Britney Spears Makes It To Custody Hearing, Then Leaves
Contrary to earlier reports (and predictions) Britney Spears did make it the the courthouse today for an emergency hearing to determine temporary custody arrangements for her and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline’s two children, Sean Preston, age 2 and Jayden James, age 1. This hearing was requested by Britney’s ex-husband after the much-publicized Britney hostage stand-off on Thursday Jan. 3.
BUT, then she left. According to TMZ, Brit came, drove around, yelled at paps, got back in her car and left.
There’s no word yet if Britney will be called to the stand, but there are many witnesses set to testify about the events of that evening, including police and medical personnel who were witness to Britney’s behavior when she refused to hand over her children after her court-monitored visitation with both kids.
We will keep you posted of any developments within this post. TMZ is reporting the hearing will likely spill over into tomorrow, so we may not have any final word from the court today.
Maybe Brit ran home for some smokes.
6:16 PM ET:Â TMZ is reporting that Brit did not want to testify today:
TMZ has learned that when Britney first arrived at the courthouse and went into an underground tunnel, she was met by two of her lawyers — Anne Kiley and Tara Scott. We’re told they actually got into the Escalade to speak with her. That’s when Brit said she just didn’t want to testify.
She may or may not be back today at 3:30 PM PT (6:30 ET). Stay tuned.
~k
6:49 PM ET: As of 3:49 PM PT, after a stop at a church and a restaurant, Britney was back home and most definitely NOT at court, reports X17. TMZ has live video feed and aparently Mark Vincent Kaplan, Kevin’s attorney, is about to speak to the press.
Strange how she will fight the paps to go to Starbucks or get to her favorite nightclub, but she won’t do it to go to court for her sons.
~k
7:41 PM ET: According to TMZ, Commissioner Scott Gordon has ruled that Britney will not have visitation restored. This is in effect at least until the next hearing on February 19.
We are still waiting for Kaplan to speak.
~k
7:45 PM ET: According to the video feed on TMZ, spokesman Allan Parachini is saying the court ruling made on January 4 stands, and Kevin keeps full custody “indefinitely”, at least until the next hearing. There are no plans for another hearing until February 19. Some of the people who testified today were the parenting coach, a bodyguard of Kevin’s, the court monitor who was present during the standoff, and two LAPD cops.
Apparently the court was not “officially” aware of anything that happened in Brit’s life other than what was talked about in court today, which I believe included the events of January 3.
The sheriff’s department tried to get her in the courthouse. The loading dock that she has used previously to enter the building was not available for her to use today because Brit did not let the department know when or if she would be there today.
Kaplan is here. He is reiterating the news that the court order stands. He is saying that Kevin is not seeing this as a victory and that this is a “grave situation for everybody.” He did not take questions.
~k
8:34 PM ET: According to the minute order, Kevin Federline was one of the people who gave testimony today. The Commissioner ruled that the orders issued on January 4 stands, and that the prior orders concerning the parenting coach are suspended. In other words, no need for a parenting coach when Brit doesn’t have visitation.
Again, Britney was NOT ordered to be at court today, but was strongly urged to show up by her attorneys to both show the judge that she is attempting to clean up her act and to refute any testimony given.
~k
UPDATE:Â According to OK! Magazine’s liveblog of the events, Britney did make it into a holding room inside the courthouse before deciding to bail out on the day’s events:
Britney finally arrived at the courthouse — or at least the courthouse garage — around 1:10 p.m. PT. In a black Escalade driven by pal Sam Lutfi, Britney sat in the back seat with boyfriend, married photographer Adnan Ghalib, as they circled the courthouse’s public parking garage looking for a spot. The star was not admited access to a more private parking area because of the ruckus her presence has caused in the past. Meanwhile, Lutfi is slowing down so Brit can smile for the awaiting cameras.
After circling the public garage for 15 minutes, Britney is finally admitted into the monthly parking garage under the courthouse, where she is brought up into the building — and into a holding room — around 1:25 p.m. PT.
Without even entering the courtroom, witnesses are telling OK! that Brit has exited the courthouse at 1:45 p.m. PT and is circling the garage once more. Stay tuned.
So apparently she did make it into the courthouse once, via the tunnel. She then came back out, circled the courthouse again, and it appears that it is then that she makes her dramatic declaration:
“I’m scared. I want to get in the car. I’m going in the car,” she said after stepping out of the car as photographers crowded around her.
Spears, 26, then got back in the car. Police tried to coax her out, but she slammed her back against the seat and shouted, “No!” Spears’s car eventually drove off.
