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Spears taken in ambulance after standoff


Mike

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LOS ANGELES -- The troubled life of Britney Spears added a new chapter when the intoxicated pop star was whisked away in an ambulance after police were called to her house to help end a nearly three-hour custody standoff involving her young sons.

The 26-year-old pop star was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Entertainment Tonight reported on its Web site Friday. Cedars spokeswoman Simi Singer said she could neither confirm nor deny the report, citing patient confidentiality laws.

Officer Jason Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department told City News Service that Spears appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance. He declined to elaborate. No injuries were reported.

Spears was conscious late Thursday when paramedics took her out of her home in a gurney. Several police cars escorted the ambulance out of the neighborhood, followed by dozens of paparazzi.

Officers were called to Spears' house around 8 p.m. to respond to the custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their sons, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, Lee said.

By about 10:30 p.m., six police cars, two ambulances and a fire truck had entered the gated-community that includes Spears' house. Several police cars were seen in the area earlier in the night.

Spears turned over the children around 10:50 p.m., Lee said.

Calls to the Police Department's media line early Friday were not answered.

Spears and Federline have been involved in a long and very public custody battle. Federline 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.

Spears has appeared increasingly out of control during the past year. She has been photographed without underwear and appeared to be drunk and out-of-control. 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 deposed for just 14 minutes, Federline attorney Mark Vincent 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.

Copyright 2008 AP

*Posters comments:

When she starts weaving baskets at Agnews Insane Asylum, will she sell them through her website?

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When 6 police cars,2 ambulances and a fire truck show up at your home to wisk you away to a hospital,you know you have made the big time. :laugh:

Also,I think most of us were told by our parents to always have on clean undies just in case you have to go to the hospital suddenly. With Ms. Spears,I'm sure this will never be an issue since,well,she don't wear undies. :P

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It would be sad for her be our modern day Marilyn Monroe. I'm sure she's a good kid, just going down the road. Sinking fast.

As much as I've chided her for her faux pas, neglect, and, well, just plain stupidity. I can't help but feel sorry for her. What a mess.

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I felt sorry for her in the past but when things like this happen over and over it's hard to keep feeling that way. To not show up at hearings that concern her own children but yet she goes out at all hours of the night partying show's she has little respect for her kids or herself. I no longer feel sorry for her but I sure do feel sorry for her kids. They are the ones who will pay the price for the stupidity of their mother.

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Yeah, I feel sorry for her. I don't know what being propelled into *that* lifestyle, could be like, seems like they become a product of the media and fan-"atics" I've seen some footage of people groveling (sp?) at the heels of Britney, guys that would give their left nad to just get there picture taken with her. Yuck! She seems quite normal 10 years ago... did she do this all by her self?

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It's really unfortunate that the paparazzi would rather make money by destroying a person's life than use their journalism to try and help society, or at least not hurt people. I feel sorry for Britney Spears and I think she could use a few years out of the spotlight.

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I stated quite a while ago that I wouldn't comment on Britney's escapades any longer, and I think I've kept that vow until now. I was dismayed today to hear this news, not because of the news itself (that's truly not a shocker), but the reaction it has gotten. I've heard DJ's making shocking comments, seen the media go wild, and for whatever reason watched as this became headline news.

This girl was exposed to too much life, too fast, with very little help. I think that she was exploited as a young girl, with the situation now being the end result. I think exactly what was stated by Mike. I believe she is this generations' Marilyn, and is quickly going down the same road,(with the twists of todays world thrown in) and if something doesn't happen soon the result will be the same. Someone needs to turn off the spotlight, and take this young woman off the stage.

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I also said no more Brit stories, but this seemed like a natural extension of what has been discussed:

Spears loses custody of kids to K-Fed By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears was derailed yet again in her struggle to get her life back on track, losing custody of her two sons to ex-husband Kevin Federline. A court commissioner Friday gave sole physical and legal custody of the former couple's two little 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 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 Friday 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 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 Friday.

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 Los Angeles police 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."

"Police resolved the conflict," Aguirre said. "Both children were turned over to her ex-husband Kevin Federline for custody, and she was in fact taken to a local hospital for medical treatment."

