Dr. Phil "Betrayed" Spears Family's Trust

(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.

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Photos: Standoff At Britney's

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"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.

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Photos: Pop Diva Britney

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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.

McGraw representative Theresa Corigliano did not immediately respond to phone and e-mail messages by The Associated Press seeking comment.

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.

[rlpin]

This is just the families way of not dealing with Britney and her REAL problems. This family has enabled this child, and I do mean child, all her life. Her mentality is stunted at about age 13. She basically through a temper tantrum during the "standoff". She locked herself in her bedroom...know any 13 yr olds that do that??!? Those children are like dolls to her. She doesn''t deserve to have those kids back until she takes some serious parenting classes. Can''t say a whole lot about her ex-husband, except that he knows how to keep himself in check when he needs to. Dr. Phil didn''t have to take the time to go see her, but he did. He makes a living by helping people publicly, so what did the family expect? The reality is that Britney is a ticking time bomb that keeps ticking louder and louder, but the family keeps throwing a blanket over everything to muffle the sound.

[megan328]

I hardly ever comment on stories but when I heard Dr. Phil blabbing I was appalled and felt so sorry for the family - Does Dr. Phil EVER just quietly help people without publicizing it to build his brand? and while I''m at it, does Oprah EVER give away anything quietly without publicizing it to build her brand?? I am glad they use their huge resources to try and help but it seems so very mercenary at times.

They seem to be Christians, but perhaps they have forgotten about Mathew 6 where it says, "Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. "

just my .02

[gmond]

Hmm. Britney''s family calls in a celebrity doctor with a TV show to treat their celebrity daughter. Result? Duh.