Atty: Britney Wants No Contact With Sam Lutfi

The following italicized article is from www.yahoo.com:

An attorney for Britney Spears said Wednesday that he will not seek an extension for a restraining order against Osama "Sam" Lutfi, but that doesn't mean the pop star wants her former sidekick back in her life.

"Britney has made clear to everyone that she does not want to be further harassed or contacted in any way by Osama 'Sam' Lutfi, now or at anytime in the future," Spears' attorney Samuel D. Ingham III said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Attorneys for Spears and her father James are expected to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday morning to give an update on the conservatorship. A hearing on a temporary restraining order barring Lutfi from having contact with the pop singer was also scheduled for Thursday. The order issued earlier this year required Lutfi to stay 250 yards away from Spears or her homes.

Lutfi represented one of the strangest twists in Spears' downward spiral earlier this year. The singer's mother accused Lutfi — who described himself as a friend and sometime manager — in court papers of keeping Spears a hostage in her own home, drugging her and taking over her finances.

A phone message left Wednesday evening on Lutfi's cell phone was not immediately returned. His spokesman declined to comment until after the court hearing.

Lutfi was a fixture in Spears' life during a period when the star exhibited erratic behavior, including being photographed without underwear and occasionally looking dazed in public.

Spears' father has control over his 26-year-old daughter's personal life and finances.

That power negates the need for a restraining order against Lutfi since James Spears' role as conservator allows him to decide who sees his daughter, according to Ingham's statement.

He serves as a court-appointed counsel representing Spears' interest in the ongoing conservatorship case.

"During the temporary conservatorship, the conservators have the power to insure that Lutfi will not harm Britney anymore," Ingham wrote.

Thursday's hearing had originally been scheduled to decide whether the conservatorship should be made permanent, but Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz decided weeks ago that she would instead consider other issues.

It is unclear how long Spears' affairs will remain under her father's control, but Ingham wrote that he does not expect her feelings about Lutfi to change.

"If Mr. Lutfi makes any future attempt to contact Britney after the temporary conservatorship has concluded, Britney has made clear she will take all appropriate legal action," Ingham wrote.

Source: Yahoo!

Britney's Dad to Rule the Roost Through '08?

The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:

Britney Spears' days under her father's thumb are numbered. But it's still a pretty big number.

Sources tell E! News that the popster's conservatorship likely won't be dissolved until the end of this year, despite rumors that the 26-year-old could regain control over her estate as soon as tomorrow, following a hearing on various issues pertaining to the arrangement.

Instead, attorneys for Jamie Spears are planning to ask Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz, who's been presiding over the matter since the conservatorship was instated Feb. 1, to extend the order until the fall, according to a source familiar with the situation.

But while that sounds as if it could be grounds for more legal wrangling on Britney's part, it's unlikely that the recuperating songstress is going to fight what appears to be working—at least in terms of Britney being more of a virulent attention-getter as opposed to a prayer-inspiring basket case.

Following Britney's second forced hospitalization in January, Jamie and attorney Andrew Wallet were appointed temporary coconservators of the singer's estate. Her dad also got a say as to who she came into contact with and when, as well as a $2,500 weekly allowance so that he could focus full-time on his oldest little girl.

Since Jamie took the reins of his daughter's finances, medical care and overall welfare, she's slowly rebuilt her relationship with her toddler sons, received sage wisdom from Mel Gibson, guest-starred twice on How I Met Your Mother, shot a video for Madonna's upcoming concert tour and, ahem, gotten the closest she's been to her prebaby bod since…well, since before she had her babies.

Britney's legal camp says that she's waiting until the conservatorship has ended to petition for joint custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James, who will be 3 and 2 in September, respectively. But last week, in handing sole custody over to ex-hubby Kevin Federline, a court granted her more time with the boys each week, as well as an extra overnight visit.

And, with no help from her dad, the "Toxic" blonde's "Piece of Me" scored a nomination for Best Female Video at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, which takes place Sept. 7 in Hollywood.

Also to be dealt with Thursday—the Spears' family's temporary restraining order against former Britney bud Sam Lutfi, who Jamie and Lynne Spears accused of making a variety of manipulative moves while their daughter was emotionally and mentally vulnerable.

We hear that Jamie's camp won't move to make the order permanent—a motion Lutfi had been geared up to fight—and will just let the bad blood evaporate. Britney would still theoretically be barred from seeing Lutfi anyway because of Jamie's continued oversight of who she spends her time with.

Source: E! Online

Sam Lutfi to Fight Britney Restraining Order

The following italicized article is from www.ok-magazine.com:

Just when you thought you'd heard the last of Britney Spears' former companion Sam Lutfi, he pokes his head out of the sand.

