Britney In Desert, Dr. Phil Show A No-Go

Pop Star Spotted With Paparazzo, TV Shrink Criticized For Capitalizing On Her Troubles

(CBS)  Britney Spears was reportedly spotted sipping a drink in Palm Desert, Calif. a day after she was released from a Los Angeles hospital.

According to Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review Journal, Spears was seen enjoying a mimosa during a breakfast at the Daily Grill restaurant Saturday morning with paparazzi pal Adnan Ghalib. A restaurant manager later confirmed to Clarke that it was Spears.

Spears, 26, has been seen with Ghalib, 35, before in recent weeks. He told Us Magazine in December that the two are "just friends."

The troubled young entertainer was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by paramedics Thursday night after police were called to her home because of a custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their two young sons.

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Photos: Standoff At Britney's

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As first reported on "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider," Spears was released from the hospital Saturday. The news came via a press release from talk show host Dr. Phil McGraw to the entertainment shows, saying that he met with her as she was preparing to leave. He said he's convinced she's "in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention."

Dr. Phil drew criticism after saying he'd be speaking about Spears on his talk show. He announced Monday afternoon on his Web site that although the show was not "going to focus on the tabloid side" of Spears latest troubles, he had decided to not go forward with taping the show out of "consideration for the family."

In an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" aired on The Early Show, Dr. Phil said that he was called in to see Spears at the family's request.

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Photos: Pop Diva Britney

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"I went to see Britney at the request of her family," he told "Entertainment Tonight" correspondent Kevin Frazier. "I talked to (her mother) Lynn, I talked to (her father) Jamie, I talked to Brian, her brother and they were very frustrated that she apparently wasn't going to be held for a longer period of time and they said, will you come talk to her?,' which I said I would."

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Timeline: Britney's Meltdown

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2Dr. Phil added that this was not the first time the family has spoken to him about Spears' troubles.

"I was first contacted by her family over a year ago and maintained a running dialogue with them throughout the last year," he said.

Managing editor Harvey Levin of celebrity Web site TMZ.com said "Britney didn't ask for it, Britney didn't know about it" and he said Spears walked out when Dr. Phil walked in.

TMZ.com said it spoke with eight psychiatrists who don't think Dr. Phil should've been allowed in to see Spears when he doesn't have inpatient privileges.

[TrakerJon]

Boycott all media sites that report on Britney Spears. Tell them you''ve had enough of this nonsense.

[barbaraf4]

Brit has gotten her wish and ditched her boys. Now she is out of the attorneys'' reach and she is free to do whatever she wants.

I hope she has discovered a dependable contraceptive.

[kevzgrl]

Britney, her mom and "Dr." Phil are all media
wh-ores, and the ones who are suffering the most, those poor little boys, are the ones who need the help the most. Let Brit and mommy go back to the trailer park, send "Dr." Phil back to Texas, and we will have peace and quiet for a while.....

[jetlizhan]

i really like dr phil and his show; however, he should not have gone to see britney. the news report i heard was that lynne spears asked him to go see her daughter. now she could have gotten any number of good reputable doctors to see britney - but no, she''s gotta have the tv doc, i presume for more publicity. she was wrong and dr phil was wrong. now i hear he''s gonna air an entire show on ''the britney meltdown''. what a load of ***. dr phil, you''ve really disappointed this fan (former fan?)
along with her daughter, lynne should be stripped of her parental rights!

[grammawhamma]

When asked on TV tonight what happened when he confronted Britney at the hospital...Dr Phil said it would be a breach of confindentiality so he could not say. BS!! Then why is he on all channels even talking about Britney? My guess is that she told him to get the f##k away from her!! Don''t fall for his sh.it. I hope Britney gets a grip on her life...I like her.

[previn2]

I just hope that *** papparazzi dude hanging-out with Miss Spears turns-out to be a "friend" to her and not some idiot who uses her for profit! When someone isn''t right upstairs and a person takes advantage of that, it''s like taking advantage of a child, in my opinion. I''ve got a bad feeling about it all. I hope for the best for her. And I''m not a Britany Fan either. -Just a concerned fellow human being.

[hardlynormal-2009]

Dr Phil is a glory hound, face it, everything he does is for personal recxognition.even I know that you dont take a screwed up kid and put her out there in public an humiliate her more. hes a person of opertunity.no phyc.Oprah has some loser friends. everone living acording the phil are so blinded by there need to belong

[likeitis5050]

We need to leave ths pitiful creature alone...and quit buying up snapshots from pigs who only want to exploit her...especially if they are sleeping with her!!! No more publicity. Guaranteed photogs will stop chasing her around and bedding her just get pics when the market dries up. This is shameful. Since when is mental illness something worthy of exploitation? Put the photogs out of business today!

[timberagain]

Dr. Phil may be just "Psych 101", but he does a lot of good.
A lot of people who otherwise wouldn''t seek therapy do listen to him.
And many of them need the help desperately.

[itgranny]

What happened to confidentiality. while britany''s a mess, he shouldn''t so much as whisper about anything that has to do with her or her family. It''s called professionalism!