Sounds like a bit of a tantrum to me.
And TMZ is reporting that her decision not to come upstairs and be in the courtroom definitely influenced Commissioner Scott Gordon, who is now convinced that Brit’s problems are more mental than drug related:
We’re told today’s witnesses presented a deeply disturbed picture of Spears. The witnesses told the story first reported on TMZ this weekend of a woman out of control. We’re also told her the judge was deeply concerned that her instability posed a danger to her children.
Commissioner Scott Gordon was definitely influenced by the fact that Spears chose not to show up in court.
~k
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So technically I was right…I said it could go either way, a 50/50 shot. She did both. I’m 100% correct again! (of course, it was just common sense, but I won’t tell if you won’t tell)
Comment by k — January 14, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
Okay…on TMZ’s video feed, while they’re waiting for Kaplan, there’s a guy with a dollhouse on his head, drinking a Starbucks, giving a little rambling interview. The reports want to know who he endorses for President. I think he’s voting for Shrillary.
The house is on, but nobody’s home.
Only in LA…
Comment by k — January 14, 2008 @ 7:10 pm
Who does Britney think she’s fooling?? This was just another big show that she put on, and I guess we are all supposed to be just as stupid as she is.
But…like folks are already saying….why is it that Britney is not afraid to push through the paparazzi to get into WalMart or the Nail Salon or the Tanning Salon, but when it comes to going into the courthouse (with police there to protect her)”she’s scared.” What a bunch of crap.
Comment by Dee — January 14, 2008 @ 7:13 pm
She doesn’t have to testify or be responsible @ Starbuck’s or a night club. I sincerely believe that she knows she is no position to give coherent testimony…..and I think she prefers to continue in a constant state of denial. Something that she couldn’t do if she had to hear what other people thought of her actions. It would be like a mini intervention - people being real and letting her know how messed up things have gotten.
If she is the middle of a psychosis she may not even realize the importance of what is going on around her. Sadly I think it is going to take a near death experience for anyone to step in and say “stop the madness.”
At least her kids will be in a safer environment - oh the horror of thinking that k-fed is the better parent.
Comment by Ebayer — January 14, 2008 @ 7:43 pm
ebayer, I have to agree. I don’t know if she is suffering from a phobia or an OCD episode relating to the crowd at the courthouse, or just throwing a fit because she knows she won’t get her way, but it is interesting to me that she can go out anywhere else, and even be physical and vocal with the paps (even swearing at them), but cannot go into the court with a police escort. I mean, I know it’s scary, but sometimes as adults we have to do scary things.
True, she did not have to be there today, but like I said elsewhere it would definitely look good for her to be there. The judge would probably take that into account. Right now she’s showing that she is continuing her pattern, conscious or not, of self-destructive behavior.
And I agree…who wouldathunk two years ago, or even last summer, that we would be thinking the kids would be better off with Kevin???
Comment by k — January 14, 2008 @ 7:58 pm
i wonder how long she has to live; please wake up and see how bad your life is and get some help.
Comment by sally — January 14, 2008 @ 8:57 pm
But the first time she got there, the SUV she was in went through an underground tunnel. She would have gotten in safely without all the paps. She didn’t. She chose to drive around, and then stop right in the middle of the pap-storm, get out, blabber idiotically, and then get back in and leave.
She braved the paps to go inside that church, the Ralph’s grocery parking lot, and that Gaucho grill place she ate. X-17, her other enablers have a photo of her looking calm, relaxed and smiling inside the church with all her pap friends. Scared? Hardly.
My guess is that she’s simply being immature and selfish.
*She hates court because there’s people there that dare to tell her what to do.
*She hates court because she knows she can’t “play” anybody there.
*She hates court because they are not there to fawn over her, enable her, or kiss her ass.
*Most of all, I don’t think she gives two sh*ts about her kids, and would just as soon be rid of them as stop at starbucks for a uber-venti-triple-whip-double-shot-frap.
She’s like a child. If she can’t have her way, she’ll simply pack up the SUV and leave.
I don’t mean to sound crass, because I have friends who suffer varying degrees of mental issues, but I think that in addition to Britney’s mental state, there’s also just the fact that she’s an immature, spoiled, brat who throws a fit when she can’t have her way or doesn’t have people fawning over her 24/7.
If the downward spiral is any indication, the ultimate fall is going to be pretty darned ugly.
Comment by crazymom — January 14, 2008 @ 9:22 pm
crazymom, I have to agree that any mental issues she does have are just exacerbated by her selfish brat personality.
