A Los Angeles family court has issued strict rules governing
Britney Spears' visitation rights with her children including that
a monitor must be present whenever the pop star is with them.
The written order from Court Commissioner Scott Gordon was
released on Thursday, one day after he ruled that the two boys,
Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, would remain in the custody
of their father, Spears' ex-husband Kevin Federline.
Media reports surrounding the bitter custody dispute also
surfaced on Thursday saying Spears, 25, planned to check into a
drug and alcohol rehab clinic. A spokesman for Spears' record label
declined to comment.
"It's not our place to comment on her personal issues," said
Allan Mayer in a statement on behalf of Jive Records.
In his ruling, Gordon said Spears "was not in substantial
compliance with material provisions" of a previous order that set
rules for visitation, parental counseling and drug and alcohol
testing.
He did not say which parts of the order Spears had not
followed.
The ruling said Federline, 29, would retain custody until a new
hearing, set for October 26, except when Spears was visiting.
During those times, "all visitation with (Spears), shall be in the
presence of a monitor."
The monitor "shall terminate visitation immediately if any
conduct or action by (Spears) endangers the minor children," it
said.
Gordon repeated past orders that Spears undergo random drug
testing twice a week, and said that a missed test, refusal to take
one or the failure to respond to a testing agency's call would be
considered a failed test.
Other previous stipulations dealing with counseling and parental
coaching remained in effect.
Spears' custody battle caps a tumultuous year in the singer's
personal life as she struggles to rejuvenate her recording
career.
Since her split from Federline last November, Spears has drawn
headlines for erratic behavior that has included club-hopping
without panties, shaving her head bald, raging at a car with an
umbrella and checking into and out of rehab.
However, despite the pop star's turbulent personal life and the
humiliation of her much-panned performance at MTV's Video Music
Awards, Britney Spears is finally catching a break. Her new song,
"Gimme More," is now a success on the music charts.
This week, "Gimme More" — released to radio stations in August —
topped Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart at No. 1 with 179,000
downloads, and jumped from No. 68 to No. 3 on Billboard's Hot
100.
The song is the first single from her new album, set for release
Nov. 13.
(Agencies via CRI.cn October 5, 2007)
