Mark's Britney Spears Thread

[Guest LiquidSky]

Speaking of Britney news, here's some now:

 

The Epic Battle Between Britney and the Courtroom Continues

 

 

Britney actually made it to court today. High-five!

 

Who cares if she didn't make it into the actual courtroom? Last time she never even made it out of the parking lot. But today she actually bypassed the paparazzi entirely by going underground. (Hmmm, we're really starting to wonder if the elaborate underground tunnel rumors are true.)

 

It's definitely a marked improvement...though, not improvement enough to get her visitation back.

 

But by the next emergency court date, we have total faith Brit will at least get far enough into the building to look the beast in the eye. And the emergency court date after that? She'll totally slay it. Remember how many depos it took to finally get her to stay for a significant amount of time?

 

Until then, all we can do is ponder why, oh why, Brit just can't force herself into a courtroom.

 

(Source: http://www.eonline.com/gossip/hum/detail/index.jsp?uuid=a9c79c61-aa4b-45d4-b462-28ad0828e77b)

 

 

That picture is really her??????? Why does she look like Angelina or is it just me? :huh:

[Texasluvsjonny]

An ambulance left Spears' house around 1:20 A.M. The windows were covered and a police convoy of what seems like DOZENS of cops lead the way.

Britney was in the ambulance and she arrived at UCLS medical center around 1:35 A.M.

Following the ambulance were none other than Lynne Spears and Adnan Ghalib - in the same car.

Britney is going to be put under a 5150 psychiatric hold at the hospital for 72 hours. Hopefully her treatment will be extended.

Spears has been under the treatment of a psychiatrist, who was at her home Wednesday night and placed a call to the authorities, which triggered Brit's hospitalization.

[RICK8]

OH crap,for a moment i thought someone had shot the trainwreck of a girl

[dundermifflin03]

That picture is really her??????? Why does she look like Angelina or is it just me? :huh:

loll I thought it was Angelina too, but its Britney.

 

Anyways I feel SO BAD for her :( :( I hope she gets help

[RICK8]

Why feel bad? :confused:

[The Mad Hatter]

She's obviously a bit nutty.

I feel bad for her and her family because I had to go through a rough patch when one of my very close relatives had severe bipolar disorder. It's really hard to deal with on both sides.

[snowshine]

I just hope she finally gets the help she needs in the hospital. I know someone with bipolar disorder, and she acts quite manic without her medicine as well. Hopefully Britney will get better for her kids.

[RICK8]

..yeah true i guess it doesn't help when you are addicted to all the drugs known to man(and most likely some that have not yet been discovered).

[mysongislove1915]

Here's some good news, sort of:

People Exclusive

Britney Spears Now Under 14-Day Hold

By Ken Lee

 

Update

Posted Sunday February 03, 2008 12:40 PM EST

Originally posted Sunday February 03, 2008 10:15 AM EST

 

Britney Spears

Photo by: INF

 

Britney Spears's hospitalization has been extended to an additional 14-day hold, a source exclusively confirms to PEOPLE.

 

Only her psychiatrist would've had the authority to request the involuntary stay. However, it's possible the singer could be out earlier if she legally demands to be released or her doctor deems her well enough for outpatient treatment.

 

What is life like for Spears at the Stewart & Lynda Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA? According to the patient's bill of rights at the hospital, she is allowed to wear her own clothes and keep her own personal possessions, including toiletries.

 

There are two wings at the hospital, separated by a kitchen/dining room. Patients sometimes mix, especially for smoke breaks out on the deck, which is gated and surrounded by a metal fence.

 

The average patient sees his or her attending doctor every day. Since UCLA is a teaching hospital, the attending doctors are often accompanied by students. Staffers check on patients at least once an hour, even during the night.

 

She may also see visitors every day and make and receive phone calls – but not on her personal cell phone. There are pay phones on the floor.

'It's a Terrible Situation'

 

The Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital is known as one of the top facilities of its kind; still, "It is a terrible situation," says a source close to the Spears family. "Britney is in a padded room. Her family is so worried about her."

 

Terry K. Wasserman, a veteran L.A. attorney specializing in mental health cases (who’s not involved in the Spears matter), explains that if a patient becomes combative, he or she "could be placed in a 'quiet room,' some of which are padded."

