Spears must go to court for custody of kids

BEIJING, Jan. 14 (Xinhuanet)-- U.S. pop singer Britney Spears would have to appear in court in person on Monday if she wants to restore the right to see her children, media reported.
"I don't know if she will be there," Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan was quoted as saying.
If she comes to court, she "will have the opportunity to persuade the court that she can have some visitation under monitored conditions," said Kaplan, adding that it will be "the most significant hearing in the case so far."
Police were preparing for possible media frenzy in the downtown civic center if Spears appears. They issued warnings on Sunday that vehicle and pedestrian violations would lead to summons.
On Jan. 3, Spears refused to return the boys to her ex-husband Kevin Federline at her home. Later there was a standoff, and Spears was sent to hospital in an ambulance.
On Jan. 4, her former husband Federline was awarded sole legal and physical custody of their two boys and Spears' visitation rights were suspended.

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."

Britney Spears wears dress from wedding to Kevin Federline

BRITNEY Spears' latest fashion faux pas was spotted by paparazzi who caught her wearing her old wedding dress while out with her new boyfriend Adnan Ghalib.Reports in British newspapers report today that Spears' new man has shacked up with the fallen pop princess and concocted a plan to marry the star in an attempt to secure her fortune and lucrative exclusive picture deals. Spears is reportedly convinced a new marriage will help her win back her children who are in the custody of her ex Kevin Federline. The fallen star was snapped while wearing the tiny, white lace wedding dress she wore for her second wedding with K-Fed.
Britney gave the dress its first outing at her wedding reception with father of her two sons. After a whirlwind two-week romance with Ghalib, the pop star has apparently told friends she wants to marry the photographer and convert to Islam. The two recently feld LA for a romantic getaway after she had a flat tyre on Sunset Boulevard. Spears, 26, has been in hiding in Los Angeles with Ghalib since her public meltdown last week which saw her lose custody of her two sons to Federline. Her latest public appearance also comes after Spears' family criticised TV host Dr Phil McGraw for speaknig to the media about her fragile mental condition. It was claimed that during a phone call to a relative, the photographer said he had deep feelings for the star, insisting they had discussed marriage. Britney also apparently chipped during the phone call and said: "We're taking care of each other. He's the only one who understands me. It's serious." The mixed-up pop princess then extended an invitation to her lover's family to visit them in the US when she has got over her problems. The biggest of which is probably tomorrow's custody hearing which will decide whether she will be able to see children Sean Preston, two, and one-year-old Jayden James. Reports in the Daily Mail and TMZ.com state the court hearing Last night a source close to Britney said: "Monday's court hearing is D-Day for her and the kids." "While she's been swanning around with Adnan, Kevin's been preparing for the court showdown to end them all. "He has no confidence in her ability to look after either herself or the children." However, a source close to Birmingham-born photographer painted a different picture and revealed how Ghalib has boasted to friends about their wild relationship and drug-fuelled romps. "He said he'd 'struck gold' in all ways and was going to keep hold of her for as long as he could." One of his relatives has also stepped in and commented on the relationship. "All he wanted to do was get close enough for some special pictures. "But now he daren't lift a camera when he's with heror she'll rumble him and kick him out. "So instead he's cleverly changed tack, says he's planning a long-term relationship with Britney and that they have discussed marriage. "He is still wed so he knows he can't do anything until there's a divorce from his wife. He's probably working on that already." A close friend of Spears has also revealed how fragile the star is at the moment. "She's been discussing all these wacky plans to reinvent her life and convince the courts she is a good mother. "She has discussed in depth a fake death, moving abroad and even plastic surgery. "It is scary to hear her romanticise about these insane plans. "She believes she could spend six months away and make a comeback as Britney the world's best mother." It has been claimed that Ghalib is planning to make a fortune out his relationship with Britney and that he has been plotting to steal the singer's heart since 2006. A woman who Ghalib tried to pursue in the past, Jennifer Dwyer has come out and publicly warned Spears to stay away from the paparazzo, saying: "It is no exaggeration to say he is the most dangerous, evil man I have ever met. He makes women fall in love with him and when they are no longer any use to him he tosses them aside." Dwyer fell for Ghalib when he approached her in her home town New Orleans in November 2006. Things came to an end when she realised just how obesessed Ghalib had become with Spears when she went to see him in LA "I flew all that way to visit but did not see him once in two weeks. He said he was working too hard following Britney and that she was the person who was going to make him millions so had to come before me. "He kept saying, 'Oh my God she is so hot, she has an amazing a*** and she is going to make me rich. I wanted to die. I couldn't believe the man I'd fallen for could be so cruel. "I could just about stomach the fact he had a wife, but when there became four of us in our relationship I had to dump him." Dwyer warned: "Britney is welcome to him. If I could say one thing to her it would be, 'Get out now.'" Adnan, 35, grew up in Small Heath, Birmingham, where his mum Saghar and dad Hussain are strict Muslims who attend their local mosque daily. Now family friends of Adnan reckon his family would only accept Britney if she changed religion. A friend said: "Adnan's mother and father are very religious and go to the mosque every day. "They are strict when it comes to their religion and would never accept a non-Muslim into the family, let alone a white girl. "If Britney and Adnan were serious about each other, then she would have to change her religion, and even then they may have difficulty accepting her. "Some Muslims do not insist on conversion, but I know Adnan's family well and they would want Britney to change." He added: "The Ghalibs are very good people and well respected in the area. I don't think they would be very happy about this relationship. "They lead a very quiet and respectable lifestyle. They have two daughters in this country and they have both had arranged marriages to fellow Muslims." Reports on Friday suggested that the pop star may even be looking to move to Birmingham with her boyfriend to escape the "madness" in Los Angeles. It is not known if Adnan has another home in Birmingham, or if the celebrity couple would live with his parents. Mr and Mrs Ghalib are believed to have fled to a secret address in London to escape the media frenzy after news of the relationship first broke. "Britney is on the edge and it's ironic that the only person she feels she can turn to is a paparazzo," one US source said. "It's like the lamb going to stay with the wolf pack." Meanwhile in other breaking news, Amy Winehouse has been spotted getting cosy with her record producer Mark Ronson. The other troubled music star who recently dye her hair blonde was seen leaving her flat late at night and then spent part of the evening in the studio before finally arriving at a hotel at 5.30am where they continued to party. Ronson collaborated with Winehouse, 24, on the single Valerie and has been credited for some of the success of her album Back to Black.

