Britney Spears Seeks Court Order

Pop singer Britney Spears asked to have a restraining order imposed against a 41-year-old Japanese man she claims has been stalking her since September.

According to a petition filed Monday in Superior Court, Masahiko Shizawa of Yokohama, Japan has "tracked and attempted to contact" Spears at her home in Los Angeles, as well as at her second residence and one of her parents' homes, both outside California.

Those attempts have ranged from sending photos of himself along with notes reading, "I'm chasing you," to showing up at Spears' home and refusing to leave when he was ordered off the property, the complaint alleges.

Spears' attorney, Joel Strote of Woodland Hills, asked to have Shizawa barred from coming within 1,000 feet of the 21-year-old singer and from contacting her in any way.

Judges are typically willing to grant temporary restraining orders on the basis of such allegations, particularly when they involve celebrities. But it was unclear Monday whether Spears' request had been granted, and Strote could not be reached for comment.

A hearing would need to be held to make the injunction permanent.

Spears' publicist, Lisa Kasteler, said Monday that she had not discussed the situation with her client. "I can't really comment for security reasons," she said.