me in months. Crickets. She clearly doesn't want to perform now."

Rudolph stressed he was putting her physical and emotional well-being before her career, stating he has no intention of talking her into working if she can't handle it.

"I don't want her to work again 'till she's ready, physically, mentally and passionately," he added. "If that time never comes again, it will never come again. I have no desire or ability to make her work again. I am only here for her when she wants to work. And, if she ever does want to work again, I'm here to tell her if it's a good idea or a bad idea."

More: Britney Spears appears in court over conservatorship, judge orders evaluation

Spears' emotional state came into question again in April when she reportedly checked in and out of a mental health facility and obtained a restraining order against her former associate Sam Lutfi. Recently, he has encouraged his followers to take "vigilante action" to attempt to change the singer's conservatorship, which has been overseen by her father and lawyer Andrew Wallet since her emotional breakdown in 2008.

Last Friday, she and her parents met with a California judge to evaluate the conservatorship. After the hearing, Judge Brenda Penny ordered a competency examination known as a 730 expert evaluation. Frequently used in divorces to determine a parent's fitness for child custody, the hearing will assess whether Spears is now at a place where she can manage her own financial and legal affairs. Penny scheduled a follow-up status hearing for September.

Spears, who has never spoken publicly about her conservatorship over the past decade, has shared positive updates about her well-being on social media in recent weeks to assure fans worried about her health.

"Just checking in with all of you who are concerned about me. All is well," Spears said in a video posted to Instagram last month. "My family has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately, so I just needed time to deal."



 

USA TODAY has reached out to Spears' other representatives for comment.