Britney’s Back to Brunette

She did it again! After months as a blonde, Britney Spears has traded her flaxen tresses for a raven color.

Britney to extend European tour

US singer Britney Spears has extended her European concert tour, according to her website.

A dozen new dates have been added to the Circus tour, which will see the star visit cities including Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm and Moscow.

The 27-year-old has already announced an eight day residency at London's O2 Arena and one show at Manchester's MEN Arena in June.

Spears is currently coming to the end of her 37-date North American tour.

After the Manchester show, the singer will travel to Dublin for two shows from 19 June and then perform in Paris, Antwerp, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Moscow, Warsaw and a final show in Berlin on 26 July.

According to Spears's website, the tour's cast of nearly 50 dancers, magicians, clowns, acrobats and a travelling staff of more than 200 will travel to Europe with 60 tonnes (60,000 kg) of equipment in 34 trucks.

The singer began her Circus tour on 3 March in her home state of Louisiana. It is her first concert tour in five years.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8026337.stm

Smokers in audience prompt Spears to interrupt Vancouver concert

Where there's smoke, there's . . . well, there's no Britney Spears. The 27-year-old pop star left the stage for about 30 minutes during a concert on Wednesday night in Vancouver, apparently because of smoke in the audience -- although no one has confirmed that tobacco was the culprit.

As reported in the Vancouver Sun, Spears' concert was halted about 15 minutes into her performance, and an announcer admonished concertgoers to put out their cigarettes. Some audience members grew impatient while waiting for Spears and her troupe to return to the stage, the Sun reported.

After she returned and ended the show, Spears told the crowd, "Don't smoke weed."

Spears' publicist, Holly Shakoor, issued a statement apologizing to fans about the delay. The statement said "crew members above the stage became ill due to a ventilation issue."

Spears' "Circus" tour of the United States, Canada and England launched on March 3 in New Orleans. Her father and attorneys are exploring the possibility of expanding the tour to include more shows in Europe and Australia.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-quick10-2009apr10,0,365649.story

Britney Spears Walks Off Stage During Concert

The show didn't go on in Vancouver Wednesday night after Britney Spears pulled the plug on her sold-out Circus concert 15 minutes and three songs into her performance – departing the stage and leaving the audience in the GM Place in the dark for more than half an hour. Boos ensued.

Cigarette smoke from the crowd was blamed, with a female voice announcing to the crowd, "The building is awfully smoky. It is uncomfortable for everyone on stage, including Ms. Spears. Please extinguish all cigarettes – this is a non-smoking building, and the show will resume when the smoke on the stage is cleared," the Vancouver Sun reports.

Until the agitated crowd settled down, GM Place was filled with piped-in intermission music played at hockey games – which, one concertgoer told PEOPLE, left the fans "really pissed off. The break in the concert ruined it for everyone. The vibe was gone."

When she did return, Spears, 27, delivered a well-received Bollywood take on "Me Against the Music," followed by "Everytime" – during which she asked the crowd "What's up, Vancouver?" before she again left the stage, some 90 seconds before the end of the song.

The concert concluded with Spears singing "Womanizer" and advising the still-restless crowd, "Vancouver, don't smoke weed." Her sign-off was also peppered with a couple of X-rated expletives and a warning to "drive safe."

After the show, a statement was posted on the singer's Web site: "We want to apologize to all the fans who attended our Vancouver show tonight for the brief pause in Britney's set. Crew members above the stage became ill due to a ventilation issue."

Spears kicked off her Circus tour of the North America and England in New Orleans on March 3. Her father and attorneys are exploring the possibility of expanding the tour, says AP.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20271319,00.html

How Do Britney Spears Fans Prepare For Their Pop Princess To Hit The Stage?

“Prep for this concert started months ago,” Joe Moeller, Britney Spears’ unofficial number-one fan, told me during a tailgate party he was hosting outside Brit’s concert last night in Pittsburgh. “We got the setlist as soon as it came out on the Internet, and we made a mix CD so that we could listen to the whole thing.”

It wasn’t hard to find Britney’s die-hard fans at last night’s Circus tour stop. Almost everyone I spoke to was a Britney devotee. Out of the bajillion people I interviewed, only one girl I approached said she was dragged there by a friend. I even met John Mitchell, a dad from Ohio, who claimed he couldn’t afford to take his kids to the concert but went by himself because he’s such a big fan.