It’s ridiculous that she says she would do anything for her sons, die for her sons, but she can’t even be bothered to get out of her Caddy and go inside the courtroom. Like you said, and has been documented today, she’s managed to get out and go inside a church, a restaurant, and in and out of her home, yet she can’t get out at the courthouse FOR HER KIDS.
It’s sad and ridiculous at the same time. She needs mental health, but she also needs to grow up.
Comment by k — January 14, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
Great additional coverage k, and thank you for staying on top of this. The comments are also really spot on and insightful.
I wonder what that jerk at Breatheavy is saying about all this?
I think I will have to go check now.
Comment by D — January 14, 2008 @ 11:07 pm
You know I wish it was just selfishness that made people do insane things. Then we could treat insanity with some good old fashioned tough love and family values…..unfortunately that is not the case and selfishness, irrational and delusional behavior are symptom of more serious diseases. It would be impossible for any of us to fully understand or judge her situation without knowing what the medical facts are and that is clearly not going to happen without legal intervention. Mental illness is a disease like any other…and if she is indeed in severe mental distress then someone has to bite the bullet and intervene. She needs medical treatment and then maybe she will be able to make amends to those around her.
No loving family would allow someone they cared about to shred themselves in public the way this girl is doing.
Maybe I am just naive but I truly believe she is not living on our planet.
Comment by Ebayer — January 14, 2008 @ 11:28 pm
Oh, I absolutely believe that selfishness, in and of itself, is not indicative of a mental illness. Nor is a sign of mental illness a desire to act in a selfish manner.
But if you already have a selfish, narcissistic personality (developed in Britney, I believe, from the age of two), and then add a mental illness on top of that (whether a genetic disposition towards it or a life-altering event triggering a chemical imbalance in the brain), you’ve really got a problem on your hands. And that, IMHO, is what is going on with Brit.
But I also totally and completely agree with the comments about her family. Jamie Lynn is fine, it isn’t like there aren’t fifty bazillion family members who could watch her for a while while SOMEBODY intervenes in Brit’s life. I’m over a decade older than Britney, and if this were me my parents would have already have had me committed by now, for my own good.
Comment by k — January 14, 2008 @ 11:44 pm
Heh. I am so not going to Breatheheavy. I don’t want to bust a blood vessel or anything.
Comment by k — January 14, 2008 @ 11:45 pm
Oh, btw, I just read the best comment on this whole fiasco over at The Superficial. I swear, I was sitting here snacking on some crackers, and I almost choked. Can you imagine dealing with somebody like this?
Comment by k — January 14, 2008 @ 11:53 pm
Note that this is the same woman who stated she would “do anything” for her kids. Except go to court, or follow court-orders, or give depositions, or get mental/medical help for her issues, or anything else she doesn’t particularly want to do.
I DO believe she’s mentally ill, but I also believe she’s got serious other issues, including an almost insufferable arrogance.
Until and unless she gets her act together, the kids really ARE better off without her. It’s awful to say that, but it’s true. Being around a crazy, unstable, potentially dangerous mother is NOT a good thing. Ever.
Comment by Exyank — January 15, 2008 @ 2:16 am
I know someone who is bipolar. Back in the day, this person was actually hauled off in a straightjacket and forcibly committed.
This was before laws where it had to be clearly demonstrated (as happened during the Great Meltdown of 2008) that a person was a danger to themselves or others.
It’s the old cliche about a double-edged sword — on the one hand everyone has rights that must be respected, because you can’t just go carting off anyone who doesn’t behave “normally,” then at the same time, there are the Britney’s of this world who are so obviously suffering, but until they do something crazy (for lack of a better word) to themselves or someone else, there’s no way to get them the help they need.
Comment by crazymom — January 15, 2008 @ 7:16 am
Exyank: And that was precisely my point in my “Melodramatic” post of a few days ago: Words are cheap, it’s our actions that demonstrate what is truly inside us.
Comment by k — January 15, 2008 @ 9:41 am
Because someone in my immediate family is bi-polar I know for a fact that seflishness is a huge symptom of the disease. An inability to think outside of the box of one’s self. What may seem like arrogance or selfishness to you or I may be mania manifesting itself. On meds bipolarity is managable. Off meds if it severe it can be insufferable.
Comment by Ebayer — January 15, 2008 @ 10:03 am
Will someone not save this girl! I’ve suffered from bipolar most of my adult life. I am one of the lucky ones, though, in that mine was brought under control with meds and treatment so that I’m a fully functioning human again.