OK! has confirmed that Brit's one-time self-described "manager" will be attempting to end his 6-month-long ban from being within 250 yards of the singer.

Sam, who rose from complete obscurity almost a year ago when he quickly became a fixture in the passenger seat of Britney's Mercedes-Benz, has been under the restrictions of a temporary restraining order since February. That order, which was most recently extended in April, expires on July 31, and Sam's lawyers will be making their case in an L.A. court on Thursday that it's time for the ban to be lifted.

In typically overdramatic fashion for Sam, he has refused to have his side of the argument heard by commissioner Reva Goetz, who initially signed off on the order following a request from Brit's mother Lynne Spears. Instead, the hearing on whether or not to extend the restraining order will be argued before a Judge Bobb.

However, even if Sam's lawyers are convincing enough to have the order lifted, it's doubtful that Brit's dad, Jamie Spears, who is still in control of her life for the time-being, will allow him near his daughter. Says the source, "I don't think Jamie will be calling up ol' Sammy to come over for a BBQ anytime soon!"

Speaking of Britney and her father, tomorrow is also the date that lawyers for the conservatorship over the singer's estate and person will all appear before commissioner Goetz to set a date for the trial that will determine if the conservatorship should be made permanent.

Thursday had originally been slated as the start date for the trial, but commissioner Goetz requested more medical and psychiatric evaluation to determine if the pop star is fit to stand trial, so the trial was delayed.

Last month, Sam Ingham, the court-appointed laywer representing Brit, told the commissioner that it would be "harmful" for his client to be involved in any "litigation or depositions" because of her "fluid" state of mind.

Source: OK Magazine

Britney to Sam: I Quit You

The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:

Our sources say Britney Spears' hanger-on-er Sam Lutfi won't be legally restrained from getting his Brit fix, but it doesn't matter because she's over him.

We're told Brit's lawyers will not ask for a new restraining order when the existing one expires tomorrow. That's because Sammy boy ain't getting near Britney -- she wants nothing to do with him. The fact that daddy Jamie feels confident that Britney's mindset is stronger than any legal document is an affirmation of Sam's irrelevance.

So the hearing tomorrow will be short and sweet.

Source: TMZ

Expert: Britney Spears's Father Likely to Remain in Control

The following italicized article is from www.people.com:

Britney Spears's father will likely remain in control of the singer's affairs following a court review Thursday, an expert says.

"I would be very surprised if the court ends her father's control so soon," says Terry K. Wasserman, a mental health attorney not involved in her case. "It's rare for someone to regain their capacity in just 60 days."

Two months ago, Spears's attorney Samuel Ingham testified that the pop star was unfit to take part in legal proceedings. "In fact, they could be harmful to her," Ingham said.

Jamie Spears, 56, was named temporary conservator of her affairs on Feb. 1 following his 26-year-old daughter's two forced hospitalizations in January.

He has sole authority over whom she has contact with, and has hired security guards to watch her 24 hours a day. Her father also shares control with another lawyer over her multimillion-dollar estate.

Conservatorships can last anywhere from several months up to a person's lifetime. "Britney can only regain control of her life if she proves to the court – backed by medical experts – that she's regained her health," Wasserman says.

Thursday's hearing will also determine whether a restraining order will be renewed against the singer's former pal Sam Lutfi.

Last week, Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline, 30, ended their custody battle, reaching a settlement in which Federline retains sole custody of sons Preston, 2 1/2, and Jayden, 1 1/2, with visits by Spears.

Source: People

Britney -- Saner, But Still Not Sane Enough

The following italicized article is from www.tmz.com:

In case you read otherwise, sources tell us Britney's conservatorship will definitely not end tomorrow.

There are reports Britney Spears will become a free woman tomorrow when lawyers for the conservatorship go to court to announce their intentions. Well here are their intentions. They will ask the judge to continue the conservatorship until the fall. We hear it may last until the end of the year.

Jamie Spears won't be in court. The lawyers will deal with a few bookkeeping matters in chambers, but that's it.

Source: TMZ

Britney Spears To Star In New Reality Show?

The following italicized article is from www.entertainmentwise.com:

Britney Spears is set to become a reality TV star, according to new reports.

The recovering pop wreck, who starred in reality show ‘Britney and Kevin: Chaotic’ with her ex-husband Kevin Federline in 2005, has instructed her entourage to film her day-to-day tasks.

A source says explains via China Daily: "Britney's bodyguards and other staff members have been told to carry video equipment with them wherever they go so they don't miss a thing.