Moeller’s friend Jamie Margel got in on the preshow action too: “We also got some sexy corsets to properly accent the circus theme. And we got some fake eyelashes, ‘cause we gotta look glamorous and fabulous for Britney.”

That’s an idea that 18-year-old superfan Brooke Miller took to heart. She paid homage to her Brit Brit by getting decked out Circus-style in black shorts, a hot-pink tube top, a top hat and a coat with tails.

“There wasn’t a question about [dressing up]. I’ve loved Britney since I was 10 years old,” Brooke confessed.

Teens Gayle Johnston and Cara Koshut obviously feel the same about Britney, since the homemade shirts they were wearing read “Britney Spears Changed My Life.” Gayle also made a Britney necklace out of beads and a deck of cards. So why all the adulation?

“I just love everything she does. I love her music,” Gayle said.

“She’s human like all of us, and she’s just amazing,” Cara added. “She cleaned up her life, and that’s good.”

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/03/28/how-do-britney-spears-fans-prepare-for-their-pop-princess-to-hit-the-stage/

BRITNEY Spears' Australian fans may have to pay up to $150 to watch the star mime on stage.

Local promoters are still negotiating to lure Britney Spears down under before the end of the year.

Spears is reportedly requesting $1 million per show for her first Australian tour.

That means promoters need Spears to perform at least 15 shows across Australia and New Zealand to break even.

Spears' high fee and expensive production costs, coupled with the poor exchange rate, means tickets could start at around $120 for the basic seats, and up to $200 for premium seats.

Music industry insiders say Spears' miming may backfire with Australian audiences not used to singers who don't actually sing.

Footage from American shows posted on YouTube shows Spears' pristine vocals sound remarkably similar to those heard on her album, with no signs of being out of breath as she embarks on dance routines.

"Australians don't like paying to watch people mime," a music industry source said.

"It's meant to be a spectacular show with lots of dancing and choreography, but Justin Timberlake and Pink manage to dance and also sing live. Australian audiences have never really embraced acts who can't cut it live."

Britain's Sun newspaper claimed Spears mimes all but one song -- the ballad Everytime.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, who appears in a video introduction in the show, states she mimed the entire concert.

"There is no live singing. None!," Hilton wrote. "She recorded vocals to 'sound like' live, but they were all canned, pre-taped.

However, it's a Britney Spears show. You expect that! Even though you expect it, though, it would be nice if at least a handful of the almost 20-song set were live. But that's not gonna happen."

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25248914-5006024,00.html

Britney Spears sets up house in Alpine

Britney Spears is bringing her "Circus" to tony Alpine, a super-rich suburb in northeastern Bergen County, according to Life & Style Weekly, who spoke to the real estate agent for the brick Colonial mansion.

According the magazine, Spears settled on a secluded mansion with seven bedroom suites, a gym, a media room, playroom, two kitchens and a four-car garage. It's on sale for $8 million -- we believe this is the home -- but Jive apparently is paying the monthly rental of $30,000. (Yeah, but who's gonna foot the bill to get the Cheetos stains off the walls?)

LIFE & STYLE WEEKLYThis $8 million home in Alpine will be home to Britney Spears temporarily. Sean Combs lives in Alpine, and Mary J. Blige has a home in Cresskill, the next town over.

According to an agreement with ex-husband Kevin Federline, Spears gets to take sons Sean, 3, and Jayden, 2, on tour so long as she has secured appropriate, family-friendly bases around the country. Her East Coast stint comes to an end this week.

"It's very spacious, so there's lots of room for her kids to run around and play," says Dennis McCormack, a broker with Prominent Properties Sotheby's International Realty, who represents the home owner. "It has an understated elegance, with high ceilings and lots of bright light."

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/celebrities/index.ssf/2009/03/britney_spears_sets_up_house_i.html

Leave Britney alone, Fred Durst!

When Fred Durst made the media rounds last year to prove he was transforming himself from annoying rap-metal goofball to serious director, I was totally on his side. It's hard enough for normal folk to get through their 20s without making stupid mistakes, let alone a rock star. So who were we to judge Durst for his late-'90s indiscretions (i.e. that whole sex tape thing)? I believed him when he told EW last August, "That guy's gone." But then he had to go and bring up the whole "I swear, I did sleep with Britney Spears!" debate with MTV news. Seriously, Fred? I thought you dropped that back in 2003! We stopped caring a long time ago -- if we ever cared in the first place -- and it's counterproductive for someone trying to turn a new leaf (even directing a family film, The Longshots) to once again involve himself in a years-old, immature argument. So, for the good of your own career, Fred, leave Britney alone! After all, you don't hear Martin Scorsese talking about Isabella Rossellini.