 

Wasserman adds: "Another possibility is being confined to a bed by leather restraints. In extreme, life-threatening situations – when the patient is a threat to oneself or medical staff – a psychiatrist can inject a person with psychotropic medication."

 

In addition, Wasserman says, "a doctor can force a patient to take prescribed medication. If he or she resists taking the meds, the psychiatrist can obtain authorization to forcefully medicate the person – but only after a hearing on the matter takes place."

 

•With reporting by ALICIA DENNIS and ELIZABETH LEONARD

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20175807,00.html)

[mysongislove1915]

Britney Spears Released from UCLA Psych Ward

 

By Mike Fleeman

 

Update

Posted Wednesday February 06, 2008 09:45 PM EST

Originally posted Wednesday February 06, 2008 04:00 PM EST

 

Spears, shortly after her hospital release

Photo by: INF

 

Britney Spears left the psych ward at UCLA Medical Center on Wednesday and later was chased by paparazzi and news helicopters as she traveled to a hotel and a lawyer's office.

 

Spears, 26, spent seven days at the hospital even though her psychiatrist had extended her stay Sunday to a 14-day involuntary hold. It was her second early departure from an involuntary mental-evaluation hospitalization.

 

Although her father Jamie Spears had been granted temporary legal control of her affairs, Spears appeared to use the hours after her discharge to get her own life in order, accompanied much of the time not by her dad, but by her paparazzi pal Adnan Ghalib.

 

With local news helicopters hovering and photographers swarming her black Mercedes at every traffic stop, she first drove to the Beverly Hills Hotel, where, according to Internet news reports, she met with her business manager.

 

(Also, in a bizarre scene in the lobby, she ran into California's First Lady, Maria Shriver, and they exchanged greetings, Shriver's rep tells PEOPLE.)

 

Two hours later, she was driven away by Ghalib – with photographers in hot pursuit – to the office of estate lawyer Adam Streisand in Century City. Streisand had claimed to represent Spears, but was rebuffed by the court after another lawyer said Spears wasn't mentally sound enough to hire Streisand.

 

Not seen anywhere Wednesday was her other friend, Sam Lutfi, who had been slapped with a restraining order after Spears's mother claimed he drugged and verbally abused Britney.

 

A Quiet Release from the Hospital

 

The latest drama for Spears began quietly enough. The Los Angeles Times reports that Spears left UCLA Medical Center without fanfare Wednesday afternoon, with the help of a private security detail.

 

She had been taken by ambulance to the hospital on Jan. 31 and was initially held under a 72-hour psychiatric hold, which was extended to 14 days. Only her psychiatrist would've had the authority to deem the singer well enough to be released, legal experts say.

 

It's unclear whether the singer will continue with outpatient treatment.

 

Her father was granted temporary control over his daughter's affairs on Friday (though it did not include control of her psychiatric treatment). His conservatorship was extended this week to Feb. 14 – following a battle in court over who's best suited to look after the troubled pop star. More court documents were released Tuesday, revealing Jamie Spears's conversations with Britney in the hospital.

 

Spears's meeting with Shriver was first reported by Extra.

 

• Additional reporting by ELAINE ARADILLAS and MARY MARGARET

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176565,00.html)

[mysongislove1915]

Britney Spears Steps into Dance Class – As Teacher

By Pernilla Cedenheim and Kate Stroup

 

Originally posted Tuesday February 12, 2008 08:30 AM EST

 

Britney Spears

Photo by: INF

 

Britney Spears has class – dance class, that is.

 

The 26-year-old singer – who's in the midst of a custody battle over her own kids, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1 – logged some quality kiddie time Monday, teaching an hour-long dance lesson to a group of six children.

 

"The class was amazing," Robert Baker, director of the Millennium Dance Complex, tells PEOPLE.

 

In addition to choreographed routines to vintage Madonna songs "True Blue" and "Material Girl" and "Holiday," Spears – wearing ripped fishnets, red boy-shorts and a blue top – also allowed her pupils to free-style dance.

 

"She even played age-appropriate games in a circle, pretending to be a choo-choo train," Baker said. "Britney was just amazing with the kids and everyone ended up having a blast. At the end of the hour class, all the kids hugged Britney and she seemed very happy."

