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.

Jamie Lynn Spears Getting GED After 'Zoey 101' Cancelled

Jamie Lynn Spears is finding out that teenage pregnancy and a television show for kids just don’t seem to be a great mix for network execs. It was announced this week that the already filmed fourth season of her hit Nickelodeon show, Zoey 101, would be the final season, leaving Spears with plenty of time to go back to school.
The show, which hit the airwaves in 2005, chronicles a wholesome young girl as she attends an all boys’ school. Zoey 101 was nominated for an “Outstanding Children’s Program” Emmy in it’s first year and has created quite a following among tween viewers over the past few seasons.
Following the announcement last month that their 16-year old-star had become pregnant by 18-year old-boyfriend Casey Aldridge, rumors began to circulate that Nickelodeon, owned by Viacom, would be pulling the show from their February line up.
“No truth to that rumor," the show's spokesman Dan Martinsen told MTV News. "We have not made any change to our schedule."
The hour long season finale, aptly titled “Goodbye Zoey”, aired over the weekend and pulled in 7.3 million viewers, an impressive number for a cable show and more than double the shows average ratings.
The network, however, has no plans to renew with the star for a fifth season.
After the news about her canceled show hit the news, the sister of troubled pop star Britney Spears was spotted leaving the Tangipahoa Parish School System Adult Education Centre in Hammond, Louisiana, carrying a GED book. It appears that the star is planning on enrolling in high school equivalency classes in order to get her diploma.
In an interview with OK! Magazine, who broke the pregnancy story, Spears said, "I put myself in this position. An adult position, so I have to act like an adult and take responsibility for what I did."

Britney tried to buy her sons from K-Fed for $100m

London, Jan 6 (ANI): Britney Spears begged ex-husband Kevin Federline to sell her their two kids for a multi-million payoff in a tearful phone call, hours before her well-publicised meltdown, it has been revealed.
The troubled singer, who was due to hand over the children to Federline on Jan 3, made an agonised call to the rapper, offering to buy them for a whopping 100 million dollars.
A source said that it was at this point when Federline sensed that something was wrong and immediately asked his legal team to alert the authorities, who eventually took the Toxic singer to hospital for mental evaluation.
“Britney said that Kevin could have an incredible 100 million dollars if he’d give her the kids and never see them again, News of the World quoted the source, as saying.
“He’s used to Britney going off on one, but he knew from her voice that this was a whole other thing entirely. He hung up straight away and called his legal team in a panic.
“He told them that Britney was capable of anything and admitted that she still kept two handguns at the housethe pistol he bought her for a birthday gift and a black automatic Glock. The lawyers called the police immediately, the source added.
Following the singer’s hysterical antics, a Los Angeles judge has awarded the “sole legal custody and sole physical custody” of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to Federline, until another hearing on January 14. (ANI)

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)

K-Fed's call to cops: 'Britney's got a gun'

A panic call from Britney Spears' husband sparked her stand-off with cops - because he feared she would SHOOT DEAD their two sons.
As Brit left hospital, a pal said: "K-Fed was terrified. He realised she had a gun where she was holding them."
We can reveal that Kevin Federline feared his ex would use the Beretta pistol he bought her as a birthday gift to MURDER their two young sons.
And it was his desperate call for help that started the dramatic three-hour siege at her Hollywood home as she held armed cops and a specialist SWAT team at bay and refused to hand over the boys.
Britney's latest problems come after a series of shocking incidents involving her which have been caught on video