Are we at all surprised by this, PopWatchers? Is Fred basically conceding that he makes a better goofball than director by grabbing headlines with this nonesense once again?

http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2009/03/leave-britney-a.html

Britney Spears Live in Newark: All Eyes on Her

It's been more than a decade since Britney Jean Spears first strode to the center of the big-top ring and became a pop superstar. Does she still have what it takes to hold that title in 2009 -- and make fans forget the tabloid shark-chum of her personal struggles? Her tour, which kicked off March 3 in New Orleans, has already had its share of NSFW scandal and video leaks, but at a stop March 13 in Newark, New Jersey, the 27-year-old star proved she is still, as she coos on the title track of her sixth No. 1 album, December '08's Circus, "a put-on-a-show type of girl."

Openers the Pussycat Dolls provided a maniacally energetic set with hits like "Buttons," "When I Grow Up," and "Stickwitchu," set to much bendy, knee-cap-to-ear choreography; leader Nicole Scherzinger can actually sing live, which is admirable, though when she referred to Britney gamely as "the original Pussycat Doll," PCD founder Robin Antin must have spit out her garter belt. And the near-capacity crowd seemed happy to see them, responding uproariously to Scherzinger's destination-tailored Jersey shoutouts.

After a lengthy set-up time filled by various circus-y sideshow acts -- you've got at least 45 minutes to take a snack- and pee-break, promise -- and a high-camp video intro starring gossipeure Perez Hilton as a sort of deranged, baby-head-chomping Queen Elizabeth, Brit finally hit the stage to near-hysterical applause. And you know what? She looked good. Granted, the mother of two is no longer the wriggling Lolita of yesteryear; she moves a little slower, and sometimes seemed to need a rest -- hence her frequent sit-downs on various stage props. In fact, the show often felt more like a Vegas revue in which Spears appears as the special guest star, disappearing frequently beneath the stage for extended periods (costume changes? Mani-pedi touch-ups? Time-outs for Jayden and Sean Preston? We know not!) while the circus carried on without its ringmistress.

Still, the 90-minute spectacle was tightly choreographed and loaded with sensory effects: dancers dropping from the ceiling like spandexed spiders, elaborate Moulin Rouge-style sets, and flashy, flesh-baring costumes, including a Bollywood-ized take on "Me Against the Music." The symbolism of placing the singer inside a golden cage for the press-excoriating "Piece of Me" was not lost on the audience, though frequent forays into S&M style theatrics a la Sex-era Madonna seemed a little dark for a largely young, female crowd (cue the extended video clip of La Spears, seemingly in the midst of an Eyes Wide Shut-style orgy, writhing to Marilyn Manson's dark-side cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"). The material itself drew heavily from her last two albums ("Radar," "Womanizer," "Freakshow") with a few forays into olden times ("Everytime," "...Baby One More Time") and the JumboTron pulsed out a constant stream of visuals in place of a closeup on the singer herself, likely because she appeared to be lip-synching to a pre-recorded "live" track throughout. Still, is anyone genuinely shocked and dismayed at that revelation? Apparently not; as one satisfied young show-goer put it, "You don't go to hear her sing. You go to see Britney, period."

You've got until May 2 to catch her on tour in the U.S., Music Mixers. Will you go see her? Have you already? Or does the whole idea just sound toxic?

http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/03/britney-spears.html

Britney Spears' ex-boyfriend ordered to stay away

Britney Spears' former boyfriend, photographer Adnan Ghalib, was ordered on Wednesday to stay away from the singer and her family for three years.

Ghalib, 36, was one of a pack of paparazzi who tracked Spears day and night at the height of her high-profile personal and career meltdown in late 2007 and early 2008. He briefly dated the pop princess.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva Bobb imposed a restraining order on Ghalib until March 2012. Bobb also extended a temporary stay away order against the singer's former self-styled manager, Sam Lutfi, until April 1.

The orders require Lutfi and Ghalib to stay at least 250 yards (meters) from Spears, 27, her parents and her two young sons.

Lawyers for Spears' father Jamie, who was appointed by the court to handle the singer's personal and business affairs more than a year ago, had accused Ghalib and Lutfi of trying to undermine Jamie Spears' legal conservatorship.

