Wednesday, 2 July 2008

Britney back in court over child custody

A Los Angeles judge has questioned Britney Spears and a parenting coach during a hearing into the pop star's child custody case before ordering a change to her visitation status with her two sons.

But because the hearing was closed to the public it wasn't immediately clear whether Spears, 26, had won more visitation rights with her young children from Los Angeles Court Commissioner Scott Gordon.

The Grammy-winning singer's ex-husband, Kevin Federline, has primary custody of sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 21 months, although Spears has been granted limited visitation rights.

Spears and parenting coach Lisa Hacker were questioned by Gordon during the hearing, court spokesman Allan Parachini told reporters, but did not testify under oath.

Federline, 30, attended but it was not clear if he addressed the court.

Parachini said Gordon then ordered a modification to the visitation rights and set another status conference in the case for July 15.

Lawyers for Federline and Spears could not immediately be reached for comment.

Spears has turned her life around in the past few months after a year of bizarre behavior and two brief hospitalizations in Los Angeles for psychiatric evaluation.

She has been mentioned as a possible Emmy award nominee for her guest appearance as a office assistant on the TV sitcom How I Met Your Mother.

Her father, Jamie Spears, was granted control over the singer's personal and business affairs in February, and her former self-styled manager and constant companion, Sam Lutfi, has abided by a restraining order that keeps him away.

The personal life of the former teen phenomenon, one of the most successful pop stars in the world in the early 2000s, spiraled out of control after her 2006 breakup with Federline.

She shaved her head, entered rehab, was ordered to take drug and alcohol tests and parenting classes, and was twice taken to psychiatric units for treatment of what has been reported to be bipolar disorder.

Spears won her Grammy award for best dance recording, Toxic, in 2004.





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