The News of the World can reveal that K-Fed, 29, panicked on Thursday night after realising the fallen pop princess kept the handgun—a Beretta 92FS—in the master bedroom where she was holding the kids, Jayden James, one, and Sean Preston, two.
Convinced that in her out-of-control state she would use the weapon to kill the lads then turn it on her herself, the wannabe rapper rang his lawyers who alerted the authorities.
Last night as Britney was sensationally released from hospital after throwing a tantrum, a source close to the warring couple revealed: "Kevin knew she was on the edge and might snap at any time.
"Knowing there were TWO firearms in the house, including the Beretta, he wasn't taking any chances— hence the massive police response."
In the most nightmare week yet of Britney's crazed life, we can also reveal that although NOT high on illegal drugs she:
SWALLOWED bottles of ‘hillbilly heroin'—a highly-addictive drug called OxyContin that's killed hundreds in America,
BINGED on a mindbending cocktail of more precription drugs before defying the police,
PLEADED with Kevin to SELL her the kids for a multi-million payoff in a tearful phone call,
FOUGHT with bodyguards to hang on to her children,
BASHED her own head against the wall in a fit of blind rage.
Agonised
Britney, embroiled in a custody battle with estranged husband Kevin, was due to hand over the children to him on Thursday evening.
But K-Fed's mind started racing when the fallen star made an agonised call refusing to give them back and offering to BUY them.
Our source told us "Britney said that Kevin could have an incredible 100 million dollars if he'd give HER the kids and never see them again.
"He's used to Britney going off on one, but he knew from her voice that this was a whole other thing entirely. He hung up straight away and called his legal team in a panic.
"He told them that Britney was capable of anything and admitted that she still kept two handguns at the house—the pistol he bought her for a birthday gift and a black automatic Glock. The lawyers called the police immediately."
Before cops arrived at about 8pm Britney made a SECOND chilling phone call, predicting she was about to hit headlines worldwide.
She rang 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn, who has been at the centre of a media storm since announcing she was pregnant, two years below the age of consent in California.
Our source said: "Jamie's new-found publicity enraged jealous Britney. And after calling Kevin that night she rang Jamie and told her, ‘You're not going to be the only f***ing Spears on the front cover of a magazine next week!' and then hung up." Meanwhile Britney lost it when Kevin's lawyer Mark Kaplan showed up at the house and tried to talk her round.

Our source revealed: "Britney was wailing and sobbing uncontrollably then she just flipped. Her hysteria went up a notch and she ran with the children into walk-in wardrobe and slammed the door behind her.
"She sat in there sobbing and yelping out loudly. She was in there for about an hour refusing to come out. The children were also sobbing because they were so scared.
"A court-appointed monitor, who supervises the kids' visits, was also there but Britney refused to budge and could barely utter a word, just mumbling responses.
"When the cops, paramedics and K-Fed's bodyguards turned up with loads of commotion it sent Britney over the edge again.
"She was squealing out wildly, urging them not to come into her room. After a while the cops just about calmed her down and reasoned with her to let them in.
"When she opened the cupboard door she was sat cross-legged on the floor weeping uncontrollably. She was wiping her eyes and smearing make-up over her face. Her hair was all over the place and she looked pale and despondent.
"Her nose was running and she was dribbling like mad, shaking her head and shivering. She looked very flustered.
"She had one boy in each arm, partly rested on her lap, and they were crying their eyes out hysterically. They were beetroot red in the face, and their eyes seemed swollen with all the tears.

"She kept blubbing, and you could barely hear her say, ‘Don't take the boys.' Eventually a police officer, the monitor and one of the bodyguards got close enough to reach out for the children. At first Britney let go of the boys and the team levered them out of her grasp.
"But once away from them she pounced on the bodyguard's leg and tried to stop him walking away. The cops tried to gently peel Britney from him but she started lashing out pleading, ‘No! No!' She was clambering up his legs to get to Sean Preston, who began crying again. She was in a real state, sobbing then screaming at everyone.
"Then she sank her teeth into the guard's leg. It didn't really work as she got more of his jeans than his flesh. But she was acting so crazed. She got up on her feet and tried to kick the minder, who'd now passed the child on to a colleague. The paramedics then grappled with her and tried to calm her down.
"They sat her on the side of her bed but she just sank to the floor and crawled as quickly as she could across the room. As she sank her hands into the floor her nails broke off. She was screaming and yelling out for the kids.
"Then she stopped and just broke down in floods of tears again—rocking from side to side and crying like a heartbroken child. That's when the paramedics persuaded her to lie down on a stretcher.
"But she was acting so wild they tied her in and decided they had to take her in for drugs and mental health checks.
"Even though the kids had been moved away by then she was still grabbing out for them."
Within minutes news pictures of the troubled star strapped to a stretcher and being carted off to the Cedars-Sinai hospital had flashed around the world. It was widely assumed Britney was on illegal drugs when she was taken but police sources told the News of the World:
"Tests revealed she was totally clean. She wasn't high on illegal substances—she was crazy."
Los Angeles Police Department officer Ana Aguirre confirmed: "There was no actual crime involved. Police resolved the conflict. Both children were turned over to their father."

