Lynne Spears does not want to be framed as anti-Semitic and she is using a court order to make sure it doesn't happen.
Britney Spears' mother, Lynne, has gotten a court order against her daughter's former manager, Sam Lutfi, to make sure that Lutfi is not able to paint her as an anti-Semite during an upcoming defamation suit by twisting comments she made years ago, TMZ reported. In her book, "Through the Storm," Lynne refers to Lutfi as a "Svengali," defined as a person with evil intent who tries to manipulate another into doing what they want.
However, the word "Svengali" arguably has an anti-Semitic connotation, according to TMZ. The term can refer to the "Wandering Jew" character in Christian mythology. Scholar Edgar Rosenberg notes Svengali's anti-Semitic roots, writing in his book "From Shylock to Svengali: Jewish Stereotypes in English Fiction": "Svengali walking up and down the earth seeking whom he might cheat, betray, exploit, borrow money from, make brutal fun of, bully if he dared, cringe to if he must."
Lynne was reportedly afraid that Lutfi, who is Jewish, would try to use this factoid against her. So, she got a court order blocking the ex-manager from calling such an expert witness, according to TMZ.
Lutfi sued Britney and her parents for breach of contract, battery, emotional distress, defamation and libel back in February 2009. He notes Lynne's book specifically in his case, stating that it is filled with libelous claims about him -- including assertions that he drugged Britney, according to Fox News.
The case, which will be heard in a Los Angeles court, will dredge up Britney's torrid 2008 meltdown. Since then, Britney has been under conservatorship.
“It will be explosive for so many reasons. Britney’s epic meltdown, in which the world witnessed her shaving her head and attacking the paparazzi with an umbrella, is once again going to be revisited. If Britney is indeed called, things could get very ugly fast,” California-based civil litigation attorney Anahita Sedaghatfar told Fox News. “Some of the allegations made by Lutfi are that Britney was using drugs and that (she told him her dad) was violent and racist. Questioning Britney about these issues would be fair game if she takes the stand, and this would not be good for her any way you look at it."
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