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.

Spears wasn't arrested in connection with the custody dispute, Aguirre said.

"There was no actual crime that was involved," the police spokeswoman said.

Kaplan said he went to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after Spears was admitted there, but he declined to provide any details about the pop star, her ex-husband, or their two sons.

Spears' mother, Lynne Spears, also would not disclose any information about her daughter's condition. "Just say prayers," she told the celebrity news show "Access Hollywood" by phone Friday.

Hospital spokeswoman Simi Singer wouldn't confirm or deny reports in entertainment media that Spears would be held for 72 hours for psychological evaluation. The reports didn't identify their sources.

Spears "needs an enormous amount of help to find out why the erratic behavior," said Ruth Schreibman, a marriage and family therapist who does not treat the pop star.

"Is she bipolar? Is she depressed? Is it postpartum depression? Is it drugs and alcohol?" she said. "There's just so much attention and it's such an accelerated speed of life that how can there be any normalcy?"

Spears and Federline were married in October 2004. Her life has spiraled 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 it was universally panned by fans and critics.

Still, Spears' latest album, "Blackout," earned positive reviews when it was released in October and brought Spears her first No. 1 hit in years, "Gimme More."

However, Spears remains a paparazzi target for her bizarre antics, which include frequent stops at gas-station bathrooms and holing up in a hotel room with a paparazzo.

Her 16-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn, made headlines last month when she announced that she is pregnant.

___

Associated Press writer Robert Jablon contributed to this report. Raquel Maria Dillon contributed for the AP.

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Ok, so, when the press approached Dr. Phil, and asked him for a statement, why didn't he just say "No comment"?

What good would a show about Britney's "troubles" do the family, exactly?

EXPLOIT - EXPLOIT - EXPLOIT!

That's all this is about! I despise Dr. Phil even more than I did before, and I didn't think that was possible.

Jan 7 2008

Dr. Phil Defends Visit To Britney Spears As A Favor To Family

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McGraw says he has had a 'running dialogue' with Lynne Spears about Brit's troubles for more than a year; episode focusing on pop star's latest woes nixed.

Television personality/ psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw's visit to Britney Spears' room at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles Saturday morning (reportedly without her prior knowledge or consent) has received considerable criticism since it was announced over the weekend. But according to the doctor, he was simply doing the Spears family a favor.

On Monday morning (January 7), McGraw appeared on CBS' "Early Show" to refute widespread speculation of his motives. Some have accused McGraw of exploiting Spears' situation for the purposes of self-promotion, considering the fact that he held a brief press conference following his 15-minute visit and had planned to air a special episode about Spears on his syndicated talk show Tuesday.

According to McGraw, he visited Britney "at the request of her family." The psychiatrist claims he spoke with Brit's mother, Lynne Spears; her pregnant 16-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn; and Brit's brother, Bryan, before making the trip to Cedars-Sinai. The family was "very frustrated that she apparently wasn't going to be held for a longer period of time," he said.

McGraw said the Spears family called him Thursday night, just hours before Spears was transported by ambulance to the hospital, following a child-custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline, who temporarily has sole legal and physical custody of the couple's children.

"It was Lynne," McGraw said of the phone call. "She has a very close relationship with my wife, Robin." According to Dr. Phil, Lynne "was very upset, which you would expect — any parent would be." He then revealed that the Spears first reached out to him "over a year ago, and I have maintained a running dialogue with them over the last year."

Spears was reportedly already packing to leave Cedars-Sinai when McGraw arrived on Saturday. According to various reports, Spears responded coolly to McGraw's visit, initially left the room when he showed up and said very little to him when she returned.

In a statement released to ETonline.com on Saturday, McGraw said that his "meeting with Britney and some of her family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention. She was released moments before my arrival and was packing when I entered the room. We visited for about an hour before I walked with her to her car. I am very concerned for her."

A representative for McGraw's program had told MTV News over the weekend that the psychologist's show on Tuesday would focus on Britney, but the rep wouldn't say whether Spears or any members of her family would appear on the episode. But on Monday, McGraw issued a statement, saying the program would not be happening after all.

