Thursday, July 1, 2010

'No Signs of Britney Abusing Sons'

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

Social workers made a visit to Britney Spears' home as part of an investigation by the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services that the singer abused her two sons, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.

The blockbuster development comes after Spears' former bodyguard, Fernando Flores, allegedly claimed that the pop star abused her sons Sean Preston and Jayden James last March or April.

Flores told a British tabloid that Britney asked Flores for his belt, and then he says he witnessed her abusing the boys.

Flores didn't get into specifics about any alleged injuries, or if one or both children were targeted.

Now RadarOnline.com has learned that a complaint was lodged against Spears, forcing DCFS to investigate.

A Spears family insider tells RadarOnline.com, "Social workers visited Britney's house recently about the alleged abuse allegations. Under California law, anytime anyone makes a report to child protective services, a welfare check is required to be made under law to further investigate.

"It doesn't matter who has made the claim, or how outlandish it may seem. During the visit by officials, there was absolutely no signs of abuse. The boys are happy well adjusted toddlers that love their mama and Britney is fiercely protective of them.

"The investigation is 95 percent complete and no further action will be required. All that is essentially going to be done at this point is for the paperwork to be finished and then the case will be closed."

Flores is described to RadarOnline.com as "an opportunist seeking his 15 minutes of fame. Flores is a former disgruntled employee that is trying to take advantage of Britney."

Britney and K-Fed were spotted at the boys' pre-school graduation together last week.

The family insider says, "Britney and Kevin parent the children together, and they have developed a very healthy relationship that truly enables the boys to thrive. They are united in parenting the boys and trying to raise them in as normal environment as possible.

"If Kevin thought for one moment that the boys were in harms way while they are with Britney, he would immediately go to family law court to have the situation addressed and dealt with. Britney is rarely alone with her sons, usually her boyfriend, Jason Tarwick, is with her during their visits, or her dad is there."

There has been absolutely no action by K-Fed or Britney regarding any custody issues with the boys, RadarOnline.com has confirmed with public records with the Los Angeles Superior Court system. The last time there was any movement was in September 2009, and that dealt with one of the parents getting one more day of visitation per week.

This isn't the first time DCFS has investigated Spears. Back in 2007, her former bodyguard, Tony Barretto, had a two-hour meeting with officials from the office and his attorney, Gloria Allred.

Barretto claimed to witness Spears using drugs, and was concerned about her then erratic behavior. Barretto requested that a formal investigation be opened into the matter. Spears eventually lost custody of her sons in early 2008 after she was placed under a psychiatric hold.

Spears has flourished since being placed under conservatorship, and she essentially has joint custody of her sons.

In 2006, when Spears was still married to Federline, a nanny accidentally dropped then 7-month-old Sean Preston, and he subsequently hit his head. DCFS visited the Spears household after Brit and Kevin took their son to the hospital and concluded there was no evidence of abuse, and no further action was taken at that time either.


Source: Radar Online

TMZ has learned a former, part-time security worker for Britney Spears contacted the L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services, claiming Britney abused her sons, but his timing raises suspicions.

Sources say Fernando Flores claimed Britney whipped one of her sons with a belt. Flores made other claims that Britney abused both sons. But sources tell us Flores did not utter a peep for more than a month after he was let go.

A source close to Britney and her family tells TMZ, "The allegations made by Fernando Flores are absurd." The source adds, "Flores was never an employee of Britney. He was never an employee of the Spears family. He worked part-time for a security company."

And sources say Children Services investigated -- as they must -- and determined the claim had no merit.


Source: TMZ

Claims from Britney Spears's former bodyguard that the pop star allegedly hit her two sons with a belt are false, sources tell PEOPLE.

"Britney is quite the opposite – she doesn't discipline them enough and she will do anything to keep the boys happy," says one source close to Spears. "There are issues with Britney, but her abusing the boys are not one of them."

Fernando Flores told a British tabloid that he had witnessed Spears, 28, hitting her children, Preston, 4, and Jayden, 3, in March or April 2009, but another source tells PEOPLE the allegations are untrue.

"It's ridiculous what the guy is claiming. It never happened," says the source.

The Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services sent social workers to the singer's home, according to RadarOnline, but the visit was routine since California law requires a welfare check anytime a report is made to child protective services.

"Everything is fine," says the second source. "Britney has done nothing but be a great mom to her kids."

Spears's rep did not return requests comment.


Source: People

Celeb 100 FAQ: Yes, Britney Spears Really Made $64 Million Last Year. Here's How.

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

When Britney Spears popped up at no. 6 on our Celebrity 100 list, we too thought it must be some sort of technical glitch in the number crunching process. What else could explain the placement of the former head-shaving, umbrella-swinging, rehab-visiting pop-tart near the top of a list of the world’s most powerful stars? Could this one-time train wreck really be that rich or that important to the entertainment business?

The answer is yes. The Britney Spears who made our list was not the tabloid target whose frequent meltdowns only two years ago relegated her to our infamy index. Instead, the 28-year-old that clocked in in our top 10 was the chart-topping songstress whose past 12 months included the 5th highest-grossing tour of the year. According to concert trade publication Pollstar, "The Circus Starring Britney Spears" tour grossed more than $130 million. Spears took in still more from tour merchandise and another greatest hits album, "The Singles Collection."

Like her savvier Hollywood cohorts, she has been similarly busy building the Spears brand, extending her fan-base –and wallet—with a host of top-selling Elizabeth Arden fragrances, an endorsement deal for Candie’s and a fashion collection for juniors. She added the latter last month, and will sell her designs exclusively at Kohl’s.

But for her to land as high on the list as she did, she needed to garner as much fame as she did money. She did. In fact, the mother of two ranked third overall in Web mentions (behind Lady Gaga and Beyonce, who banked an estimated $62 million and $87 million, respectively, during the same period) and second in a social media metric that factored in both Twitter and Facebook followings (Gaga has her beat with nearly 10 million Facebook fans).

Still more impressive: in May, Spears overtook Twitter king Ashton Kutcher as the most popular celebrity on Twitter. At last check, she had 5.2 million followers, a group with whom she responds to and frequently updates.

So no, Britney Spears is far from through. If the last year is any indication, she's just getting started.


Source: Forbes
 

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