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TROUBLED POP STAR Britney Spears has been receiving treatment in the UCLA Medical Centre. -- PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
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LOS ANGELES - THROUGHOUT the course of Britney Spears' months-long emotional tailspin, one question has lingered: Why doesn't her family take drastic measures to stop this? On Friday, they did.
Britney's father, James, was put in charge of the troubled pop star's welfare during a surprise court appearance by him and mother Lynne, a day after their daughter was whisked to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation on Thursday.
The Court Commissioner has also banned Britney's 'manager' Sam Lutfi, from seeing her under a 22-day civil harassment restraining order which will prevent him from visiting her in the hospital.
Britney's friends and family have regularly expressed concern over Mr Lutfi's influence on her life, and her mother Lynne was keen to keep him away, according to the Daily Mail.
Mrs Spears' hatred had reached a peak last year when she discovered that Mr Lutfi was attempting to sell Britney's private diary to media outlets.
'No matter how hard he tries, the family hates him,' a source told the Daily Mail. Mr Lutfi was unavailable for comment.
Tears welled in Mr Spears' eyes when he was named conservator of his daughter. He and an attorney, Mr Andrew Wallet, were named conservators of her £60 million (S$167 million) estate.
Mr Spears will have the power to 'restrict visitors', have around-the-clock security for Britney, and have access to all medical records, the court ordered.
He also has permission to change the locks on her estate and remove anyone who was there.
A court creates conservatorships when it determines that a person cannot care for himself or handle his own affairs.
Court Commissioner Reva Goetz said Britney would be under conservatorship until tomorrow, when another hearing will be held.
The events of the past two days were the first positive signs that the pop singer may have reached a turning point in a downward spiral of bizarre behaviour which has resulted in her losing custody of and visitation rights with her two sons.
She has been receiving treatment in the UCLA Medical Centre, where she was taken to on Thursday for a psychiatric evaluation. It was the second hospitalisation this year for the 26-year-old singer.
AP
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