"Whether Britney is high or low, feeling happy or sad, the cameras are there catching it all. Some of the footage is really explosive and it's going to be must-see TV.

"Britney thinks a new reality show is just the thing she needs to help her kick start her career and prove to her fans she has put her recent troubles behind her."

The Toxic singer even got her assistant filming her as she danced with a mystery man while holidaying in Mexico.

Source: Entertainment Wise

Britney Conservatorship To Take Center Stage At Thursday Court Hearing

The following italicized article is from www.accesshollywood.com:

A hearing concerning the temporary conservatorship of Britney Spears will be held in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, which could affect whether the pop star will remain legally under the care of her father and a lawyer.

A judge ruled Britney was to be placed under a temporary conservatorship, overseen by her father Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet, back in February. The ruling allowed Jamie Spears and Wallet to make decisions, including those on financial matters, on the singer’s behalf.

Additionally, a temporary restraining order was filed by the conservatorship against Britney’s friend, Sam Lutfi. The order was eventually served and extended.

Lawyers for the conservatorship will meet in court on Thursday during a morning session. It was unclear if Britney (who was recently spotted in Cabo San Lucas) would attend the hearing.

On Tuesday, a source told X-17 Online that the temporary conservatorship may come to a close, but the move seems unlikely as Britney’s recent custody deal with Kevin Federline is said to weigh heavily on the conservatorship and her father’s role in her life.

An afternoon session will address the temporary restraining order against Lutfi and whether to make it permanent.

According to E! News, Britney’s former constant companion, who has been unable to visit the pop star since February 1, will fight making the order permanent.

“Sam won’t sign a permanent stay-away,” a source close to Lutfi said.

Source: Access Hollywood

Britney's Back In LA

The following italicized article is from www.popsugar.com:

After a long weekend of bikini dancing and cigarettes in the pool, Britney Spears, George Maloof, and their friends hopped on the private jet and left Cabo yesterday afternoon. It's back to LA life for Britney, who still should be riding high from her VMA nomination, so hopefully Kevin's not the only one with nothing to complain about. Britney may have something else to celebrate soon too — according to OK! Magazine, Jamie Lynn is planning on getting married before the end of the year with her big sister Brit as the maid of honor. With a couple of weddings of her own under her belt, Britney should be just the woman for the job.

Source: Popsugar

Britney Spears Is Gone In A Flash

The following italicized article is from www.latimes.com:

She's rarely seen now, and when she appears, she's good. And that's bad for the paparazzi.

To the mortgage crisis and the energy crunch and the devalued dollar, add this: a recession in the Britney market.

The young woman who rose and fell (and fell and fell) in the paparazzi's strobe lights seems to have put bizarre public displays behind her, and the photographers who made hundreds and thousands -- and in some cases, hundreds of thousands -- capturing her missteps must look elsewhere for celebrities more predictably unpredictable.

"She's boring. She doesn't even have a boyfriend," said Francois Navarre, the co-owner of X17, the photo agency that set the standard for aggressive 24/7 coverage of Britney Spears.

The Spears of today may not be any more boring than dozens of celebrities who fill magazines, but she is decidedly duller than her former self. Photographers who relied on her for hourly material for the gossip blogs are confronted by a lack of access and a lack of drama. She rarely goes out and when she does, she behaves herself. No umbrella attacks. No head shaving. No fake British accent. No panty-free car exits.

Agencies that dispatched SUV-loads of freelancers to track her every move last year have downsized their Britney teams.

"At the height of the story, we had maybe six or eight guys on it round the clock," said Chris Doherty, owner of INF, which sells pictures to magazines, websites and TV shows. "Now we would have at most two. There's no real point to being there all the time."

Spears' allure remains, as evidenced by two paparazzi arrested last week near her residence, but the coverage does not compare to the intense stakeouts that proceeded her confinement in a psychiatric ward in January.

A commissioner in Los Angeles County Superior Court subsequently named her father, Jamie, co-conservator of her and her estate, giving him and a lawyer control of the 26-year-old's medical care, finances and day-to-day activities.

Out went the paparazzi-friendly advisor, the British-accented outbursts and the aimless driving excursions that sent caravans of photographers coursing through the city. In came meals at home, family talks, conferences with attorneys and, on a good day, dance class.

The structure and supervision transformed Spears' life for the better, her representatives say.

Ten months after she lost custody of her sons, she finalized an agreement with her ex-husband that provides for gradually expanding visitation rights. She is reportedly back in the recording studio. On the rare occasions she ventures out, the gossip sites that documented her woes have congratulated her on her healthy, happy appearances.

