Family Forum / Marriage / Divorce / February 2008

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A restraining order against the man
who's been at Britney Spears' side during her downward spiral alleges
that he drugged her, took over her finances and controlled the
ravenous paparazzi "like a general."

Britney Spears' mother, Lynne, says that Sam Lutfi "has purported to
take control of [Britney's] life."

The order against Sam Lutfi was based on a lengthy declaration from
Spears' mother, Lynne, who says Spears met the 33-year-old in October
2007 and "essentially moved into Britney's home and has purported to
take control of her life, home and finances."

The documents released by the court Tuesday ordered Lutfi to stay away
from Spears.

In a section of the order detailing previous harassment, Lynne Spears
says Lutfi "drugged Britney, he has cut Britney's home phone lines 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."

Much of the 6-page declaration centers on the night of January 28,
just a few days before she was whisked to a hospital's psychiatric
ward. She outlined increasingly bizarre behavior through the night and
said her daughter asked at one point, "When do I get to see my
babies?" to which Lutfi answered, "Wednesday."

Lynne Spears said she, her husband and a friend went to Britney's
home, but security guards kept everyone but her out. Once inside,
Lynne Spears said she found several paparazzi, that there had been "a
big fight" with Lutfi, and that her daughter was crying.

"The paparazzi reported to Sam and addressed him with great respect.
They treated him like a general."

She said during the evening, "Sam had told Britney she was an unfit
mother, a piece of trash and a whore, that she cares more about Adnan,
her current boyfriend, than she cares about her kids and that she does
not deserve her kids."

It was unclear how Lynne Spears knew details of the fight.

Lynne Spears said Britney was not home when she first arrived and she
understood Lutfi had disabled all of her daughter's cars to keep her
from leaving. She said he ordered one of the photographers to take her
away when he found out her parents were on their way to intervene.

Eventually, she said, "Britney returned and became very agitated and
could not stop moving. She cleaned the house. She changed her clothes
many times. She also changed her three dogs' clothes many times.
Britney spoke to me in a tone and a level of understanding of a very
young girl. Britney then picked up a bottle of pills and read the
label and asked us, 'What does insomnia mean?' "

Lynne Spears said at one point, Lutfi told her, "You'd better learn
that I control everything," and said he was the one giving Britney her
medications and, "he told me if he weren't in the house to give
Britney her medicine, she would kill herself."

She alleged that Lutfi theatened her. "Then he said to me, 'If you try
to get rid of me, she'll be dead and I'll piss on her grave.' "

Throughout the night, she said Britney -- who recently lost custody of
her two young children to ex-husband Kevin Federline -- kept asking
when she could see them.

"What do I have to do to see them?" her mother quoted her as saying.
"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?' "

At that point, Lynne Spears said, "Sam responded, 'If I told you to
take 10 pills a day, you should do what I tell you to see your
babies.' "

She said one time Lutfi raised his voice and said "Why don't you get
back with Kevin (Federline)." Britney then said, "I'll do anything to
get them back."

Spears was barred from contact with her children after she refused
last month to relinquish them to representatives of Federline after a
court-sanctioned visit.

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Now we know.