Spears Family 'Not Nervous' Over Britney's Latest Hearing

Though a custody issue is before the court tomorrow, Access Hollywood has learned that Lynne Spears is not nervous. Lynne Spears’ “fears are the same now as they were [before],” said a source close to the family. She doesn’t believe that it “going one way or the other being ideal for the children,” added the source. The issues are “deeper than a court decision for the kids.”
Lynne Spears and her family have been discussing options to help Britney, but going to court to have her committed doesn’t seem likely. The family feels they are “up against a brick wall because [Britney] is an adult and unless [she poses] danger against herself or others,” there is little they can do. And they “don’t think there’s a loophole,” relates the source.
Lynne and Britney have been in contact a couple of times during the past two turbulent weeks. “It’s always Britney who initiates the contact,” said the family source, who explained that it’s never verbal. Instead, Britney text messages Lynne, and often does not respond to her mother’s replies. “Britney’s in more control that way. She’s more comfortable texting because she doesn’t have to listen to her mother. She doesn’t have to listen to anything she doesn’t want to.”
On the subject of control, the family feels Sam Lufti has “an awful lot of control” over Britney. The Spears don't understand what control Lufti has over Britney or why, but they realize he “can get Britney to listen.” Very few people who know the Spears clan feel they “have any confidence in what [Lufti] says to her” and whether he has her best interests at heart. Nor do the Spears know “anything” about her new love interest, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib.
Right now, Lynne Spears is staying out of the public spotlight in Kentwood, Louisiana, with her 16-year-old daughter Jamie Lynn. Lynne "can’t be focusing just on Britney. Jamie Lynn needs some attention,” says the inside source, who noted that for a bit, the young pregnant “Zoe 101” star was “resentful” that all the attention was on her big sister. Lynne Spears is “trying to find some balance,” said the source.
Friends in Kentwood are now proud of Jamie Lynn, who said no when others questioned whether she should keep her baby or not. “She’s trying to be a good momma” and plans to “raise [the baby] in Kentwood, in a community,” said the Spears confidante. And though Jamie Lynn and Casey Aldridge, the father of her child, are on good terms, they are “not allowed to see each other [all the time]. There are strict rules about how often they can see each other,” explained the source, who added that the restrictions were placed on them by both the children’s parents. Still, Jamie Lynne and Casey speak regularly on their cell phones.
Jamie Lynne also speaks to her older sister. "Britney’s more accepting of Jamie Lynn than of parental advice and authority,” said the source, adding, “[Jamie Lynn’s] no threat to her.”
For the time being, the family remains hopeful, but feel their "hands are tied."

John Turley-Ewart: Did Dr. Phil violate patient confidentiality in the Britney Spears' case?

Following my post criticizing the distasteful opportunism displayed by Dr. Phil — who used a visit to Britney Spears in hospital to promote his own TV show — today's news that Britney's family say Dr. "Tough Love" crossed the line leads me to wonder if Dr. Phil is guilty of more than opportunism. Did he also breach patient confidentiality that medical professionals are expected to uphold?
A spokesman for Britney's mother is quoted today saying "The [Spears] family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements. Any statement publicly that he made, because he was brought in under this cloak of trust, (is) just inappropriate."
Certainly "inappropriate" is a useful word to describe Dr. Phil's actions. The question that must now be asked of Dr. Phil is whether he is guilty of professional misconduct in this sad affair that has all the appearance of a daytime talk show host putting his own ambitions ahead of the well-being of a troubled 26-year-old woman and her family who turned to him for help.