Britney Spears Sneaking Cell Phone To Dump Dad: Testimony

LOS ANGELES — The sister of Britney Spears' former manager testified Wednesday that the pop singer said in recent months that she was afraid of her father and wanted help hiring her own lawyer.

Attorneys for Spears' father and conservatorship are seeking a long-standing restraining order against Osama "Sam" Lutfi, a manager and close confidant of the singer during her personal meltdown, that forbids him from contacting her.

They reiterated Wednesday that in December and January, Lutfi violated an agreement between him and Jamie Spears not to contact the "Circus" singer. That accord was reached last summer, after Jamie Spears agreed not to seek an extension to a temporary restraining order issued when he took control of his daughter's affairs.

Christina Lutfi said Britney Spears told her that she was afraid of her father and needed her brother's help to hire her own attorney. The 25-year-old was introduced as a surprise witness Wednesday, moments after a judge rejected a motion to dismiss the restraining order.

She was also the last witness in a hearing that has spanned three months. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aviva K. Bobb continued temporary orders until she hears closing arguments April 21.

Christina Lutfi said her brother gave her a prepaid cell phone, which she secretly gave to Spears at a hotel sauna, so that the two could contact each other. She said she repeatedly called the number, trying to make sure the singer was safe.

She claimed she used her brother's cell phone in recent months. But under questioning by Jamie Spears' attorneys, Christina Lutfi could not recall the phone number of one of her brother's cell phones, nor the phone she said she'd handed to Spears.

She also acknowledged that she shared the cell phone with her brother at their parents' home, where a landline is installed.

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Jamie Spears testified in February that he eventually found and confiscated the phone, which indicated communications to Lutfi and his daughter's ex-boyfriend, Adnan Ghalib. The phone's discovery, and a series of late-night and early phone calls from Lutfi, led to the current restraining order application.

Jamie Spears has controlled his daughter's personal and financial affairs since last February, when he intervened after the singer had to be hospitalized twice. The singer's mother, Lynne Spears, accused Lutfi at the time of grinding pills into her daughter's food to control her.

Lutfi denied that claim in a defamation lawsuit filed against the Spears family in February.

Lutfi's attorney, Bryan Freedman, argued Wednesday that Jamie Spears' attorneys hadn't shown enough evidence that the pop singer had suffered "substantial emotional distress" as a result of the calls and text messages.

Bobb rejected that argument when Freedman moved to dismiss the case. She said testimony from Britney Spears' hairdresser and a security guard indicated the singer was troubled by Lutfi's overtures.

An arguments were echoed by attorney for lawyer Jon Eardley, who the conservatorship also hopes to block from contacting Spears. Eardley has repeatedly been rejected in attempts to install himself as Britney Spears' attorney, and was rebuffed last month at a hearing where he sought to invalidate the conservatorship.

Evidence showed communications between Lutfi and Eardley, and Jamie Spears' attorneys have called their relationship a "conspiracy" to undermine the conservatorship.

Comments

[Russn3]

Don't they mean the "Circus" lip syncher?

[Ale]

There is something quite disturbing about labeling someone as so disabled mentally that they are unable to make decisions for themselves, but deciding they are well enough to put on a multi-million dollar multiple city tour and generate income for the estate.
It feels like pure exploitation and it should be appealed.
Either she is unable to care for herself and should be under medical and psychiatric care and spared the stress of a professional tour or she should be given her liberty.

[stevi]

Not necessarily, although I am not a fan of this young woman, she is clearly a "performer" she is a competent "performer" and it appears that she enjoys the process. It is possible to have emotional and mental illness and have area's of your life in which you are a competent participant. I agree that there could be a charge of exploitation, but the fact that she is able to rehearse and perform but needs to have guidance in other areas of her life does not mean that there is any wrongdoing here.

[oregonbird]

Agreed. I know a woman who is a competent, affluent attorney -- and has a caretaker at home, as she is incapable of protecting herself from the dangers of real life. She was taking in street people, hoarding trash, handing out her credit cards, al while appearing absolutely fine in the workplace. Luckily, her family stepped in, and did not take away the one area in which she was capable. It works out well for her, although she finds it confining.

[festry548]

Britney is a has-been. Same with Lindsay.

[epitomized]

Clearly you pay no attention to the fact that Circus is multi-platinum and she has sold out her tour.

That is not a has-been. That is an is.

[justoverit333]

talk about a circus

[Charity]

i think the restraining order is fine. however, when the story is finally told, years from now, i believe jamie spears will emerge not as a "savior" but as yet another "villain" in britney's life. he does not need perpetual conservatorship over a 25 year old woman. the train wreck that was britney is now back on course, the restraining order is in place, and jamie has his trained seal back performing for his money.