 

Kids 'Thrilled'

 

The kids, aged 4 to 7, were selected from the studio's junior program. "The parents gave their permission," Baker said. "They were thrilled. One parent summed it up: 'It's a once in a lifetime event.'"

 

Well, maybe not. Spears had so much fun, "She asked to please teach a class tomorrow," said Baker, a longtime Spears friend. "We plan to put together a group of about 20 kids for her."

 

After the class wrapped up at 7 p.m., Spears – who has rehearsed at Millennium three times since Friday – spent another hour and a half working on a dance routine for her single "Hot as Ice."

 

"She seems very focused about getting back into her old life," said Baker. "[she's] focusing her energy on creating and dancing."

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20177631,00.html)

[mysongislove1915]

Britney's Dad Fights Back to Keep Control

By Howard Breuer

 

Originally posted Wednesday February 20, 2008 06:35 PM EST

 

Jamie and Britney Spears

Photo by: Flynet; INF

 

Lawyers for Jamie Spears contend that Britney Spears's conservator case shouldn't be transferred from state to federal court and that an attorney seeking the move doesn't even represent the pop singer as he claims.

 

In court papers filed Tuesday, Spears's father and the other temporary co-conservator of her estate, Andrew Wallet, called lawyer Jon Eardley's highly publicized efforts to move the case "a brazen – but vain – attempt to strip a probate court of jurisdiction ... by an attorney without a client."

 

Eardley's effort got a cool reception from U.S. District Judge Philip Gutierrez, who on Tuesday gave Eardley until Feb. 29 to argue why Gutierrez shouldn't reject the request. If Eardley fails to make a good enough case by then, the matter stays in state Superior Court – with Jamie and Wallet remaining in charge of Britney's affairs and $100 million estate.

 

"The jurisdictional allegations appear to be defective," said the the judge in a tentative ruling.

 

Legal Analyst Calls Challenge Novel

 

Eardley's approach "is certainly novel, but I don't think it can succeed," says Duke law school professor Erwin Chemerinsky, a constitutional law expert. "A case can be removed from state to federal court only if it could have been brought in federal court in the first instance. I can imagine no possible way that this case could have been brought in federal court in the first instance."

 

Loyola Law School Professor Stan Goldman adds: "Wishing doesn't make it so."

 

Eardley was unavailable for comment. His spokesperson, Michael Sands, said on Wednesday that Eardley would file "overwhelming evidence" as to why the case belongs in federal court.

 

"Obviously the judge wants to see what we have expressed in our original papers," Sands says, adding he sees Gutierrez's request for additional documentation as a "great opportunity."

 

Lawyer Claims Britney's Civil Rights Denied

 

Eardley has told PEOPLE that Britney – whose affairs have been overseen by the co-conservators since her hospitalization in a psych ward – is being "deprived of her Constitutional rights." He says he's seeking a "return to normalcy" when it comes to the singer's living and legal situations.

 

But according to the co-conservator papers, a court has already found that Britney "lacks the capacity" to hire an attorney – Eardley or anybody else – and even if she did have that capacity, there are no legal grounds to move her case to federal court.

 

The papers didn't say whom Jamie thought was behind Eardley's involvement, but noted that Eardley's spokesperson also represents Britney pal Sam Lutfi, now the target of a restraining order by the star's parents.

 

Eardley, the papers allege, tried to do something similar in 2006 – allegedly seek to move a state case to federal court on behalf of a client he didn't have – and was ordered to pay the other side's attorney fees.

 

"Given his prior experience, Mr. Eardley should have been especially attuned to the impropriety," the papers say.

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20179144,00.html)

[mysongislove1915]

Britney Spears Earns Raves as a Dance Teacher

By Pernilla Cedenheim

 

Originally posted Wednesday March 05, 2008 06:20 AM EST

 

Britney Spears

Photo by: Fame Pictures

 

Britney Spears headed back into the dance studio Tuesday night to teach a class of 15 children.

 

And her pint-sized pupils are singing her praises. "I like Britney," 5-year-old Elissa Bouganim, who has taken three classes with the pop star, tells PEOPLE. “Today, first we were dancing slow, and then faster and faster ... Then we did the fish-move and lots of other fun things."

 

The troubled 26-year-old has become a semi-regular instructor at the Millennium Dance Complex in the past month – as she has settled into an uncharacteristically quiet routine overseen by her dad Jamie.