Lutfi and Ghalib were Spears' companions when her life spiraled downwards and she was briefly hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation.

Spears has since made a career comeback, releasing a hit album "Circus" in December and now headlining her first concert tour in the United States since 2004.

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE52H61520090318

Britney Spears receives death threats

Britney Spears is threatening to cancel her tour after receiving a string of death threats.

The 'Womanizer' singer - whose eagerly anticipated 'Circus' tour kicked off earlier this month - has become increasingly concerned the lives of her sons Sean Preston, three, and two-year-old Jayden James could be in danger following the menacing messages.

A source told Britain's Look magazine: "Britney received some anonymous death threats over the phone and in the mail, and her worst fear is a kidnap plot against Sean or Jayden. She's been having terrible nightmares ever since then and she wakes up in the middle of the night crying out for her boys.

"She told her head of security and he thinks it's a lone stalker. Her paranoia has reached fever pitch and she's wracked with fear."

Britney, 27, has also been left distraught after she was criticised for not singing live during recent performances, and those close to her are concerned she may crack under the pressure.

A source said: "Britney is under so much strain, what with relentless performing, the bad reviews and the worry over her boys. It all got too much and she screamed at her team, 'I can't do this any more, why are you all torturing me?' She ran out of the room crying."

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/showbiz/2009-03/18/content_7591232.htm

Britney Spears And Madonna Onstage? Don’t Get Your Hopes Up …

Who doesn’t love the magic of a Madonna and Britney Spears duet? Right. No one. So you can only imagine how excited fans were about a rumor that Madge might show up at Brit’s big Nassau Coliseum show later this month.

The rumor was started by someone claiming to be Britney’s stylist. David Alexander spilled details of the supposed super secret duet to celebrity weekly In Touch. “She’ll be singing with Madonna in New York. It will be ‘Get Together’ and ‘Trouble.’ So, together the song is called ‘Lose Control,’” Alexander told the magazine, implying a mash-up of the singers’ hits. The alleged stylist added that Madge might also join Britney for one of her L.A. shows in April. “It’s supposed to be a surprise!”

Well, the only thing surprising here is that the rumor isn’t true. A post on Britney’s Web site debunked the whole thing: “Despite rumors otherwise, at the moment Britney has no plans to collaborate with anyone in the near future at any of her upcoming performances.”

The post also addressed the source of the rumor: “PS — David Alexander is not Britney’s stylist nor have we ever heard of him.”

OK, so it’s not true, but it didn’t seem that crazy. Madge did stop by Brit’s first Nassau Coliseum show on March 11. And let’s not forget last fall when Brit made a surprise appearance at one of Madonna’s shows. Despite the denial, we’re still not ready to rule out the thought of the Material Girl returning the favor once again at the big show later this month.

http://newsroom.mtv.com/2009/03/17/britney-spears-and-madonna-onstage-dont-get-your-hopes-up/

Boston sees just a piece of Britney Spears

Britney is not Madonna. She just ain’t.

Madonna is Hillary Clinton. She’s whip smart and survives, even thrives by adapting. And Lord knows she wants it more than anyone.

Britney is Sarah Palin. Baby drama headlines. Podunk back story and a massive industry machine behind her. She’s a manufactured star aimed at the lowest common denominator.

But for a generation who grew up without Madonna as queen, she’ll do.

Last night at a sold-out TD Banknorth Garden, Spears dazzled her adoring fans with lots and lots of bells and whistles and a few solid numbers.

Taking the Circus theme literally, the show opened with 20 minutes of jugglers, clowns, acrobats and, oddly, dancing ninjas. When Brit finally appeared, it was awesome. The booming base of Circus came pumping out of the speakers and Spears dropped from the sky with her dancers.

Then it quickly became evident that this big top was more spectacle than substance. The big-budget magic of “Ooh Ooh Baby” and “Hot as Ice” were neat in a Vegas sort of way. But the hyper-sexuality of the show, loads of S&M imagery, barely pantomimed threesomes and a stripper pole Spears mounted on the back of a giant tricycle for “Boys” wasn’t all that titillating. And chasing the Bollywood trend on “Me Against the Music” just made her look behind the curve.

A smarter, stronger ring leader could have pulled it off, ahem, Madge, but not Brit. Or at least not the Brit who showed up in front of last nights 17,804.