A source told us Britney's behaviour had recently become increasingly bizarre. The insider said: "About three weeks ago she started bashing her head against the wall when she's frustrated or annoyed about something.
"That's a form of self-harm. One of her team saw her doing it but never thought to intervene. She just thought it was Britney having one of her moments.
"Even when little Sean started copying her nobody did anything about it."
Yesterday the Toxic star woke screaming in hospital. Doctors rushed in to sedate her as she thrashed around yelling: "I want to kill myself! I want to die!" An inside source told us: "She was so agitated she was arching her back and pulling at the straps holding her down.
"She was like a woman possessed. It was like watching The Exorcist. It took two nurses to hold her down while doctors brought her under control."
But in a shock move last night she was released with no warning after a tantrum in which she SCREAMED at staff, RIPPED out her intravenous drip and DEMANDED to be allowed home.
Doctors agreed to the early release on condition she was signed over into the care of her father Jamie, 55, a reformed alcoholic and one-time builder.
The pair have had a rocky relationship but in recent weeks have grown closer.
A source said: "Jamie's an addict so feels a huge amount of guilt at the way his daughter has turned out. He thinks it's his fault as she must have his genes.
"So he has pledged to do everything in his power to help her get better."
Britney took 100 pills in 36 hoursCRAZED BRITNEY swallowed a deadly cocktail of more than ONE HUNDRED prescription tablets in the 36 hours before her custody meltdown, the News of the World can reveal.
And the singer washed them all down with a Purple Monster— a mind-blowing home-made cocktail of vodka, American Nyquil anti-flu syrup and an energy drink like Red Bull.
A long-term friend of the star told us: "It looks like everything in her medicine cabinet went down her neck. It seems she was only saved from falling into a coma as the drugs in her system almost counteracted each other."
The cocktail included:
TWO bottles of Nyquil
TWENTY diet pills, including her favourite brand Clenbuterol.
EIGHTEEN herbal uppers specially ordered over the internet.
EIGHTEEN Piriton antihistamine tablets
TWELVE Vicodin painkillers
TEN sleeping pills
UP TO eight antacid reflux tabs
ONE bottle of stomach upset mixture Pepto Bismol
TEN Zantac tablets, an anti-hangover and indigestion drug.
SIX Ritalin, for her attention deficit disorder issues.
TWO empty bottles of painkiller Oxycontin, known as hillbilly heroin, were also found at her home.
Her pal said: "Britney is always taking something to ease her nerves or keep her weight down.
"But her instability meant she just wanted an instant cure to all her anxieties, so she just kept taking more and more drugs and drink until she felt it worked.
"She told us she made a Purple Monster to calm her nerves. She has had this weird concoction in the past, and only takes it when she is seriously disturbed."
TV deal
FREED Britney Spears is set to reveal all about her week of hell next week on a TV SHOW.
She will bare her soul to celebrity shrink Dr Phil McGraw, a top daytime talk host, after he dashed to her hospital bedside and did a deal yesterday.
“My meeting with Britney leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention,” he said in an exclusive statement to Entertainment Tonight and The Insider.
She records the show tomorrow for screening on Wednesday. News clips are predicted to pull a world audience of more than a BILLION. A pal said: “It was all Britney’s mum’s idea.”

Britney Spears taken from her home in ambulance after 3-hour standoff

LOS ANGELES - A bizarre new chapter is unfolding in the life of Britney Spears, with the troubled pop star hospitalized today "for her own welfare" after a three-hour standoff involving her two young sons.
With paparazzi swarming the ambulance doors, Spears was whisked away late Thursday, nearly three hours after police arrived at her home in a gated community. No injuries were reported.
Police initially said it appeared the 26-year-old Spears was under the influence of an unknown substance but Officer April Harding said today she could not confirm that or other reports that Spears was hospitalized for mental evaluation.