Spears Due in Court for Major Hearing

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears' effort to regain visitation rights with her two small children is back on the court docket for what an attorney described Sunday as "the most significant hearing in the case so far."
Police and emergency medical technicians who were summoned to her home Jan. 3 in a standoff involving her refusal to return the boys to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, will testify Monday, probably behind closed doors, his lawyer said.
"I don't know if she will be there," Mark Vincent Kaplan told The Associated Press, but he suggested she would have to appear in person if she wants to press her request to see her children. "You can't phone this one in."
If Spears comes to court, Kaplan said she would be expected to testify. "She will have the opportunity to persuade the court that she can have some visitation under monitored conditions," he said.
Phone and e-mail messages requesting comment from Spears' attorneys Sunday afternoon were not immediately returned.
Kaplan said he knew it was only a temporary measure when he obtained emergency court orders two weeks ago granting sole physical and legal custody to Federline.
"These are very, very draconian orders," Kaplan said. "Because of that the court wanted to have a hearing to give her and her attorneys the opportunity to refute some of the declarations."
"No judge likes making orders terminating a person's involvement with their kids," Kaplan said.
Meanwhile, police were preparing for a media frenzy in the downtown civic center if Spears appears, issuing warnings Sunday that vehicle and pedestrian violations would lead to citations.
Kaplan said that if Spears comes to court, he would like to cross-examine her on the events of Jan. 3.
Police were called by a court appointed monitor when Spears refused to hand over Jayden James, 1, and Sean Preston, 2, to Federline's security guard and locked herself in a room with one of the boys.
Spears was taken to a hospital in an ambulance chased by photographers and was placed on an involuntary hold on grounds she was a danger to herself or others. Spears left Cedars-Sinai Medical Center a day and half later.
The day after the incident, Kaplan presented papers to Commissioner Scott Gordon who awarded sole legal and physical custody of the boys to Federline and suspended Spears' visitation rights.
Kaplan said if visitation is restored, it would be under more restrictions than those originally imposed by Gordon.
One expert in family law agreed that the hearing provides Spears her only hope of resuming visits with her children before a custody trial scheduled for April.
"Usually, when someone has the threat of losing their children, they'll do anything to get their children back," said Lynn Soodik, who predicted visitation rights could be restored if Spears appears and offers an explanation.
"This is not a punishment for her," Soodik said. "It's what's in the best interest of the children. The judge has to carefully weigh their safety versus not seeing their mother. It's drastic to have no contact with their mother."
Soodik said Gordon could order monitored visitation in a location away from Spears' home "in some kind of setting where the judge can assure that she wouldn't be able to lock the kids in a room with her."