[ellawensmom]

Not taht I know what I'm talking about, but it seems like when she was going so crazy everyone was saying, "Where are her parents?" When her dad stepped in, I actually thought, "It's about time." I'm not a fan of Britney's, so I can't say I know much about her relationship with her father, but it seems to me that her life is getting better since he stepped in. Why isn't it possible that she wanted to go on tour, and was capable of deciding for herself that she wanted to be back in the limelight?

[Jinxykb]

Consider the source--this is the sister of the man who has a restraining order against him by the Spears family.

[omobob]

Any article that starts " The sister of Britney Spears' former manager " gets my attention. Or from the producers who brought you the writer who brought you the director who brought you the star. Or if you only read one article this year then you’re reading too little.

[brandnewstuff]

Wow this person is a complete puppet- Adhering to a fan base- and matrix generated- without the smoke and mirrors this blonde has not talnet LIke Jessica Simpson ( T& A ) fades then they are left with just being blondes

[Patriot68]

The entire spears family needs to barred from the planet. NASA should pack them into a shuttle and blast them off to mars.

[me again]

An American tragedy, a girl with a gift who was allowed to live as an adult long before she was mentally capable. She never had a childhood and now has to be micro-managed to prevent further breakdowns. The parents are to blame and attempting to deal with her as a child in adulthood is having the expected results. Then again, if they were to walk and let her go, her topsy-turvey life would regress back to thew way it was with her making rotten choices for herself and either back to the mental ward of Cedar Sinai, or the morgue.

[Joye]

Just because someone is considered an 'adult' doesn't mean they act like one. I, for one, am glad that Britney's dad is her conservator. She is on the 'straight and narrow path' again. She seems to have severe mental health issues and he is helping her.. Just my two cents.

[TheHandyman]

Why this fascination with someone who doesn't really contribute to the arts, isn't a good role model for young women, and who certainly hasn't distinguished herself for her altruism or supported any worthwhile causes. She is like a poorly written one person soap opera.

[EmeraldWorld]

Exactly. I've been trying to figure that out for years now.

[MaryscottOConnor]

Whatever one feels about this young woman, she is an adult, and her father has no business taking over her life. It's unconscionable.

She's obviously fully capable of making her own personal and business decisions, and should be allowed to sink or swim on her own. This is ridiculous, the court's allowing her father to have control over every aspect of her affairs.

A 25 year old woman? Ludicrous and frankly terrifying -- what is this, the 19th century?

[TheFatLadySings]

In a word - yes. At least when it comes to women. Can you see this happening to a 25 year-old male? Not likely.

[drdubski]

what's 'ludicrous and frankly terrifying' is that if she wasn't britney spears, she would be in jail or a mental institution. she is bat Sh%t crazy and is lucky to be performing and getting to be outside with normal people.

[ellawensmom]

When something goes wrong, and I need help, I'm capable of reaching out to people, especially my parents and saying, "Hey, I'm drowning. I need some advice, or help or whatever." Britney didn't seem capable of doing that, and she needed it badly. the only reason this is a big deal is because she has alot of money and she's famous. We don't say it's terrifying when a parent controls an adult child with special needs. We say, "Thank goodness the parent can be there." Britney had special needs, and probably still has them, and I think it's perfectly acceptable for her father to be there, in control of whatever he needs to be until she can manage for herself. Just because her needs are not due to mental retardation or physical handicaps doesn't mean they're not as severe.

[Lucille]

We've seen that Britney has anxiety issues about appearing in court, but it seems the only way to settle this is that she testify in this matter. It does seem like Brit's father has a choke hold on Britney's movements at the moment, and that doesn't sound healthy, she is an adult.

[JPettus]

And yet, the only reason her father was able to get this kind of control was because she was obviously incapable of controlling herself. To be truthful, if she's continuing to try to stay in touch with the individuals who she was out of control with, I have to wonder if she's capable of being back in control of her life again.

[MaryscottOConnor]

She is 25 years old. Whether or not she is "capable of controlling herself" is beside the point -- she is a legal adult and her father has no business being in legal control of her affairs. This is draconian and should terrify anyone sensible.

[crayola 08]

i really don't get the fascination with Spears. she has rather plain features and her career seems like a poorly executed attempt at reinterpreting madonna for a younger generation.

[harriettubman]

She dances really well. Can't sing without vocal enhancement, so I don't get it either. Being a blond is the only answer I can come up with.

[StringOfLights]

Have you seen any of the new show? She's not dancing too well, either.