Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Bad Girl Gone Good
Britney Spears arrived at the LA county courthouse at just after 8AM this morning to make an appearance before the bench in order to fight for custody of her children Sean Preston and Jayden James. You might recall that Brit Brit's track record at impressing the court in previous custody hearings wasn't all that great (to be more accurate, she was a horrible mess -- that is, when she bothered to show up at all) but that was then ... this is now:
Britney Spears showed up at the county courthouse for a custody hearing Tuesday without the usual screaming fans, signs and banners or frenzied paparazzi chase to the parking garage. Dozens of photographers, reporters, sheriff's deputies and prospective jurors recorded her arrival as a front-seat passenger in a white Land Rover. Then she disappeared into the garage. It's been three months since Spears slipped away from a psychiatric ward and stirred up a paparazzi car chase, a scene that looked like the beginning of even more erratic behavior for the troubled pop star. In the weeks that followed, she acted out of character, all right — she lay low and avoided the cameras. She spent time with family members. She found work, and succeeded at it. With that stability and momentum to build on, it appeared Spears' child-custody hearing had the potential for a positive outcome. Showing up was the first step. Spears' ex-husband, Kevin Federline, arrived at the courthouse about 15 minutes after the troubled 26-year-old pop star, who has been under the conservatorship of her father since her one-week-early release from UCLA Medical Center. Federline, in the back seat of a black Range Rover, entered the courthouse in the same driveway used by Spears. By the time Federline showed up, there were a few dozen camera-toting fans gathered on the steps of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion across the street from the courthouse. Federline has had full custody of his two sons by Spears, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, since January, when police were called to Spears' home after she refused to relinquish one of the boys to a Federline bodyguard. Spears was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the incident. Her visitation rights were suspended at the time, but have been gradually restored in recent months. Tuesday's hearing was to include discussion of a psychiatrist's evaluation of Spears, a person close to the case told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and requested anonymity. Commissioner Scott Gordon, who was to preside over the hearing, could modify the couple's visitation agreement Tuesday based on Spears' recent conduct, the person said ... Spears has been elusive at recent court hearings, her every anticipated appearance drawing a circus of media and paparazzi. In January, she arrived at the courthouse wearing cocktail-party attire — a black minidress and gold platform shoes — and left before the custody hearing began. A lawyer for Federline said that behavior may have played a role in the commissioner's decision that she remain barred from seeing her sons. Federline has allowed Spears limited visitation rights since Feb. 22.
Even tho she may not gain any sort of physical custody of her children today (she is, after all, still under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears) I'm sure her timely appearance in court today coupled with all the positive progress in her life over the past few months will go a long way to remedy the judge's impression of her -- she may even walk away from today's hearing with more allowance time with her sons. The reinvention of Britney Spears is fully underway now, you'll see ... she'll be back in pique condition. Trust me. [Source]
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Britney Spears showed up at the county courthouse for a custody hearing Tuesday without the usual screaming fans, signs and banners or frenzied paparazzi chase to the parking garage. Dozens of photographers, reporters, sheriff's deputies and prospective jurors recorded her arrival as a front-seat passenger in a white Land Rover. Then she disappeared into the garage. It's been three months since Spears slipped away from a psychiatric ward and stirred up a paparazzi car chase, a scene that looked like the beginning of even more erratic behavior for the troubled pop star. In the weeks that followed, she acted out of character, all right — she lay low and avoided the cameras. She spent time with family members. She found work, and succeeded at it. With that stability and momentum to build on, it appeared Spears' child-custody hearing had the potential for a positive outcome. Showing up was the first step. Spears' ex-husband, Kevin Federline, arrived at the courthouse about 15 minutes after the troubled 26-year-old pop star, who has been under the conservatorship of her father since her one-week-early release from UCLA Medical Center. Federline, in the back seat of a black Range Rover, entered the courthouse in the same driveway used by Spears. By the time Federline showed up, there were a few dozen camera-toting fans gathered on the steps of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion across the street from the courthouse. Federline has had full custody of his two sons by Spears, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, since January, when police were called to Spears' home after she refused to relinquish one of the boys to a Federline bodyguard. Spears was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the incident. Her visitation rights were suspended at the time, but have been gradually restored in recent months. Tuesday's hearing was to include discussion of a psychiatrist's evaluation of Spears, a person close to the case told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and requested anonymity. Commissioner Scott Gordon, who was to preside over the hearing, could modify the couple's visitation agreement Tuesday based on Spears' recent conduct, the person said ... Spears has been elusive at recent court hearings, her every anticipated appearance drawing a circus of media and paparazzi. In January, she arrived at the courthouse wearing cocktail-party attire — a black minidress and gold platform shoes — and left before the custody hearing began. A lawyer for Federline said that behavior may have played a role in the commissioner's decision that she remain barred from seeing her sons. Federline has allowed Spears limited visitation rights since Feb. 22.
Even tho she may not gain any sort of physical custody of her children today (she is, after all, still under the conservatorship of her father Jamie Spears) I'm sure her timely appearance in court today coupled with all the positive progress in her life over the past few months will go a long way to remedy the judge's impression of her -- she may even walk away from today's hearing with more allowance time with her sons. The reinvention of Britney Spears is fully underway now, you'll see ... she'll be back in pique condition. Trust me. [Source]
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