My late husband was not so lucky and suffered the worst result of bipolar that is out of control, his death. This is because the laws prevented me from getting him committed when I knew the worse was coming.
I’m just watching all this and wondering if anyone is going to try to save her. I guarantee you that for all the appearance of this being selfishness or drama-queening, it is all a result of the disease and it has very real consequences if it hits one of the very dangerous points.
Before we had med choices back in the 60’s and earlier for treating bipolar there was an 40% certainty of death as a result of suicide or other for most bipolars.
I’m okay if they are just taking this initial time to save the children and get them protected from her but they must start working on getting her committed to get treatment or this will have a very tragic ending.
Comment by RoonieRoo — January 15, 2008 @ 11:38 am
Sorry, ebayer…I didn’t mean to insinuate that I was disagreeing.
I am not bipolar myself, but I have dealt closely with people who are. And you are right in that people who are bipolar can be hugely self-centered and selfish.
I just meant that selfishness in and of itself isn’t necessarily indicative of mental illness. Sometimes it just means a person is a brat.
But actually her self-centered attitude is one of the things that triggered my radar to think Brit just may be bipolar. Sorry if there was a misunderstanding.
Comment by k — January 15, 2008 @ 2:29 pm
Comment by Ebayer — January 15, 2008 @ 3:15 pm
ebayer, I believe you are right.
Comment by k — January 15, 2008 @ 3:49 pm
One thing that occurred to me is that her family might be working behind the scenes to get her treatment. Based on what happened last time any reports were leaked to the press of a family intervention (she ran off to Mexico with Addon), they might be keeping everything on the down-low.
But if something doesn’t happen soon, I think this story is going to have a tragic ending. And that’s something no one wants, fan or not.
Comment by k — January 15, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
can someone please explain why this woman ” is scared” to walk into a courthouse with paps all around, but not “scared” to walk into every other public establishment in hollywood? (surrounded with paps) is that part of her mental illness or is it due to her narcissism? it looks as if she uses different shades of “mental” for different situations. is it possible that this is all just her playing with the public? is she reallt in need of help or is thiis just a really good job of acting? (p.s. this is a serious question. for once i’m not trying to be a smart-ass.)
Comment by D-Bomb — January 15, 2008 @ 8:02 pm
Personally, I do believe it is one part of her mental illness. When she’s at a restaurant, Starbucks, a store, a gas station, wherever, she is the one in control. She goes in, she does her thing, she comes out, but it’s all HER agenda. Nobody is really telling her what to do. She is living in her own world and she’s the one setting the rules in it.
When she goes to court, however, it’s a totally different thing. She has found out that she can’t yank the wool over anyone’s eyes in there. She has to be held accountable for her actions, she has to report to somebody who holds her future in their hands, and all control is taken from her. That is something she just can’t handle.
It is both a part of her mental illness and her selfish personality, these selfish acts and need for control. I’ve no doubt that she had some sort of panic attack yesterday, but it was brought on (IMO) by the knowledge that she wasn’t in control of anything at the courthouse, and would not be in control of anything in the courtroom. That was too much for her chemically-imbalanced brain to handle. And let’s not forget, she made it into the courthouse, but turned around and came back out. She’s never been held accountable for her actions, which certainly plays into it…both that and the illness feed off each other.
All my opinion, of course.
This woman is on the fast track to self-destruction and nobody (that we know of) is stepping up to take charge.
Comment by k — January 15, 2008 @ 8:36 pm
IMHO that’s a great assessment K. In her mania she loves the attention that the photographers are showering her with. In her depression she is pissed. You can even see her personality (ies?) fluctuate during these food/bathroom/starbuck’s trips. Sometimes she is the sarcastic southern bell, the valley girl, the depressed and hunted pop wreck, the English I don’t know what. She almost acts animal like. Urgh. Clearly she is mentally ill. Some of the noises she makes are downright hair raising.
I am sure sitting in a court full of people discussing her instability is the last thing she wants to do. Her madness has overcome her maternal instincts. I think the poor girl is just fighting to stay alive. Maybe in the darkest recesses of her thought process (if it still exists) she knows those kids need to be elsewhere.
Her parents make me sick
Comment by Ebayer — January 15, 2008 @ 10:15 pm
If her parents make you sick, you’ll definitely want to check out the rant I just posted on the main site.
Let’s just say I had my bowl of Bitch Flakes!
Comment by k — January 15, 2008 @ 10:18 pm
[...] that she’d do anything for her kids, would die for her kids, rings hollow when she can manage to go shopping and out to eat in full view of the paparazzi the same day that she can’t [...]
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