Spears didn’t even pay lip service to lip synching, instead she just occasionally mouthed along to her backing tracks. And, as the show wore on, her dancing seemed less crisp and eventually bordered on lifeless, even if - thanks to 20 dancers framing the star - the encore of “Womanizer” rocked.

The machine has produced a string of wickedly catchy hits, but it just can’t create the legendary stage show it aimed for. Britney’s still just the Mouseketeer with lip gloss.

The Pussycat Dolls opened with an old-school burlesque show. They’ll never headline, but they set the stripper tone of the night early and well.

http://news.bostonherald.com/entertainment/music/general/view.bg?articleid=1159150

Britney Spears puts on "Circus" for comeback tour

Britney Spears kicked off her first tour in five years on Tuesday, promoting her latest hit album "Circus" before an adoring hometown audience with jugglers, acrobats, rings of flame and lip syncing.

"Britney's my girl. I knew she'd be great," said Chris Peterson, 28, who drove to New Orleans from Pensacola, Florida, for the concert. "I've been a fan since I was 14."

The pop star, attempting a comeback after a high-profile meltdown, pulled out all the stops before a sell-out crowd of 16,400 to launch her much-anticipated world tour.

Spears, 27, became a worldwide phenomenon when she burst onto the music scene 10 years ago after breaking into show business on the "Mickey Mouse Club" television show.

But she has done only a handful of live concerts in recent years as her personal life careered out of control, including stints in psychiatric care, an ugly divorce, losing custody of her two sons, shaving her head and partying without panties.

Back on stage, Spears looked fit and dazzling dressed as a ringmaster as she performed more than a dozen songs in a parade of skimpy costumes.

The launch of her 44-concert tour, which heads to Britain in June, was heavy on spectacle and was met with wild applause and cheers.

The circus-themed production featured Spears strutting and gyrating through extravagant sets on three stages, surrounded by dancers, martial artists and performers who dropped from the rafters on fabric streamers and mechanical rings.

Launching her tour in New Orleans gave Spears the chance to mount her comeback near her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana.

She seems to have pulled herself together in the past year, with support from her father Jamie, who took control of her affairs in a court-ordered conservatorship after the singer's bizarre public behavior.

Spears has also focused on her family, spending more time with her children and insisting that her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden, be allowed to accompany her on tour.

Her return to the concert circuit and sales of her album appear to be a measure of her ability to still attract the attention she once garnered from fans around the world.

"Circus," her sixth studio album, debuted at No. 1 in the United States and five other countries when it was released in December and won her three MTV Video Music Awards.

But some fans at the New Orleans show were disappointed that she remained distant from her loyal supporters.

"I hoped she would talk directly to the audience, especially since this is her home, but she didn't say anything," said Kelly Dupont, who lives in nearby Baton Rouge.

New Orleans resident Stephanie Chandler, who saw a live performance by Spears eight years ago, was harsher.

"I was very disappointed. She's just not in it," Chandler said. "If you're going to lip sync, then you'd better bring on the dancing, but she didn't."

http://www.reuters.com/news/entertainment

Spears returns in first concert tour in 5 years

Britney Spears is bringing her circus act to the stage Tuesday night. The pop star is kicking off her first tour in five years with "The Circus" tour. New Orleans Arena is the first stop on the 27-city nationwide tour.

The tour marks yet another step as Spears rehabilitates her image and her career after an extended downward spiral. So far, it's worked: She's got a platinum album with her recently released "Circus" CD and two hit singles.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/ENTERTAINMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME

Judge orders three men to stay away from Spears

A judge on Wednesday ordered three men with former ties to Britney Spears to continue staying away from the pop star amid claims they tried to undermine her father's control over her affairs.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb extended a restraining order against Sam Lutfi, the star's former self-styled manager, and Adnan Ghalib, a former boyfriend, until March 18.

The judge also extended a restraining order against attorney Jon Eardley, who once claimed to represent Spears, until April 1.

At the same hearing, Itamar Gelbman, a former member of Spears' security team, testified that Lutfi sent text messages to the singer's hairstylist in December asking her to relay information to the pop star.

Attorneys for Jamie Spears, the 27-year-old singer's father, have accused Lutfi, Ghalib and Eardley of trying to disrupt the legal conservatorship that gives him control over her personal affairs and replace her court-appointed lawyer.

The restraining orders against the three men require them to keep away from Spears and her family, and from helping others file legal proceedings on her behalf.

