LOS ANGELES (AP) _ Britney Spears hit another personal low, being ordered to relinquish her children by a judge who had cited her drug-and-alcohol-fueled lifestyle.
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Ex-husband Kevin Federline will take Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, beginning Wednesday "until further order of the court," Los Angeles CountyCourt Commissioner Scott M. Gordon ruled Monday.
Phone messages left for representatives of Spears and Federline were not immediately returned.
This is the latest problem to plague Spears, whose fortunes have taken a very public turn for the worse since splitting from Federline, 29, last year. The two were married in October 2004. Spears filed for divorce last November and it became official in July.
Since becoming single, Spears has appeared increasingly erratic and out-of-control. First, she was photographed at various Hollywood hotspots partying hard with Paris Hilton, with some photos capturing the pop star without panties. Then Spears shaved her head as paparazzi looked on, beat a car with an umbrella and ended up spending a month in rehab.
Last month, Gordon said Spears engaged in "habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol" and ordered her to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week as part of her ongoing custody dispute with Federline.
Spears also was previously ordered to meet weekly with a "parenting coach" who was to observe and report back to the court about her parenting skills. Both Spears and Federline must complete the court's "Parenting Without Conflict" class.
Spears was set to redeem herself and return to the pop throne with a much-hyped performance at the MTV Video Music Awards last month. But it was universally panned, with Spears appearing spaced-out and lethargic — and, in some eyes, less than buff. The following week, her management firm dropped her and her divorce lawyer resigned.
Spears was then charged with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run and driving without a valid license for allegedly crashing into a parked car in August.
The driving offenses likely compelled the judge to issue Monday's orders, said New York divorce lawyer Raoul Felder. Officials from the Department of Motor Vehicles said Spears applied for a California driver's license but did not complete the process.
"She was driving without a license with a child in the car," Felder said. "You can put aside the in and out of rehab, the shaving her head. But this? When a judge went out on a limb for her? There's no going back."
Though Spears must relinquish physical custody of the children until further ruling from the court, she and Federline still share legal custody.
Los Angeles divorce lawyer Connolly Oyler said he's surprised the children weren't taken from Spears sooner. Judges typically remove youngsters from households where parents are ordered to undergo drug testing, he said.
But, he added, all is not lost for Spears.
"If she picks a good counselor and gets a different set of friends, there's a good chance she can turn things around," he said, noting "she's only 25."
The couple is due back in court Oct. 3. Spears' new album is set to be released Nov. 13.
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I don't think either one of the parents deserve to have the kids. The grandparents aren't any better. The court needs to find a home for them and adopt them out, and it shouldn't take 5 years like the DHS does,and ruins a child before they can get him out of lthe system.
Brit needs help. What she needs is her family to give a rats and support her. Not with money but with love. Instead her family runs away the minutes something goes bad. She marries Kevin they run away, she divorces Kevin and they are bad mouthing her for that and now when she needs them most they step away and want to blame her for refusing to talk to them? And then on top of everything else going on in her life she has the entire world watching as she is going through what is the equivalent to an emotional and mental breakdown. What she needs is to spend time with someone who actually cares about her and won't give a magazine a picture for money. But no, her so called friends are out looking for a way to make a quick buck. If she were to find some friends that don't care about all this crap and just want her to get some help she would be okay. I say hey Brit come hang out with some non-hollywood people who won't sell you out and get the help you need. Then get your boys back from a man who used you and the minute you told him no to signing your name to his record decided to find a way out of the marriage. God will help you if you only ask.
Sunny - I'm not sure in what context "abusers" is used, but if you're referring to child abuse then that is correct about Oklahoma but Brittany is not abusing her children, she is abusing drugs and alcohol. Clearly this young lady is having some major issues and needs MAJOR mental help. I don't think drugs or drinking are solely to blame. Something up top is not right. America needs to leave her alone before we have another Anna Nicole Smith. I cannot imagine being ridiculed for every move I made when most everything is thrown totally out of porportion my smut mags and paparrazi. Very troubling and Sad!!!
To Paula, yes a LOT of people deserve to have their children taken away! Drugs, alcohol and parties are not healthy enviornment for kids. Everyone can "produce" kids but that doesn't automatically make them worthy parents.
For the few of you who do not know or care! A person with 'mental illness' cannot be helped unless they hurt themselves or someone. They have to seek help, but if they are too sick they do not realize it. So lighten up, she just needs help. No one deserves to have their children taken. This could be her demise. Britney has brought a lot of happiness into a lot of lives (record sales) so lets have a kind word for her. She just needs help and has no where to turn, she thinks.
The only news here is that California's CHIPs, L.A. Police Dept. and California Child Protective Services all know she doesn't have a driver's license- and has been repeatedly video taped by the Paparazzi driving- with her kids in the car & leaving night clubs-- there should be a criminal investigation into why the CHIPS, L.A. police and California Social Services people aren't doing their jobs.
was this article really relevant to anyone in the great state of Oklahoma...so much so that it warranted a "Breaking News" e-mail? That's what I thought.
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