Pasadena Woman who Served as Spears Conservator Named Guardian for Carol Burnett’s Teen Grandson

A judge named a Pasadena woman who until recently served as Britney Spears’ temporary personal conservator to be the temporary personal guardian of comedian Carol Burnett’s teenage grandson, whose mother allegedly has a history of drug abuse.

The Nov. 10 appointment by Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Deborah Christian expands the duties of Jodi Montgomery, a Pasadena-based fiduciary who began serving as case manager for 15-year-old Dylan Hamilton-West in May. Burnett, 88, and her spouse, Brian Miller, had been Dylan’s temporary guardians since Sept. 1, 2020.

“Miss Montgomery assists (Dylan) with setting up his medical appointments and coordinates them with his school to ensure his absence is excused,” Gabrielle Vidal, a lawyer for Burnett and Miller, wrote in her court papers. “She has conferred with his therapist and dentist. She also confers with (Dylan’s) school advisers and dean about his education as well as his time away from the (Ojai) boarding school.”

Lawyer Stefanie Bennett, appointed by the judge to represent Dylan’s interests, said in a report to the court that Montgomery has an “excellent working relationship” with all members of the boy’s family, but that the position of the boy’s mother, Erin Hamilton, regarding Montgomery’s appointment “is not clear.”

Bennett said she also spoke with Dylan and that he, too, agrees with Montgomery serving as his temporary guardian.

“On behalf of Dylan, the appointment of Jodi Montgomery as successor temporary guardian is in his best interests,” Bennett wrote.

A hearing on a possible extension of Montgomery’s role is scheduled for March 18.

Montgomery became a part of Spears’ conservatorship team in September 2019 after having previously served as her care manager. The Spears conservatorship was ended by Judge Brenda Penny on Friday.

In their original petition filed in August 2020, Burnett and Miller stated that throughout her adult life, and since Dylan’s birth, Burnett’s daughter has suffered from severe substance abuse and addiction issues and that in the past two decades, she has been in and out of rehabilitation centers while being institutionalized a total of eight times for a minimum of 30 days each time.

Christian’s visitation order permits Hamilton to be with Dylan once a week for up to two hours, so long as the sessions are confirmed 48 hours in advance with a monitor chosen by Montgomery and whose services are paid for by Hamilton.

Hamilton, a 53-year-old singer, is one of Burnett’s three daughters from her marriage to television producer Joe Hamilton. Their oldest daughter, Carrie, died of cancer in 2002.

In July 2006, the former Balcony Theatre of the Pasadena Playhouse was rededicated as the Carrie Hamilton Theatre in Hamilton’s memory (Burnett is a board member). It hosts a series of readings called “Hothouse at the Playhouse,” as well as the Directors Lab West and the Furious Theatre Company.

In July 2020, Hamilton sent Dylan and her adult son multiple text messages threatening suicide, according to the original petition, which says she was subsequently placed by the Los Angeles Police Department on a hold for “suicidality and drug use” before being released late that same month.