Bobb is expected to decide at hearings on March 18 and April 1 whether to further extend the restraining orders.

On Tuesday, Ghalib was charged with one felony count each of assault with a deadly weapon, battery and hit-and-run for allegedly using his car to ram a man attempting to serve the restraining order against him on February 11. Ghalib, a 36-year-old celebrity photographer, has pleaded not guilty.

Jamie Spears was granted temporary control over his daughter's affairs in February 2008, after the singer displayed bizarre public behavior for more than a year and was hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation.

http://www.reuters.com/news/entertainment

Britney's dad testifies for restraining order

Britney Spears' father testified for nearly 90 minutes Monday about why he felt a long-term restraining order should be issued against three people, including the singer's former manager and an ex-boyfriend.

Jamie Spears was the first witness to testify in the restraining order case, and it did little to establish direct contact between Osama "Sam" Lutfi and his daughter since a conservatorship was established a year ago.

Calling Lutfi a "predator" and repeating an allegation that he ground medication into his daughter's food, Jamie Spears said he thought his daughter's one-time friend and manager was a danger to the family.

But he acknowledged under questioning by Lutfi's lawyer that he was not aware of any conversations between his daughter and Lutfi. And the only evidence of communication between the two was a recent call Britney Spears made to Lutfi.

Lutfi's attorney, Bryan Freedman, said the hearing "couldn't have gone any better."

He said Jamie Spears' testimony did not demonstrate why a restraining order is necessary.

Jamie Spears said he did not know if the pair talked then or since. He said Lutfi had called Spears on other phones and tried to relay a "Merry Christmas" message through the singer's hairdresser and get her to call him.

He said the call from his daughter to Lutfi was found on a prepaid cell phone that his security detail confiscated from the singer last month. The phone listed the phone numbers of Adnan Ghalib, a paparazzo who once dated the singer, and Lutfi.

Jamie Spears testified his daughter told him the phone was given to her at a hotel by someone who said it was from Lutfi and Ghalib. The singer has a cell phone, but her father said he controls her access to it.

Ghalib did not appear during Monday's hearing and was not represented by a lawyer. Jamie Spears repeatedly referred to him as "Adan" during his testimony.

"A restraining order is for severe harassing conduct that causes substantial emotional distress," Freedman said, adding that Spears' testimony "doesn't remotely come close to that."

Jamie Spears' testimony was just one part of the case that he and his lawyers could bring to justify the restraining order.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb allowed him to testify Monday because he will be traveling later in the week, but delayed ruling on the restraining orders until at least Wednesday.

She extended a temporary restraining order against Lutfi, Ghalib and attorney Jon Eardley until Wednesday.

Jamie Spears' attorneys contend the trio attempted to sabotage the conservatorship in recent months and sought to replace Spears' court-appointed attorney, Samuel Ingham.

Eardley's lawyer, Roger Diamond, argued Monday that his client should be dismissed because he had no contact with Spears since early last year. He filed a motion and appeal to remove the conservatorship case to federal court, an effort that was rejected.

Lutfi, Ghalib and Britney Spears did not appear during Monday's hearing.

In his testimony, Jamie Spears said he refused to meet with Lutfi last month. He and Lutfi released a joint statement last summer that indicated they agreed not to extend a temporary restraining order that was issued when the conservatorship was established.

"We asked him to go away," Jamie Spears said Monday. "He agreed to go away. I just want the man to go away."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/ENTERTAINMENT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME

Sam Lutfi sues Britney Spears, parents

Britney Spears' former manager and friend Osama "Sam" Lutfi filed a libel and defamation lawsuit Tuesday against the singer and her parents.

Lutfi's lawsuit came just three days after a judge granted Spears and her parents a restraining order against Lutfi, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib and a lawyer who the Spears family claim tried to regain control of the singer's life.

The lawsuit, which does not seek a specific dollar amount, provides pages of Lutfi's version of events, including his claim that he urged the singer to reconcile with her parents and that he was acting in her best interests.

Spears' family has contended otherwise. Lynne Spears once accused him of grinding pills into her food to control her, a claim he denies in his lawsuit.

The 27-year-old Spears has a resurgent career with a new album and tour planned, both of which have occurred since a court granted her father, Jamie, control over the singer's personal and financial affairs.

An e-mail and phone call sent to Spears' publicist seeking comment was not returned.

