Britney Spears' parents allege that the singer's acting manager, Sam Lutfi, was drugging her to control her, according to the petition for the restraining order against him, released by Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday (February 5).
Lutfi, who already has had three other parties file requests for restraining orders against him, is ordered in this latest one issued on Friday to stay 250 yards away from Britney, her homes, her cars, her children's homes and child-care facilities, her sibling's homes, her parents' homes, and UCLA Medical Center, where she's currently hospitalized. The order was extended on Monday to include no contact with Spears by phone, e-mail or text message.
Since meeting the singer "in or about" October, Lutfi has "essentially moved into Britney's home and has purported to take control of her life, home, and finances," according to Jamie Spears, the singer's father, who has temporary conservator powers over the singer's person and estate. "Mr. Lutfi has drugged Britney," Jamie wrote. "He has cut Britney's home phone line and removed her cell-phone chargers. He yells at her. He claims to control everything — Britney's business manager, her attorneys and the security guards at the gate."
He asked for the restraining order "to avoid the risk of physical harm to Britney by Mr. Lutfi and to allow her to undergo necessary medical treatment without interference by Mr. Lutfi," according to the petition.
A declaration from Lynne Spears, the singer's mother, explained in more detail some incidents in late January that gave both parents cause for concern. Lynne wrote that she, her friend Jackie and Jamie went to visit Britney's home on January 28 because they heard on the news that their daughter had been in a big argument with Lutfi and that she was crying. When they arrived, they found Lutfi, who told them that Britney only wanted to see her mother and that she was frightened to see her father. The paparazzi were allowed inside — but not Jamie Spears.
"Two or three paparazzi came into the house and entered the kitchen," Lynne wrote. "They greeted Sam. The paparazzi reported to Sam where Britney currently was. ... The paparazzi reported to Sam and addressed him with great respect. They treated him like a general."
Lynne said that Sam tried to order her and Jackie around as well, and when they objected, he allegedly told them, "If you don't listen to me, I'm going to make your name sh-- in the papers."
Lynne said she heard details of her daughter's fight with Lutfi, in which she claims Lutfi told Britney "that she was an unfit mother, a piece of trash and a whore, that she cared more about Adnan [Ghalib, paparazzo and friend of Britney's] than she cares about her kids, and she does not deserve her kids." Lynne said that when Lutfi screamed at her, Britney said, "Sam treats me like that."
Britney, Lynne wrote, was in "an agitated state" and kept changing her clothes as well as her dogs' clothes. Lynne then discovered her daughter was taking the antipsychotic medications Risperdal and Seroquel, but didn't seem always to be aware of it or know why. (She also later learned Britney was taking the stimulant Adderall when she was checked into UCLA Medical Center).
"Britney spoke to me with a tone and with the understanding of a very young girl," Lynne wrote. "Britney ... picked up a bottle of pills and read the label and asked us, 'What does insomnia mean?' Sam told her that the pills would help her stay awake."
Risperdal, when used in the treatment of bipolar mania, actually can cause side effects of sleepiness and restlessness, while Seroquel can also cause drowsiness and sluggishness, according to the Web sites for both prescription medications. Lynne wrote that Lutfi said he ground up the pills and put them in Britney's food. Lynne also wrote that Lutfi said his plan was to get Britney into a sleep-induced coma so that her doctor could give her drugs "to heal her brain."
Lutfi, after trying to encourage Britney to drink tequila and then wine, went upstairs with the singer. Lynne wrote that Lutfi later admitted giving Britney something to make her "more lighthearted, happy and fun." Lynne described Lutfi trying to encourage them to drink tequila shots, and when they refused that, wine, but thought she saw him crushing something on the counter behind the raised bar. (Lynne wrote that she later couldn't sleep that night, nor could her friend Jackie, despite being up past 4 a.m., and both felt like they had drunk coffee, even though they hadn't actually consumed the beverage. She also wrote that Britney didn't sleep either and was very agitated.)
Lynne said during the evening, she learned Lutfi had disabled her daughter's cars, disposed of her cell-phone chargers and made the house phones unworkable, but confused Britney to make her think it was her fault. Lynne also wrote that Adnan Ghalib had called her out of concern to tell her Lutfi hid the phones and told Britney she'd lost them, and that he hid her dog as well. "She looks for him all over the house crying and then Sam brings out the dog from the hiding place and acts like her savior," Lynne wrote. Perhaps to counteract Ghalib's influence, Lynne said in her declaration that Lutfi asked her to tell Britney that Ghalib is gay, and to pretend he was in the bathroom when he actually had left the house.
During a shopping spree later that evening at Rite Aid, Lynne wrote that Lutfi claimed to have control over everyone in her daughter's life. "You better learn that I control everything," she claimed he told her. "I control Howard Grossman, Britney's business manager. I control her attorneys and the security guards at the gate. They don't listen to Britney, they listen to me. That's why Jamie was gone tonight." Britney later asked for her father, Lynne said in her declaration, saying, "I want my Daddy up here. I want to talk to my Daddy."
When Britney asked about seeing her children, Lynne said that Sam lied to her and told her she'd see her children two days later, even though she currently has no custodial visitation rights. Lynne wrote, "Britney then said, 'What do I have to do to see them?' Sam responded, 'Take the pills I tell you to take.' Britney said, 'I don't like the pills and I don't like the psychiatrist. Can't I see another psychiatrist so I can see my babies?' Sam responded, 'If I told you to take 10 pills a day, you should do what I tell you to see your babies.' "
At that point, Lynne's friend Jackie intervened, she wrote, telling the singer, "Britney, your parents can help you find a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist needs to get to know you to give you the right medicine." Lutfi interrupted, Lynne wrote, asking Britney, "Why don't you get back with Kevin [Federline, her ex-husband]?" With the subject changed, Britney responded, "I'll do anything to get them back," her mother claimed.
Lynne wrote that Lutfi later claimed if he wasn't around to give the singer her medicine, Britney would commit suicide. She wrote, "Then he said to me, 'If you try to get rid of me, she'll be dead and I'll p--- on her grave.' "
As of Monday afternoon, Lutfi was resisting efforts to be served with the restraining order.
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