 

"It's just amazing to watch Britney with the kids," says Elissa's mom, Pam. "Elissa won't stop dancing now, that's all she wants to do. Britney has really inspired her."

 

In fact, Elissa has grown so fond of her new teacher, she even gave Spears a gift during Tuesday's class. "It was a picture of [Peter Pan's] Tinkerbell," she says. "And she gave me a hug."

 

These days, Elissa would be happy if Spears taught all her classes. "Britney is nice," she says. "I want to dance with Britney all the time because it's so much fun."

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20182029,00.html)

[snowshine]

I think its great that she's been helping kids and doing productive things. I hope she gets her life back on track for her children.

[mysongislove1915]

^^Yeah, me too. I hope that this helps.

[mysongislove1915]

Sitcom Star: Britney Spears 'Great to Work With'

By Jennifer Garcia

 

Originally posted Wednesday March 12, 2008 07:45 PM EDT

 

Josh Radnor and Britney Spears

Photo by: Francis Specker / Landov / Retna

 

No first-day jitters for Britney Spears. Arriving promptly at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday on the L.A. lot of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother with her assistant Brett in tow, Spears quickly got to work impressing her costars.

 

"It pains me to report that on the first day of the shoot, Britney knew her lines better than I knew mine," actor Josh Radnor tells PEOPLE exclusively. "She's been great to work with."

 

In the episode, which will air March 24, Spears plays a receptionist at a dermatologist's office, who falls for one of the show's main characters, Ted, played by Radnor. She is expected back on set tomorrow for a second day of shooting.

 

Spears first met the cast on Monday during a table read. A set source told PEOPLE, "She was a bit nervous, but didn't let it get to her... She really seemed to enjoy herself and feel comfortable."

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20183782,00.html)

[mysongislove1915]

Britney Spears Having a 'Blast' on How I Met Your Mother

By Jennifer Garcia and Brian Orloff

 

Originally posted Thursday March 13, 2008 12:10 PM EDT

 

Britney Spears

Photo by: INF

 

Britney Spears has already earned rave reviews from her How I Met Your Mother castmates. Now the pop star is sharing the love.

 

"Working at How I Met Your Mother has been so terrific," Spears says. "Everyone, including the cast, the crew and the producers, has been wonderful and Abby is such a fun girl to play. I'm having a blast!"

 

The singer, who arrived on set promptly at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, returned to the 20th Century Fox lot to continue shooting on Thursday. Spears arrived at 12:50 p.m. after spending the morning with her boys. "The filming schedule was worked out so that she could still keep her visitation with her two boys," a source tells PEOPLE. "That was very important."

 

Apart from her assistant, Brett, the singer was joined on set Wednesday by her father, Jamie, and mother, Lynne. "Her parents kept thanking everyone onset ... saying this is just what their daughter needed," the source says.

 

Plus, Spears was quite prepared for her role. While castmember Josh Radnor joked that the singer "knew her lines better than I knew mine," a show source confirms that the singer was "very sweet and cute and she chewed gum obsessively on set."

 

If all goes well, could this be a continuing role? Says the show source: "She had a lot of fun doing it and she even mentioned extending her character. Who knows? She got along really well with everyone."

 

Spears' guest turn on How I Met Your Mother is scheduled to air March 24.

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20183960,00.html)

[Guest Grace]

just let this pic sink in.

 

[mysongislove1915]

Ooh, that's a bad picture. =/ Really bad...

[mysongislove1915]

Britney's Surprise Dinner Companion: Mel Gibson

By Bryan Alexander and Pernilla Cedenheim

 

Originally posted Sunday March 16, 2008 12:30 PM EDT

 

Britney Spears and Mel Gibson

Photo by: Fame; Albert L. Ortega / WireImage

 

Only on Planet Britney. On Saturday Britney Spears started the day with another visit from her sons Preston and Jayden, and ended the evening at a Russian restaurant for a dinner meeting with Mel Gibson.

 

The actor and the pop star – once neighbors in an exclusive Malibu community – were part of a two-hour group dinner at the Romanov restaurant in Studio City on Saturday.

 

"It was exciting to have both of them here together," says one restaurant source. "We heard they hit it off and that Britney seemed excited."

