UPDATED: Britney has been released from the hospital
TMZ has confirmed that Britney Spears has been released from Cedars-Sinai hospital, following an explosive morning in which she was done, done, done with it!
Sources say the hospital released her without notifying any of the principles involved in the ongoing kiddie drama. So, you ask, how could she have been released so quickly, given that she had been declared for a danger to herself and others?
We're told the "5150 hold" means that she can be held against her will for a max of 72 hours, but if the hospital determines she is no longer a danger, they can release her before that.
- Splash News
Britney Spears will voluntarily check into a psychiatric ward after she is released from the hospital, it was reported today. Brit is set to have an “extended stay” at an undisclosed in-patient clinic in California. Insiders have said that this secret location is her key to get well, and why not? It’s a natural progression after all this hospital hullabaloo.
According to reports, her father, Jamie Spears, her ex-husband Kevin Federline and pal Sam Lutfi have banded together to support each other, and a source told PageSix.com that “The only thing that is getting them through this horrible time is realizing that she has now taken the first fragile steps in this very long and complex journey.”
She was reportedly visited by Dr. Phil, who excorted her to a car along with her dad, she is in her family's care...[/QUOTE]
UPDATED: E! Online: "Still Rooting for Brit"
http://www.eonline.com/gossip/planet...&sid=fd-planet
By Marc Malkin
I've been hearing from a reliable source for almost a year now that some of Britney Spears' family members believe she has bipolar disorder. They don’t think it’s drugs. They don’t feel she has a drinking problem.
In plain and simple language, they believe the former pop princess has a mental illness.
If, in fact, Ms. Spears has a bipolar illness, isn’t it time for the haters to back off? I'm talking about those who post comments on blogs that go so far as to wish her dead.
Making fun of Spears for a bad song, a poor performance or maybe even a not-so-in-shape body, I can handle. But the venom that's been spewed in the last 24 hours alone is unreal.
Why so much hate? My armchair theory is, it’s jealousy. No one is jealous of her downfall, but surely they may be envious of all she's achieved in her very young life. She wasn’t even an adult when she became one of the world’s biggest pop sensations. And she got very, very rich along the way.
Fast-forward to today. Spears is in a hospital, locked down for her own good. No one knows for sure what exactly went down last night at her house, but I don’t care how famous you are, being strapped into a gurney and thrown into an ambulance as paparazzi and news helicopters hover overheard to catch every minute detail cannot be fun in any way.
While her particular situation may be unique, Spears is not exactly alone. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, bipolar disorder affects 5.7 million American adults. The median age of onset for the illness is 25. Spears just turned 26 Dec. 1.
"The symptoms of bipolar disorder are basically extreme highs and lows," says Los Angeles-based psychotherapist Stacy Kaiser. "It's a very undertreated disorder. Most people end up medicating themselves with drugs or alcohol."
I was talking to a friend earlier who said of Spears’ messy life, “She asked for it.” Would you say the same thing about someone with cancer?
No one in their right mind asks to have bipolar disorder. No one in their right mind asks for their children to be taken away from them. No one in their right mind asks to be called trash by overzealous bloggers.
I am not saying Spears' behavior should be condoned or supported. Of course not. Not only has she apparently put her own life at risk, she’s appeared to have endangered her children’s safety and well-being.
But with the right medical care and supervision, there’s no reason Spears can’t get back on her own two feet. Up to 80 percent of those treated generally show an improvement in their symptoms within four to six weeks of beginning medication, psychotherapy, and/or attending support groups, according to NIMH.
She could be a mom to those kids. She can be a wife again someday. And yes, I really do believe she can fill stadiums and concert halls like she once did not so long ago.
"There are a lot of people with bipolar disorder that function in the world like normal people," Kaiser says.
Still, as the hours have gone by today, I've noticed a shift. Comments posted on blogs seem to be more sympathetic. People, I hope, are slowly coming to realize she isn’t just a spoiled brat dancing on table tops. Spears is a sick woman who needs help.
My heart goes out to her. It really does.
Remember, she’s just like us.
—Additional reporting by Laura Lane
They speak the truth.
