Who is Lou Taylor? Meet Britney Spears’ Former Commercial Director

Lou Taylor’s name has been on the lips of #FreeBritney activists for years, but Britney Spears’ former business manager has managed to go largely under the radar – until now.

The alleged wrongdoing of Taylor and his company, Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, was examined under a microscope in two documentaries about Spears’ controversial guardianship released in September 2021.

FX and FX and Hulu’s “The New York Times Presents: Controlling Britney Spears” accused Tri Star and Taylor partner Robin Greenhill of monitoring the pop star’s iPhone by secretly mirroring his communications using ‘an iPad they kept in a safe, which the company denied.

Meanwhile, CNN’s “Toxic: Britney Spears’ Battle for Freedom” reported that Spears blamed Taylor for many issues related to guardianship.

“Britney is aware and irritated by the control exercised over her by Lou Taylor and her company, which has raised millions of dollars from her estate,” a source said in the special.

The upcoming Netflix film “Britney vs. Spears” is also expected to explore allegations that Taylor was involved in the start of the Guardianship, which Spears was placed under in February 2008 after a series of personal struggles. Taylor has denied these allegations.

But who is Taylor, and why do fans blame him for the superstar’s lack of freedom in the daily life of the superstar over the past 13+ years?

Here are five things to know about the besieged businesswoman.

She runs her own business

Taylor founded Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group in 1992 and is currently its President and CEO.

The management company, which has offices in Nashville and Los Angeles, offers services including “accounting, preparation of financial statements, audits of royalties and participation rights, tour accounting, bookkeeping of filing, estate planning and foreign and domestic tax returns, ”according to its website. .

She had a Rolodex from famous clients

In addition to Spears, Taylor and her team at Tri Star have worked over the years on trade deals for stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani, Reba McEntire, Priyanka Chopra, Mary J. Blige and Florida Georgia Line. .

She started working with the Spears family in 2007

Taylor first worked as a business manager for Britney’s younger sister, Jamie Lynn Spears. After the “Zoey 101” star became pregnant at the age of 16 in late 2007, Taylor, a devout Christian whose husband is a pastor, suggested sending the teenager to a faith-based residential center, but the matriarch Lynne Spears was against the idea.

“Keeping my positions was not easy,” Lynne wrote in her 2008 memoir, “Through the Storm,” adding, “I had been so passive in so many ways for so long, leaving managers, agents and the executives decide the paths of my children. would work. No longer. “

Within weeks, however, Taylor was also working for Britney. She was described as a “spokesperson for the Spears family” during an interview on the “Today” show in January 2008 about the “Toxic” singer’s canceled marriage to her childhood friend Jason Alexander.

Later that month, Taylor was said to have played a key role in helping Britney’s father, Jamie Spears, seek temporary guardianship over the Grammy winner in court, according to Lynne’s own account.

“Jamie was going to seek trusteeship on January 22 … but he and his business leader Lou felt God was leading them to wait, fast and pray, despite the frustration of a phalanx of lawyers,” the mother wrote. of Britney in her book.

Jamie’s attorney, Geraldine Wyle, also conceded in a court declaration at the time that Taylor was involved in “the initial trusteeship exploration,” noting that Taylor had known “Ms. Spears, Mr. Spears and her family ever since. several years “.

Taylor officially began working as Britney’s business manager on the “Circus Starring Britney Spears” tour, which began in March 2009.

She would have tried to keep other stars

X17 reported in August 2010 that Taylor had “suggested” Lindsay Lohan’s mother, Dina Lohan, to seek trusteeship over the “Mean Girls” star’s estate, much to the dismay of Lindsay’s father, Michael Lohan.

“I’ll be damned if Lou Taylor (who has only known Lindsay for three months) or Dina (who cannot handle herself or her own financial affairs) are co-curators,” Michael told the site at the time. “I just want Lindsay’s life and career to be guided by people who are there with their hearts, NOT their hands.”

More recently, Courtney Love claimed that Taylor tried to do the same to her before.

“The short answer is yes. Lou tried, ”Love said in a December 2020 Instagram comment to a fan, adding that she ultimately“ managed to prevent ”Taylor from putting her under guardianship.

Taylor’s attorney, Charles Harder, denied any wrongdoing on the part of his client, telling The New Yorker in July 2021: “At no point did Ms. Taylor make the slightest effort to place anyone under guardianship. . Not Britney Spears. Not Lindsay Lohan. Not Courtney Love.

She resigned as Britney’s manager in 2020

Taylor abruptly stepped down as Britney’s commercial director in October 2020, two months after the artist said in court documents that she was “strongly opposed” to Jamie continuing as curator.

“Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group resigned as Britney’s commercial director without notice to Britney,” the star’s former lawyer Samuel D. Ingham III said in November 2020, court documents obtained by Page Six .

In June 2021, Britney called for a complete end to her guardianship, telling the presiding judge: “My father and anyone involved in this guardianship – and my leadership, who played a huge role in punishing me when I said no – ma ‘am, they should be in jail.

Jamie has since filed a motion to end the legal arrangement, pending judge approval.

Taylor did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.