Britney Spears May 'Never Again' Perform Live, Manager Says

Britney Spears ’ manager has broken his silence regarding the pop superstar’s tumultuous 2019 , going as far as to cast doubt on the future of her performing career. 

In an interview with TMZ published Wednesday, Larry Rudolph suggested it would be a long time before fans saw Spears returning to the stage, if ever.

“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,” Rudolph told the site. 

Rudolph who managed Spears from 1998 to 2004, and resumed the role from 2008 onward  said he hasn’t been involved in the singer’s court battle regarding her conservatorship, and has only been given medical and legal information pertaining to her career. 

But he opened up about his client’s decision to cancel a new Las Vegas residency show called “Domination ,” which was slated to debut Feb. 13. In a January Instagram post, Spears said she was taking “an indefinite work hiatus ” to care for her ailing father, Jamie, after a recent life-threatening illness. 

“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.” 

Noting that he hadn’t been in contact with Spears lately, he added: “Last summer, when she wanted to tour, she called me every day. She was excited. She hasn’t called me in months. Crickets. She clearly doesn’t want to perform now.”

“I don’t want her to work again ’till she’s ready, physically, mentally and passionately,” he continued. “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.”

Last month, Spears reportedly checked into a mental health facility to help manage emotional distress caused by her father’s health issues. Media and fan speculation as to the true nature of her treatment, however, has been rampant, and in an April 23 Instagram post , the star said her family “has been going through a lot of stress and anxiety lately,” and she needed “time to deal.” She assured fans not to worry, and said she’ll be back “very soon.” 

A new wrinkle in the story, however, emerged Monday, when TMZ reported that Spears had accused her father of forcing her to enter the mental health facility against her will.