CLICK FOR ALL PREVIOUS UPDATESThe police were called to the singer’s house at around 8:00 PM Thursday to help end a custody dispute, involving her two sons, 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James, according to Officer Jason Lee of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Although police say the children were released at around 10:50 PM, OK! Magazine reports that Sean Preston was removed earlier leaving only Jayden inside with his mother.
The singer appeared to be under the influence of an unknown substance, according to Officer Lee.
She was wheeled out on a gurney, with an eerie smile stretching across her face, then taken by ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Cedars-Sinai would neither confirm nor deny to Access that Britney was admitted to the hospital.
Britney is being held on an involuntary psychiatric hold, also known as a Section 5150, a source tells Access.
According to Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, a 5150 is defined as, “a means by which someone who is in serious need of mental health treatment can be transported to a designated psychiatric inpatient facility for evaluation and treatment for up to 72-hours against their will. If the facility feels that further treatment is indicated, the person can be held involuntarily for additional lengths of time providing he or she meets the legal criteria and is unwilling or unable to remain voluntarily.”
“Her blood test just came back, and, thank God, it was clean. There are no traces of drugs or alcohol of any kind,” a source close to the Spears family tells Life & Style.
The children are currently in the hands of father Kevin Federline, following a standard medical evaluation.
According to People’s Deputy Managing Editor Peter Castro, in California there is a law stating that if there is an incident at a home involving children, they are required to go to a hospital and get checked for physical and mental issues.
In this case they were cleared of both, but not after a very long time in the hospital.
“This was a hostage situation,” Castro told Access.
The court appointed monitor reportedly was the person who called the police.
“When it was time for Jayden to go visit, get back in the car and go to his dad, Britney did not allow that. She locked herself in a room with Jayden, and that’s when the cops were called,” Castro told Access. “They come in, they get through the door, and they strap Britney down on a gurney.”
The police had a difficult time removing Britney from the locked room, according to Castro. “It’s unclear whether they broke down the door or Britney let them in, but it took a long time for them to get through that door and when they finally got through they saw a disoriented Britney, who hadn’t slept for days, apparently hadn’t eaten for days, and that’s when they decided, ‘Let’s put her in a gurney, she’s under no condition to walk out of here on her own.‘”
Access also spoke to Britney’s mother, Lynn Spears, who was extremely distraught, crying on the phone and asking our staff, “Just say prayers.”
Britney’s younger sister, Jamie Lynn, their father, and the lawyer who requested a release from representing the singer, all showed up at the hospital, along with Britney’s constant companion Sam Lutfi, according to Castro.
Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline have been involved in a bitter and very public custody battle. Federline has primary physical custody of the two children, while Spears has limited visitation rights.
Earlier in the day on Thursday, Federline’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, deposed Britney for 14 minutes.
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UPDATED: Emergency hearing were held
LA Superior Court confirms to Access that there was an emergency Federline / Spears custody hearing this morning at 8:30 AM. Mark Vincent Kaplan was there representing Kevin and reportedly Tara L. Scott was there representing Britney — the hearing is now over.
UPDATED: Britney's clean from drugs and booze
The Insider reports that Brit Brit will not be charged for last night's standoff. The LAPD said, "We aren't charging her with anything at this time. She is at the (hospital) for her own health and welfare." She also tested negative for booze and drugs.
UPDATED: Britney's family expected to arrive to hospital
Britney's brother, mother and sister are expected to arrive to the hospital.
UPDATED: Visitations suspended -- Temporary
The Commish in the Brit case just issued his order -- K-Fed gets sole legal and physical custody.
Brit's visitation has been "suspended pending further order of the court." The order is in effect
till January 14. There will be a hearing then to determine where the case goes.
UPDATED: Britney's Former Manager: 'Still Hope for Brit'
Although Britney Spears is laid up in the "5150" ward at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, at least one person believes the former pop diva can still make a comeback.
Former Spears manager Larry Rudolph, in an interview promoting his E! reality show "Sunset Tan," told FOX News that the pop diva he helped discover will once again be on top of the music scene.
"She's probably the most dynamic and exciting performer that's hit the music scene since Madonna in the mid-'80s, Rudolph said.
Like Madonna, Spears has had her share of controversy, especially in 2007 when she shaved her head, became part of the so-called "bimbo summit" including herself, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan and lost primary custody of her children, at least temporarily, to ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Thursday night, she was admitted to Cedars-Sinai for what one source close to Spears is calling a "complete psychotic meltdown."