Britney barred from child visits

Britney Spears lost custody of her children to ex-husband Kevin Federline as a US court commissioner awarded sole custody of the two children to Federline.The commissioner gave sole physical and legal custody of the two boys to Federline and suspended the troubled pop star's visitation rights.Spears was hauled away from her home to a hospital by paramedics a day before, after police had to intervene when she refused to return the children to Federline after a court-monitored visit.Commissioner Scott Gordon ordered another hearing to be held January 14.Federline had previously been awarded temporary custody of two-year-old Sean Preston and one-year-old Jayden James because Spears has defied court orders, resulting in limitations on her visitation.Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, said he did not expect the ruling to be released until Monday, but it was issued shortly after the hearing concluded.In dramatic events on Friday the troubled singer was bundled onto a stretcher and taken to the hospital for mental evaluation. To make matters worse Britney's lawyers have said they no longer want to represent her. For several months now the fallen pop star has been having a very public meltdown amid drug and alcohol abuse charges.Her latest troubles began around 8 p m local time (0430GMT) on Thursday when officers were called to her home to help resolve a dispute over her refusal to turn the children over to Federline, as dictated by their custody agreement.It took two to three hours to resolve the conflict, said a Los Angeles police officer. Spears wasn't arrested in connection with the custody dispute, the police officer said.Police also said that Spears was hospitalised "for her own welfare".Spears' mother, Lynne Spears, also would not disclose any information about her daughter's condition.Spears and Federline were married in October 2004. Her life has spiralled downward since their divorce in July.She has been photographed without underwear and appeared to be drunk and out of control in public. She shaved her head, beat a car with an umbrella and spent a month in rehab.She had hoped to regain her pop crown with a much-hyped performance at MTV's Video Music Awards in September, but fans and critics deemed it a flop. (With Agency inputs)

Britney Insider: She's "Doing a Lot Better"

Britney Spears has been released from the hospital (read our news story here). But even before this development, Brit's prospects were improving, according to her manager pal Sam Lutfi.

In an exclusive interview with E! News' Jason Kennedy, Lutfi gave fresh details and insight into Britney's condition and progress while the troubled pop star was undergoing psychiatric observation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Jason Kennedy: How is Britney doing?

Sam Lutfi: She is doing a lot better than Thursday night, she's reached out to her mom and Jamie Lynn and they've been in constant contact...they have shown wonderful support to her.

How do you respond to the reports that Britney has a mental illness?

I'm not commenting on those reports.When Kevin came to the hospital to pick up the children, did he see or speak to Brit? No!Lutfi wouldn't comment directly to Kennedy about the specifics of what happened at Britney's home Thursday night. But when asked \why police were at her home for so long, Lutfi said he just wanted to make sure police were following proper procedures and abiding by the court documents, adding that he wished "that the whole situation had been handled better."And speaking of better, that's what we all wish for Ms. Spears. Get well soon, Brit. Stay tuned for more details as this story develops.How do you respond to the reports that Britney has a mental illness?I'm not commenting on those reports.When Kevin came to the hospital to pick up the children, did he see or speak to Brit? No!Lutfi wouldn't comment directly to Kennedy about the specifics of what happened at Britney's home Thursday night. But when asked \why police were at her home for so long, Lutfi said he just wanted to make sure police were following proper procedures and abiding by the court documents, adding that he wished "that the whole situation had been handled better."And speaking of better, that's what we all wish for Ms. Spears. Get well soon, Brit. Stay tuned for more details as this story develops.

Court Monitor Controls Brit's Access to Kids

Britney Spears Will Be Allowed to See Her Children Every Other Day

Britney Spears can see her kids, but she'd better behave while doing so.
In a court order issued Thursday, Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon said Spears can visit her two sons, 2-year-old son Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, every other day, The Associated Press reported. A monitor must watch Spears and will be allowed to cut her visits short if "any behavior or action by Spears endangers the children."

Gordon said monitoring was necessary because Spears has not been in "substantial compliance" with a previous court order, according to the AP.
Monday, Gordon ordered Spears to surrender custody of her sons to her ex-husband Kevin Federline until further order of the court. He retained custody of the children after a follow-up hearing Wednesday.
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Outside the courthouse, Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, voiced his support of Gordon's decision, telling reporters, "Kevin wants to maintain the custody that he has as long as he can."
While Federline attended Wednesday's hearing, Spears hit the town, according to entertainment news show "Extra."
"Extra" reported that Spears visited a Los Angeles gas station, vitamin store and Starbucks. She had a driver take her around and brought her Yorkie, London, along for the ride. She smiled at the paparazzi and seemed to be in a good mood.
Another hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 26. Though Spears was not present at Wednesday's hearing — neither she nor Federline were required to be in court — according to the AP, both will have to appear Oct. 26.

Wake-Up Call
Lawyers agree that the court is trying to give Spears a wake-up call by taking away her children.
"This is a little shock treatment for Britney to get the treatment that she needs," attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Spears' former bodyguard, said on "Good Morning America" Tuesday.
According to Beverly Hills family law attorney Daniel Jaffe, the court has probably lost faith in Spears' ability to be a fit parent.
"The court must have felt that the kids are in danger with her," Jaffe said. "This would be an unusual order, but, as you can see in the tabloids, she hasn't been behaving properly."