It is welcome news for her family but an enormous change for those used to translating Spears' intemperance into a paycheck.

"Her father is doing what a good parent would do, but that doesn't help the paparazzi," said Bonnie Fuller, who was editor of Star magazine and Us Weekly when Spears was a staple.

"She's not going out with her former BFFs Paris and Lindsay anymore," Fuller said, referring to Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

Before the court intervened, Spears was seemingly omni-available to the videographers and still photographers who camped outside her Studio City gated community.

She dated a paparazzo. Her closest friend and advisor, Sam Lutfi, allowed photographers into Spears' house and provided them with information about her comings and goings, according to her mother, Lynne.

Her spacey ramblings and constant wardrobe changes made her a tabloid photographer's dream. Every rant meant salable video; each new outfit meant fresh photos. The prices that photos fetch are often overstated, but Navarre said an exclusive photo of Spears today would only bring a 10th of what it did during her most erratic times.

"Then it could sell for $10,000 to $15,000, but now it would be hard to get over $1,500," he said.

Others who sell photos disagreed, saying the smaller number of paparazzi has kept the prices relatively stable.

Navarre's agency, X17, had 25 people assigned to Spears duty earlier this year. Now it's fewer than 10, he said.

On a recent weekend, "we were the only ones," he said.

Nick Stern, a veteran photojournalist who quit his photo agency in disgust at the apex of Spears' coverage, said many photographers who tracked her were foreigners drawn by the relatively easy money. When their access to Spears dried up, Stern said, they had no incentive to stay on the beat or even in the field.

"These guys don't really have any interest in the media or reporting news. It was about money. I wouldn't be surprised if many of the snappers covering Britney have moved on to other jobs or other parts of the U.S. or even back to their home countries," said Stern, chief photographer for the Australian agency Crocmedia.

Some have refocused on up-and-coming celebrities, including Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.

An attorney for Spears said the singer did not miss the glare.

"Britney and her family are delighted to dis-incentivize the outrageous behavior of the paparazzi," lawyer Blair Berk said.

Her neighbors have noted the shrinking number of lenses camped outside the guardhouse.

"At the peak, there were 25, but now it's down to three or four," said Jim DeBoard, a resident of the Summit.

He said it had been about six months since he saw paparazzi breaking traffic laws to get behind Spears' vehicle.

"We are still all amazed at how crazy it was," DeBoard said.

The paparazzi's presence may never again reach the levels that preceded Spears' hospitalizations, but neither is it likely to remain as low as it is now, those in the industry say.

Eventually, she will resume a more public life, they say, and when she does, the cameras will be waiting.

"If Britney were to walk out tonight with a new boyfriend, we could still command high prices for those photos," Doherty said.

Frank Griffin, a partner in the Bauer-Griffin photo agency, said the reduced coverage of Spears was proof that the safe money is in happy stories.

"At the end of the day, people don't want to see train wrecks. Yes, they might want to see the mighty fall, but they don't want to kick dirt in their faces," Griffin said.

In the long run, he said, flattering photos of babies, new romances and weight loss trump even the most unflinching views of scandal.

"I guarantee if Britney were lying on the beach with Brad Pitt in a skinny bikini, it would be absolutely crazy," Griffin said.

Source: LA Times

Britney Finds Calm in Cabo

The following italicized article is from www.ok-magazine.com:

Splashing in a pool and dancing with one of her bodyguards, Britney Spears looked happier and healthier than she has in years as she showed the world that she has her killer bikini body back.

The occasion was a weekend getaway vacation to Los Cabos, Mexico, organized by Palms Casino owner and good family friend George Maloof, who intended to help Britney relax after finalizing her hard-fought custody battle against her ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Britney, 26, lost that war. On July 25, Los Angeles County Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon signed off on an agreement giving Kevin, 30, sole legal and physical custody of their sons, Jayden James, 22 months, and Sean Preston, who turns 3 on Sept. 14.

Britney is allowed supervised visitation three times a week, including one overnight. Still, just having the custody battle over was a relief for Britney, whose focus now is staying fit (she eats five small protein-packed meals a day and works out rigorously), getting her career back on track and, most important, being a great mom to her little boys.

"Britney had an overnight visit with Jayden and Preston before leaving for Mexico," a source tells OK!. "They had just been picked up to go back to Kevin's on Saturday morning when she left for the airport. Britney was in great spirits when she got on the plane."

Source: OK Magazine

Britney Sunbathing In Cabo With Brett

Check out Britney sunbathing in Cabo San Lucas yesterday afternoon with Brett. Her body looks bomb. Hope she's having fun!

ps - Yessss same bikini. Different day.

Source: Breathe Heavy