Rudolph most recently worked with Spears last summer on her latest CD, "Blackout," which kicked off to an inauspicious start with Spears' wobbly performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, but then quickly rose to the top of the Billboard charts, surprising industry insiders.
"I was working with her when she was recording and eager to hear rest of it and was really happy it's doing well," he said.
"The reality is she's here for a long time," says Rudolph, who also worked with Spears' one-time boyfriend Justin Timberlake. "Right now you're seeing what you're seeing, but I know this girl has an enormous talent and she's smart and she'll get it right and get right back on track and she'll do amazingly well," he said.
Right now it's hard to see the forest through the trees, however.
Spears faces up to a year of probation if convicted in a misdemeanor case of driving without a valid license, has been ordered by the court to have her children's visits supervised and has to adhere to court-appointed drug testing.
But Rudolph thinks all of this will pass.
"I think that Britney Spears is going to be a force to be reckoned with again and she's going to be out there in a big, big way, playing arenas and stadiums in the near future."
America does love a good comeback, and although 2008 has started on a down note for Spears, here's hoping Rudolph is right, not only for her career, but also for her children.
UPDATED: AUTHORITIES: BRITNEY SPEARS WAS NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Although police initially suspected Britney Spears was "under the influence of an unknown substance" during a nearly three-hour standoff with police Thursday night, authorities have since determined Spears was clean and sober.
According to Los Angeles police Officer Ana Aguirre, there was no evidence the pop star had been drinking or doing drugs during the Jan. 3 incident.
"Our understanding is that was not the case," she said.
"There was a time where she was within the residence and wasn't available to be speaking to the officers, apparently," added Aguirre. "There was no threat to the children."
Aguirre confirmed both Spears' children were turned over to her ex-husband Kevin Federline and the pop star was taken to the hospital.
"We're not aware of any type of injuries that she sustained" and she was not combative with authorities, Aguirre said.
Spears is currently at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she is reportedly on a 72-hour lockdown for mental evaluation.
The troubled singer's father, Jamie, reportedly has been at the hospital, by his daughter's side.
UPDATED: Psychiatrist: Recovery Possible for Spears
Is a Recovery Possible?
Dr. Keith Ablow, a psychiatrist and FOX News contributor who has not treated Spears said he sees the worsening of a complicated clinical picture involving drugs or alcohol and possibly a psychiatric disorder playing out in the media involving Spears.
"It’s a problem that’s impairing her in every realm," he said. "It’s affected her job, as the public responded negatively to her last public appearance, which she stumbled through. It’s affected her parenting, as one of her sons is currently hospitalized. It’s impaired her driving and her ability to participate in the legal process."
Ablow said Cedars-Sinai should do a thorough evaluation before releasing Spears and that it is possible for her to make a full recovery.
"She can get better but it’s going to take a psychologist or psychiatrist that is unmoved by her celebrity," he said.
"I’ve treated some very famous people and I’ve gone to court and installed a guardian for a very well-known person and it really shocked people. But if you act like a child in my practice, ultimately I have to believe emotionally you are a child and in need of someone to make adult decisions for you," he continued.
"So someone needs to step up to the plate like a general and say 'I’m going to make decisions for you that are strategic and correct, and I am unmoved by who you are.'"
UPDATED: Brit Probably Bipolar
TMZ has even more evidence now that this is NOT a case of substance abuse. As we already reported, we're told Brit has all the symptoms of what appears to be some sort of bipolar disorder. This is becoming the universal operating theory from people in both Brit and K-Fed's camps. They are privately hoping the docs properly diagnose her at Cedars.
Also, there are reports swirling about all the people in Brit's home who came to her rescue; who broke the door down, who just lingered. You would think she was having a pre-pre-pre Super Bowl party.
In fact, we know that aside from the monitor, there were a grand total of two others in the house -- aside from Brit and the kids. The two were both hired help.
UPDATED: Britney -- Frontpage Everywhere
Get well, Brit.
(Including sex & candies in this trip =D). Then come back to re-release Blackout on summer with 'Break The Ice" & "Toy Soldier".
