The question on every celeb blogger’s lips this morning is…will Britney show up for her latest court appearance today in the ongoing custody battle for her sons? Or will she blow it off and not show up at all? Her lawyers are stressing the importance of her making an attempt to look interested in getting her sons back (or maybe they’re just stressing), but no word on if it is actually sinking in or not:
The hearing is expected to focus on the four-hour standoff at her Studio City home on Jan. 3. Police, firefighters and paramedics will testify in a Los Angeles courtroom as to what occurred that night, which ended with Spears’s forced hospitalization.
Spears, 26, and ex-husband Kevin Federline, 29, are not required to show, but, “Britney needs to be there because it’s much easier to defend your client if he/she is present to refute what witnesses say,” says L.A. family lawyer Scott Weston, who’s not involved with the case.
“Whether she takes the stand or not depends on what witnesses say, and whether or not her lawyers think her testimony may backfire,” Weston adds. “But they’ve got nowhere to go but up at this point. Also, if she doesn’t attend, it shows a lack of interest on her part in getting back her kids.” […]
Also at issue Monday is whether the court would extend its ban on Spears’s visitation. Federline’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told PEOPLE that it’s possible Spears might not see her children until April, when the ex-couple’s custody trial begins. (Federline has requested primary physical custody.)
Kaplan told the Associated Press that he didn’t know if Spears would appear at the hearing, but that if she does, 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 told AP.
Like I said on GlossLip radio last night, the only thing you can predict about Britney is that she’ll be unpredictable. I could say that I think she’ll show up, considering that she said that she would do anything for her children, but then again she has proven that she really does not quite grasp the enormity of the situation at hand. So then I could say that I think she’ll decide to stay away, but then again I think she really does love her children. So who knows? It’s a 50/50 split at this point. And there’s no word yet on whether efforts by her family to get her serious medical help are moving along or stalled.
In other Brit news, apparently she’s on her own when it comes to parking and getting into court if she does decide to make an appearance:
Sources tell us Britney has been “totally uncooperative” with the Sheriff’s Department — she had never worked with deputies by giving them information as to when she’ll show, etc. We’re told the Sheriff’s Department has thrown up its hands and has no plans to assist her in getting in the building tomorrow. She’ll have to find her own parking and navigate her way through the media crush.
Our sources say, however, if Britney works with her lawyer and the attorney drives her to court, they would be open to dealing with the lawyer to arrange her passage into the courthouse — but that will be last-minute.
Oh man. Don’t piss off the police, Brit. That would be stupid decision #930286760402 in your life. Plus, I can imagine that running over a deputy’s foot didn’t help matters any.
Plus, news is that her new man, Addon Jones (I can never remember his real name, but why bother, he won’t be around much longer…we hope, because if he is I’ll have to think of a better name) is now her driver and assistant. Is that what the kids are calling it these days?
Photographer Adnan Ghalib is earning several thousand pounds a week for his services as a driver and assistant to Miss Spears, according to sources.
In addition, Birmingham-born Mr Ghalib, 35, has been cleaning the singer’s house, running general errands and acting as her chief defender and representative in interviews.
Hey, no fair! I want an ugly paparazzi to clean my house, too! Would I have to buy him a new Mercedes, though, like Brit just did for her new man? Ostensibly it is to drive her around in, however I can’t help but think it would have been cheaper to just get the old one out of police hock. We may have a new contender for the “You Can’t Fix Stupid” segment this week on GlossLip radio for the “buying a new Mercedes when you’ve already got one in hock” stunt, and it’s only Monday morning.
But wait, there’s more…apparently the karma doctor is calling in a prescription:
The stress of being in the public eye appeared to be showing on Mr Ghalib, who reportedly “threw a wobbler” at photographers yesterday - demanding respect from his former colleagues as he took the Toxic singer out for lunch in Los Angeles.
“He came out spitting bullets and started demanding respect,” said an eyewitness. “He said he had seen people hiding in bushes by his house and told them they had better stop or they’d be sorry.”
Enjoy it while it lasts, Addon. Remember that commercial Kevin made for Nationwide insurance? -sets watch for fifteen minutes-
Apparently TMZ will have live, streaming video of the courthouse, so tune in to see the traveling circus. Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends/We’re so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside…
UPDATE: As of 3:30 PM ET, Brit is still blowing. Her lawyers are there, Kevin is there, but no Brit. Call Kevin an ass if you want, and he probably is, but at least he is showing interest. Oh, and he DOESN’T have a recent incident holding his son hostage.
I can understand not wanting to show up to court, and perhaps even being scared of court, but this is ridiculous. If she’s got a phobia there are ways of helping her. If it’s just her not getting the fact that she could lose her kids…
UPDATE: 3:52 PM ET, and Britney has left her house. She may or may not be headed to the courthouse.
UPDATE: 4:20 PM ET, and I’ve sat here watching TMZ and seen Brit go around and around the courthouse. She’s there, but isn’t inside yet. Maybe she just can’t find a parking spot…maybe it’s true about the police not helping her this time.
UPDATE: 4:30 PM ET, and Brit is inside the building, I believe via the tunnel. Osama bin Loopy was driving the Escalade while somebody else was in the passenger seat while two other guys were with her in the back. It’s unknown who they all are. According to TMZ, only one of the witnesses has testified (there are six or seven total) and the hearing is liable to go on until tomorrow. Fabulous, we get to do this all over again.
UPDATE: 4:41 PM ET, and woah! Apparently Brit is no longer at the courthouse…according to TMZ, she decided there were too many photographers so she would NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR. She left and is now no longer at the courthouse. Apparently, she will do anything for her boys except jostle her way through paps and fight for them.
UPDATE: Both TMZ and X17 are reporting that Brit is on her way home.
UPDATE: TMZ is reporting the following:
When Britney got out of the car at the courthouse, she screamed at photogs, “Move back, I’m scared. Stop it, stop it. I want to get back in the car. Just stop it. Let me get in the car, please.” At that point she got in and they left the courthouse.
It sounds like Brit has some mental health issues going on today. There are ways of helping her, both medicinal and with behavior therapy, but she has to be open to it.
But the thing is…I don’t think that a judge will look favorably on this without Brit seeing a doctor and getting some sort of evaluation…which, thus far, she has completely refused to get. It seems to me that if she does not receive mental health therapy, and soon, her chances of getting any sort of visitation are slim to none. The best chance she has are for her family to step up and have her involuntarily committed.
However, TMZ is now reporting that she may be returning to the courthouse at 3:30 PM PT (6:30 PM ET).