 

Clad in jeans, a green top and boots and chewing gum, Spears arrived at the Romanov restaurant with her friend Victoria. Gibson, accompanied by a few friends, soon joined them in the restaurant's private dining room, which features a 24-karat gold leaf ceiling, an ornate fireplace and a library stocked with such works as Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace. For two hours the group dined on filet mignon and Russian specialties, and drank water and soft drinks.

 

Leaving the restaurant for her Studio City home around 8:15, Spears "looked happy," says an observer, "so it seems the meeting was a success."

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20184447,00.html)

[mysongislove1915]

Sam Lutfi Agrees to Steer Clear of Britney for One More Month

By Ken Lee

 

Originally posted Monday March 17, 2008 07:15 AM EDT

 

Sam Lutfi and Britney Spears in October 2007

Photo by: INF

 

Britney Spears's former confidante, Sam Lutfi, has agreed to stay away from the singer for an additional month, PEOPLE has learned.

 

The temporary restraining order placed against him last month was set to expire Monday. It appears the deal was struck as a way of warding off a courtroom confrontation with Spears's parents. (The court is expected to approve the extension.)

 

Spears's mother, Lynne, previously accused Lutfi of drugging and verbally abusing her daughter. (Los Angeles police have said they are considering the claims.)

 

Based on evidence presented in court, a restraining order can be extended for up to five years, legal experts say.

 

"In order to have a restraining order dropped, Lutfi would have to convince the judge that all the evidence against him being a threat to the family is wrong," says L.A. family lawyer Scott Weston, who is not involved in the case.

 

Meanwhile, Spears, 26, appears to be getting back on track – thanks, in part, to dad Jamie's controlling influence. She recently filmed a guest appearance on CBS's How I Met Your Mother and is now allowed multiple monitored visits with her two sons – Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1 – each week, says a source close to the case.

 

The source adds that those visits – agreed to by her ex, Kevin Federline, without the court's involvement – would likely increase over time.

 

(Source: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20184511,00.html)

[mysongislove1915]

Britney on the cover of "TV Guide"

 

(Source: http://www.breatheheavy.com/)

 

^^I think she looks really great here. =)

[mysongislove1915]

Brit's Freeway Fender Bender

 

Britney Spears' chaotic driving streak continues. No word yet on where she was headed Saturday night with her bodyguard in the passenger's seat of her white Mercedes SL, but E! News has learned Brit was traveling east on Highway 101 in stop-and-go traffic at 8:18 p.m., when she was involved in a minor collision.

 

"Nobody was injured," California Highway Patrol Officer Patrick Kimball reports. "She failed to notice that the vehicle in front of her had come to a complete stop. She attempted to brake but failed to stop her vehicle prior to colliding with a 2006 Nissan." As a result of the domino-like collision, the Nissan was pushed into a third vehicle.

 

A source tells E! News that after the incident, Brit's bodyguard drove her to a nearby fire station, where she met with officers. But contrary to rumors, Kimball said that as far as he knew, she was not given a DUI test.

 

Newly blond-again Brit may have avoided a test, but we bet papa Jamie gave her quite a quiz when she returned to her Summit gated-community home. (Sample question: "Do the words brake lights mean anything to you?")

Keys, please...

 

—Reporting by Claudia Rosenbaum

 

(Source: http://www.eonline.com/gossip/hum/detail/index.jsp?uuid=c46c9823-430e-488b-872f-0004f543bc12)

[mysongislove1915]

EXCLUSIVE: Britney Returning to How I Met Your Mother

April 19, 2008

 

 

Britney Spears is returning to How I Met Your Mother, a source tells PEOPLE.

 

“The show is ecstatic and so is Britney,” a source said. “She had so much fun the first time around she really wanted to come back. It was a mutual decision to work together more.”

 

The singer/actress will do one episode, the source says. Fox studios would not confirm the appearance.

 

Spears, 26, appeared on the March 24 episode, playing a receptionist at a dermatologist’s office who fell for one of the show’s main characters, played by Josh Radnor. She received wide accolades for the spot.

 

“She was hilarious in the table-read, and I got to see her do the run-through as well, and she was great,” cast member Jason Segel said. –Jennifer Garcia, Nicole Weisensee Egan and Lisa Ingrassia

 

Cousart-Ramirez-Rios/JFX

 

(Source: http://tvwatch.people.com/2008/04/19/exc....et-your-mother/)