LOS ANGELES, Jan. 23, 2008
Britney Spears Doesn't Make It To Court
This Time, Pop Star Enters The Courthouse, But Leaves Before Reaching Courtroom Hearing
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Play CBS Video Video Britney Paparazzi Arrested Hattie Kauffman reports that four paparazzi were arrested for reckless driving chasing Britney Spears; and Sheeraz Hasan of Hollywood. tv tells Maggie Rodriguez that Britney encourages them.
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Britney Spears gets into a waiting SUV as she is mobbed by paparazzi at a Studio City mall Jan. 14, 2008. Earlier that day, she had arrived at a Los Angeles courthouse, but left without entering the building. (KCAL)
Less than half an hour after she went into the building, she left it, Superior Court spokesman Alan Parachini said. He said Spears was driven away from the building.
The hearing, however, continued behind closed doors, but in the end Commissioner Scott Gordon made no changes in the order suspending the pop star's visitation rights.
Spears, 26, and her ex-husband Kevin Federline, 29, are battling over custody of their two sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.Photos: Standoff At Britney's
An emergency court hearing was requested to discuss the pop star's visitation rights. The commissioner suspended her visitation rights earlier this month and gave custody to Federline. Gordon kept that order in effect during another emergency hearing last week. Spears also arrived at court for that hearing but then quickly turned around and left, chased by photographers.
The hearings followed a bizarre standoff at Spears' home when she refused to return the boys after a visit and was briefly hospitalized.
On Wednesday, Gordon called the Spears case at about 9:15 a.m., allowing her attorney, Anne Kiley, to go out and try to find her client. She appeared about 20 minutes later and Gordon called the matter again.
"Is your client present?" he asked Kiley.
"No, she's not," the lawyer replied.
"Is she going to be present?" the commissioner asked.
"I don't know," Kiley said.
The commissioner then said there were motions filed by both sides but he didn't indicate what they were.
Federline and his attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, were in the courtroom. Federline was sworn in as a witness and Kaplan asked that the courtroom be cleared of spectators and the press.
Spears evaded swarms of paparazzi by arriving and leaving through a basement parking garage under the courthouse. She wore bright lipstick, sunglasses, gold platform shoes and a very short black cocktail dress with a ruffled hem.
Federline, clad in a tan suit and open-necked shirt and sporting a Mohawk haircut, arrived a half hour before Spears.
In other news, the wife of Spears' paparazzo pal has filed for legal separation from him.
Azlynn Elizabeth Berry cites irreconcilable differences with Adnan Ghalib for the split after four years of marriage, according to documents filed Friday in Superior Court.
Berry, representing herself in court papers, seeks spousal support, and for Ghalib to pay her legal fees, the filing said. Her phone number wasn't listed.
In recent weeks, Ghalib has been seen accompanying Spears on shopping excursions, restaurant outings and trips to the courthouse in her custody case with ex-husband Kevin Federline.
According to OK! magazine, Spears and Ghalib were spotted leaving Taverna Tony's restaurant in the Cross Creek section of Malibu Tuesday, holding hands and "smooching all the while."
Ghalib is said to work for the photo agency FinalPixx. An after-hours call to the agency wasn't answered Tuesday.
Ghalib told the syndicated television magazine show "The Insider" on Tuesday that he had photographed Spears for several years before they grew closer in late December. He said their relationship blossomed after Spears was released from a hospital following a standoff in her home when she refused to return her two sons to Federline's bodyguard.
"We managed to spend a long time together, away from the media," Ghalib said.
In another interview with the TV show "Entertainment Tonight," Ghalib denied accusations that he was profiting from his relationship with the 26-year-old pop star.
"A lot of people perceive to know or understand her, she's the most photographed woman in the world," Ghalib said. "But if you take time to scratch the surface, then you can understand how amazing she is."
As for Spears' relationship with her children, Ghalib said, "That's something very personal for her. Very personal. That's something she doesn't even share with me. ... Does she not spend nights upset about not having the kids? All the time. Does she look at pictures and go through photos of her and the kids? All the time. ... She's no different than any other mom. She's no different at all."
People magazine executive editor and Early Show entertainment contributor Jess Cagle said Wednesday that the continuing drama surrounding Spears and other Hollywood types, along with word of the
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- Cool, this is the most entertaining thing she has ever done!
- Reply to this comment
- What a sorry excuse for a mother!
Someday they will see all this and realize their mother didn''t want them.
Poor little kids, but they are probably much better of with Federline. - Reply to this comment
- Inventagod: Sooo right - lipstick on a pig - LMAO!!!
She doesn''t really WANT the boys, but she can say "Well, I TRIED to get them back, but the judge is just a big meanie, who believed the lies my ex told the court" despite the fact that SHE couldn''t bring herself to actually BE there to tell them any different. She was the one who requested this 2nd hearing, and then goes to the building and INSIDE, but skips the courtroom part???
A cat is a better mother than she is... - Reply to this comment
- "She wore bright lipstick, sunglasses, gold platform shoes and a very short black cocktail dress with a ruffled hem."
Are you sure it was a "ruffled" hem? Please confirm & get back to us on that. - Reply to this comment
- I hear a lot of people say that Ms Spears is just putting on an act for attention. That she really DOES know EXACTLY what she''s doing...Manipulating the media and photographers, etc...In my opinion, if that IS the case, I still believe she''s not in her right mind. Who in the world can you call mentally sound, that would act that way? So Brittany, if it IS just an act: Stop it NOW. It''s not funny anymore.
- Reply to this comment
- Why does she continue to bother with the act? Maybe she is mentally whacked and not really just trying to evade her responsibility after all.
- Reply to this comment
- Why is there so much interest in this person? Is it like a Marilyn Monroe thing? And to be the most photographed woman in the world...why? Princess Diana was laughed at for creating worldwide interest and excitement, but at least she had substance.
- Reply to this comment
- She''s like a runaway train!
- Reply to this comment
- All the marbels to K Fed. At least he is
cooperating.
Britney, Your Behavior says a lot about you!!!!
Why doesn''t the court enforce appearances, and
Proper attire. Britney is dressed for a Hollywood
party. You bimbo.
As for her lawyer: You don''t answer the judge,
"I don''t know" you idiot, it should be, "No, your honor, she is not present." - Reply to this comment
- mmmmhmmm
same story, different day.
lipstick on a pig. - Reply to this comment
Ex-NBA ref Tim Donaghy 