"As was widely reported this weekend, at the request of concerned family members, I visited Britney Spears in the hospital," the statement reads. "The details of that visit will, of course, remain private. We had planned to tape a 'Dr. Phil Now' show today, focusing not on the tabloid side of Britney's latest problems, but instead on the very serious issues surrounding this case. Clearly, it is not just Britney's family struggling to find a way to protect adult children who cannot be ordered or compelled to seek help. Because the Spears situation is too intense at this time, and out of consideration to the family, I have made the decision not to move forward with the taping at this particular time. Britney and her family are in our prayers, and we ask that they be in yours."

On Monday, McGraw directed the following statement to Britney (posted on ETonline.com, from a segment airing on the show Monday night):

"You can make this OK. Your family loves you. You may not always agree with what they say, with what they do, but they've loved you when you weren't lovable. Turn to the people that love you and listen. You have two children and you are the one in this world to protect them. There is no sacrifice that Lynne won't make for you and there is no sacrifice that your father won't make. They are the people that want nothing from you, and everything for you."

Head here for an overview of the tumultuous past four years of Britney Spears' life.

[This story was originally published at 12:11 pm E.T. on 1.7.08]

© 2007 MTV Networks. © and TM MTV Networks. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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When a celebrity goes to a celebrity doctor for celebrity type problems.....it usually doesn't work out well.

But the celebrity doctor (looses definition, of course) in this case went (uninvited) via request of the family. Uh huh? Sure. He was only looking out for Brit. Uh huh? right. Not trying to gain ratings, not trying to exploit her for financial gain of his own?

He should know better.

Paparazzi? They're one of the lowest form of scum around, mans got a earn a living though. Someone like Britney Spears eats attention up with a spoon, (she does other things with a much smaller spoon).

I don't know what everyone has against Britney, I know what I'd have against her, (wink-wink) but that's another subject. :googly:

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This girl need to be taken to a well respected mental hospital and get the help she needs. I don't care for her, but she is a mother of two little boys and I would hate to see her become the Anna Nicole of 2008.

Evidently she must have passed a mental exam, or she could be held for observations for her own welfare.

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I doubt she passed, she just was let go due to the fact of who she is, fame get you everything you want....sadly.

Well, then if they f up, they're liable if she harms herself or anyone else. That could prove costly and damaging.

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I said it before, I knew it be true!

Spears family says Dr. Phil crossed the line

By Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) - Britney Spears' family says "Dr. Phil" McGraw crossed the line by not keeping his mouth shut after making a house call on the singer last week.

Lou Taylor, a business manager for Spears' mother, Lynne, and younger sister, Jamie Lynn, appeared on NBC's "Today" show Wednesday and said McGraw had betrayed the family's trust by talking to the media about Spears' mental health after showing up at the 26-year-old pop star's hospital room on Saturday for a visit.

"The family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements," Taylor said. "Any statement publicly that he made, because he was brought in under this cloak of trust, (is) just inappropriate."

Taylor said McGraw was invited to the hospital by Spears' family, but "he was not invited to make this part of a public display or part of the media."

McGraw said earlier this week that he was shelving plans for a show on Spears' latest breakdown. He said Spears' predicament was "too intense" for him to go on with the show.

Taylor said the syndicated TV psychologist broached the idea of the show to Spears' handlers, who eventually decided that such a show would be "detrimental" to the family.

Later Wednesday, McGraw representative Theresa Corigliano said McGraw "stands by his previous statements."

Mental health professionals also criticized McGraw this week, saying he went too far by showing up at Spears' room at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles as she was about to be discharged.

McGraw fired back at his critics in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" on Monday.

"Somebody needs to step up and get this young woman into some quality care - and I do not apologize one whit, not one second, for trying to make that happen," he said.

Spears was hospitalized Thursday night after a child custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline resulted in an hours-long standoff with police. On Friday, a court commissioner gave sole physical and legal custody of 1-year-old Jayden James and 2-year-old Sean Preston to Federline.

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