Britney Spears' Custody Hearing Today

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears showed up at the county courthouse for a custody hearing Tuesday, but there were no screaming fans, no signs or banners, no frenzied chase into the parking garage.

Dozens of photographers, reporters, sheriff's deputies and prospective jurors saw her arrive as a front-seat passenger in a white Land Rover. Then she disappeared into the garage.

It's been three months since Spears left a psychiatric ward and promptly stirred up a paparazzi car chase, a scene that looked like the beginning of even more erratic behavior for the troubled pop star.

In the weeks that followed, Spears started acting out of character, all right: She lay low and avoided the cameras. She spent time with family members. She found work, and succeeded at it.

The troubled 26-year-old pop star has been under the conservatorship of her father since her one-week-early release from UCLA Medical Center.

Her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, was also expected to attend the custody status hearing, said his spokesman, Elliot Mintz.

Federline has had full custody of his two sons by Spears, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, since January, when police were called to Spears' home after she refused to relinquish one of the boys to a Federline bodyguard. Spears was taken by ambulance to a hospital after the incident. Her visitation rights were suspended at the time, but have been gradually restored in recent months.

Tuesday's hearing was to include discussion of a psychiatrist's evaluation of Spears, a person close to the case told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly about the case and requested anonymity.

Commissioner Scott Gordon, who will preside over the hearing, could modify the couple's visitation agreement Tuesday based on Spears' recent conduct, the person said.

Spears was a constant media presence before the conservatorship took effect. Photographers captured her every visit to Starbucks and gas stations around Los Angeles, and documented a bout of bizarre behavior that included appearing in public without underwear, shaving her own head and beating a car with an umbrella.

Since Spears' father, James, took over her affairs, the pop star has been relatively invisible to photographers, only occasionally snapped shopping or having dinner with her mother, Lynne. A traffic accident last month turned out to be a minor bumper-to-bumper incident in which no one was injured, and for which no one was cited.

Spears' public appearances have been limited to a well-received cameo on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother," a role she reprised during a taping last week, a CBS spokeswoman said. The episode is set to air May 12.

"We're thrilled to have Britney joining us once again," series executive producer and co-creator Craig Thomas said in a statement last month. The show's audience increased by a million viewers the week Spears appeared.

The pop star also made news last month when she took on full-time exercise and nutrition coaches from Bally Total Fitness. Once known for her flawless figure, Spears was widely ridiculed for her flabby form in September during a universally panned performance on the MTV Video Music Awards that was meant to herald her comeback.

Spears has been elusive at recent court hearings, her every anticipated appearance drawing a circus of media and paparazzi. In January, she arrived at the courthouse wearing cocktail-party attire _ a black minidress and gold platform shoes _ and left before the custody hearing began. A lawyer for Federline said that behavior may have played a role in the commissioner's decision that she remain barred from seeing her sons. Federline has allowed Spears limited visitation rights since Feb. 22.

Comments

[RoseMerry]

Thank you, Wikipedia. I knew so little about Ms. Spears and wondered about all the publicity. After reading her bio, I realized that this child of fame and privilege , so blessed with the stoplight and adoration, had a lost, her beloved aunt and all of this "behavior" started after that. And this woman's pain and grief became fodder for the media's favorite blood sport, documenting a meltdown.

While I am so intolerant of bad parenting, thanks to the Wiki, I do have some understanding of this poor woman's pain.

I know grief and loss. I pray Ms. Spears finds her strength.

And turn off the screaming media whores.

[CammyV]

She must be a hell of an actress, she so cute and squeaky clean appearing on HIMYM. Too bad life doesn't imitate art in her case. She's really quite appealing in the tv program.

[scottyboi84]

Good for her. keep up the good work and you'll be able to get your children back. Then, do what you should have done to begin with-hire yourself a nanny. As a young celebrity one might assume she is awful busy. She can certainly afford one if she gets her kids back because she won't have to dispense $40,000 to Fed a month for support. Looks like he'll have to be looking for a job soon....

[Christopher1]

Go Brit great news, You've come a long way baby....

[MizJ]

Hopefully the progress she has been making remains and she is on the road to recovery. Good luck, Britney.

[Lucille]

It's wonderful that Brit is making progress. It can't be easy recovering from post-partum depression and her other emotional issues that were exacerbated by .the terror of losing her children, along with being stalked by paparazzi and being dragged to court for admittedly some very good reasons, but also for some BS reasons too. Federline and his attorney went overboard in some instances.

Neverheless, I'm happy that her parents were finally able to help Brit and more importantly that she has let them. God is good.