"For her own welfare, she was transferred to a local hospital for medical treatment," Harding said, declining to elaborate.
Spears was conscious as the ambulance left her home escorted by a row of police cars. A horde of paparazzi chased the ambulance, their strobes going off as they held their cameras up to the vehicle’s rear window.
Another group of videographers met the ambulance at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, banging on the ambulance doors.
Cedars spokeswoman Simi Singer said she could neither confirm nor deny that Spears was at the hospital, citing patient confidentiality laws.
Officers were called to Spears’ house around 8 p.m. Thursday for an issue involving custody of 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, Harding said.
By about 10:30 p.m., six police cars, two ambulances and a fire truck had entered the gated-community, where Spears has a $4.5 million, five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in the Santa Monica Mountains above Beverly Hills.
Several police cars were seen in the area earlier in the night.
Spears turned over the children around 10:50 p.m., Officer Jason Lee said.
Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline have been involved in a long and very public custody battle. Federline, 29, has temporary custody of the children because Spears, who has limited visitation rights, has defied court orders. The two were married in October 2004 and divorced in July.
Attorneys for Spears and Federline were in court today to discuss child custody arrangements.
Tara Scott, representing Spears, and Federline’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, spent about 30 minutes in chambers with Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon, who has been handling the custody case. They made no comments to reporters.
Spears’ life has spiraled downward during the past year. 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, and has had a handful of fender benders, including one in which she ran over a photographer’s foot.
Earlier Thursday, Spears appeared for a deposition in her custody dispute. Spears was questioned for just 14 minutes, Kaplan told reporters after Spears left.
Spears called in sick for a Dec. 12 court-ordered deposition, but was photographed that day driving with a friend. She also didn’t show up for a session Wednesday, Kaplan said.
Spears’ attorneys from the firm Trope and Trope on Wednesday filed a court motion asking to be relieved due to a "breakdown" in communication with their client.
Kaplan said Spears’ attorneys were present for what became a very abbreviated session, which had been scheduled to last two hours.

"You can imagine in 14 minutes there’s not a lot of time to develop questions," he said.
Kaplan said another deposition would be scheduled.

Mommy dumbest

LOS ANGELES - A court commissioner gave sole physical and legal custody of Britney Spears’ two little boys yesterday to ex-husband Kevin 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 Jan. 14.
Federline had previously been awarded temporary custody of 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James because Spears has defied court orders, resulting in limitations on her visitation.
“I’m not happy about any of these events,” Federline attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan said when he left a closed-door emergency hearing yesterday afternoon. “There’s no winners here.”
Federline was not in court for the hearing, Kaplan said.
The attorney had said he did not expect the ruling to be released until Monday, but it was issued shortly after the hearing concluded.
Law professor Steve Cron, who is not involved in the Spears-Federline matter, predicted that Spears - who was not arrested - will face sanctions from the court for her behavior.
“My guess is that she won’t be seeing her kids for a while,” said Cron, who teaches at Pepperdine University in Malibu.
Gordon has little option other than to further reduce the time Spears can legally spend with her children, Cron said, “at least for the time being until she gets some help. She’s obviously a very troubled person.”
The 26-year-old pop star remained hospitalized yesterday.
Her latest troubles began around 8 p.m. 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 Officer Ana Aguirre.
“There was a time where she was within the residence and wasn’t available to be speaking to the officers, apparently,” she said. “There was no threat to the children.”
Early police reports said officers thought Spears might have been under the influence of some substance, but Aguirre said there was no evidence of that.
“Our understanding is that was not the case,” she said.

Officers at the scene determined that paramedics “needed to be called,” but it was unclear why, she said.
“We’re not aware of any type of injuries that she sustained” and she was not combative with authorities, Aguirre said.

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.

Diamonds, furs for Britney on her 26th birthday

Britney Spears rang in her 26th year on Sunday and although she didn’t have her kids with her, she was surrounded by friends, fun and plenty of swag.
At 9:56 p.m., Spears and her pals Alli Sims and Sam Lufit arrived at the Scandanavian Style Mansion where Sharon Stone was hosting a party. OK! magazine reports that around 11 p.m., a small chocolate birthday cake was presented to Spears and a small crowd broke in to “Happy Birthday.”
Editor-in-chief Sarah Ivens says that the pop princess seemed to be in a much better state that the last time the two were together; during a disastrous photo shoot that resulted in an unfortunate incident with Spear’s dog and a Zac Posen dress. “Britney looked slim and pretty,” Ivens says. “I just kept thinking how much better it was this time around than the last time we spent time with her. We really hope this birthday and her new age will be a turning point.”

Britney Makes Another Starbucks Run

After having spent two days in seclusion with her kids over the christmas holiday, Britney Spears makes another starbucks run.

Britney Spears

Some pictures of Britney Spears at Starbucks in Hollywood.

Some pictures of Britney Spears out & about in LA.

Some pictures of Britney Spears buying toys for her kids in Hollywood.

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."