Lutfi also alleges that Jamie Spears punched him in the chest last year after accusing him of making a rude remark to the singer's mother, Lynne. Lutfi claims the incident happened in the midst of Britney Spears' downward spiral, just days before her father was granted the conservatorship.

A phone message left with Jamie Spears' conservatorship attorney was not immediately returned.

Lutfi's libel and defamation claims heavily cite Lynne Spears' recent book, "Through the Storm," and says it's filled with "false statements."

He claims the Spears' actions have caused him to suffer "humiliation, mental anguish and emotional and physical distress." Lutfi's lawsuit also claims he has received death threats and "has been subjected to unfathomable amounts of ridicule and public scorn."

Lutfi is also seeking unspecified damages based on an oral contract he claims he and Britney Spears forged in 2007. The suit states the agreement called for him to serve as Spear's manager for four years and receive 15 percent of her earnings. He claims the singer confirmed the contract in a text message.

Spears renounced her friendship with Lutfi last year in a statement issued through her court-appointed attorney. The remarks came after an agreement was apparently reached that Lutfi wouldn't try to contact Britney Spears.

Attorneys for Spears' father claimed in court filing last week that Lutfi sent text messages to Spears and her father recently, and that he, Ghalib and attorney Jon Eardley engaged in a campaign to try to take control of Spears' interests in the conservatorship.

A hearing on whether the restraining order should be extended is scheduled for later this month. - AP

Spears gets order against ex-boy friend, manager

Britney Spears has obtained a restraining order against former pal Osama "Sam" Lutfi and one-time boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, court records show.

Attorneys for Spears and her father, who is her legal conservator, received the order Friday. The documents state that Lutfi, Ghalib and attorney Jon Eardley have been trying to gain control of Spears' affairs.

"On the first anniversary of the establishment of the conservatorship, the co-conservators are informed and believe that these three figures are working in concert to disrupt the conservatorship, with an utter disregard for Ms. Spears' health and well being," the documents state.

Lutfi was a manager and friend of Spears, whose mother once accused him of grinding pills into her food to control her. Ghalib, a paparazzo, had dated the singer.

The documents, released late Friday, claim that Lutfi tried to contact Spears in late December by sending text messages to her hairdresser. The documents state Lutfi later started sending text messages to Spears and one of her attorneys, Blair Berk, trying to arrange a meeting.

The order, first reported Friday by the celebrity Web site TMZ, alleges that Lutfi has also sent "anonymous, harassing and threatening" messages to Spears' father.

This week, the documents state, an attorney sent a proposal to remove Spears' court appointed attorney. He later told Spears' attorneys that he had been contacted by Eardley and Lutfi, according to the filings.

Eardley once claimed to be Spears' attorney and tried to get her conservatorship case moved to federal court. A phone message left at Eardley's office was not returned Friday.

Spears and her father agreed not to renew a temporary restraining order that was issued against Lutfi last year when it expired in July.

At the time, Spears' court-appointed attorney Samuel D. Ingham III issued a statement renouncing their friendship. "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," Ingham said in a statement.

Lutfi at the time declined to comment, saying only that he and Jamie Spears had reached an agreement.

Spears was placed under the conservatorship a year ago on Sunday. The arrangement has been expensive _ her estate has paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees _ but since her father took control of her life, the pop singer has not had the bouts of erratic behavior, including two hospitalizations, that led to his intervention. - AP

Britney Spears: Comeback of the year?

Is Britney back on top? Or has her career gone the way of Lindsay Lohan's? It's hard to say. First, let's consider the pros: Though her new CD, Circus, isn't a revelation on par with, say, Mariah Carey's 2005 lifesaver, The Emancipation of Mimi, it was good enough to open at No. 1 with 505,000 copies sold; her music videos for "Womanizer" and the title track are satisfactory, much like the songs that inspired them; and she's finally got her svelte pre-baby body back. Still, there are cons to consider as well: As an entertainer, Brit's no longer the electrifying dancer she used to be--her lackluster moves are stiff and sluggish; during interviews, she exudes apathy and indifference while remaining curiously vague about the details of her notorious meltdown; and her messy personal life continues to overshadow her work. So, what's the verdict? Well, she's certainly no longer capital F fierce, but I wouldn't call her a has-been just yet. In fact, I'm keeping hope alive that the old Brit will magically reappear when she goes on tour next year.

http://margeauxs-mix.ew.com/2008/12/britney-spears.html
by Margeaux Watson