With Britney Spears whisked out of the public spotlight Thursday
and committed to a hospital psychiatric ward, it's now up to a team
of professional caregivers to reverse her seemingly endless
downward spiral.
A view of the entrance of
the UCLA Medical center in Los Angeles. Troubled pop icon Britney
Spears was rushed to hospital in an ambulance early Thursday for
the second time this month for mental health evaluation, US media
reported.
Spears, accompanied by more than a dozen police officers, was
taken to the UCLA Medical Center before dawn Thursday in what one
officer would only say was an effort to "get help" for the troubled
pop star.
It was her second 72-hour commitment in four weeks, though her
previous stay lasted less than two days and was followed by more
strange episodes that have accompanied her divorce and bruising
child custody battle.
The law allows a person to be placed on an involuntary
psychiatric hold for up to 72 hours if they are believed to be a
danger to themselves or others. Spears' mother, Lynne Spears, was
seen leaving the medical center's psychiatric hospital about 5:30
a.m. Asked if her daughter was all right, she replied, "Yeah."
Under the law, doctors may keep an individual under
round-the-clock observation but may not medicate the person without
his or her permission unless there appears to be grave danger, said
Dr. Bruce Spring, assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at the
University of Southern California.
"The hold is not a carte blanche for treatment," said Spring,
who is not connected to Spears' case.
Spears' public emotional spiral began in November 2006 when she
filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, the father of her infant
sons, 1-year-old Jayden James and 2-year-old Sean Preston.
Neither Spears' attorney nor Federline's lawyer immediately
returned calls for comment on her hospitalization. The pop star's
spokeswoman declined to comment.
It was not immediately clear who initiated Spears' commitment
process. The latest effort to get her help comes as various people
in her life appear to be jockeying for influence, from her
immediate family to two men who have recently surfaced.
One, Sam Lutfi, has described himself as Spears' manager and
"very good friend." Earlier this week, Barbara Walters said on
ABC's "The View" that Lutfi had contacted the veteran newswoman and
told her that Spears saw a psychiatrist and "is starting some kind
of treatment."
The other is Adnan Ghalib, a paparazzi photographer who recently
announced that he is Spears' boyfriend. Soon after that
announcement, Ghalib's wife of four years filed for a legal
separation.
Ghalib has been seen escorting Spears on shopping excursions,
restaurant outings and to court during her ongoing child-custody
battle with Federline. He reportedly followed the motorcade to the
hospital with Spears' mother.
In this image from APTN
video, Lynne Spears, center, Britney Spears' mother is shown
leaving UCLA Medical Center with two unidentified people, early
Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, in Los Angeles. Britney Spears was taken
from her home by ambulance early Thursday and escorted to the
hospital by more than a dozen police officers. A Los Angeles police
officer, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to
speak on the matter, said the 26-year-old pop star was being taken
to "get help."
The pop star was seen arriving in an ambulance, accompanied by
the type of escort normally reserved for a president. Nearly a
dozen officers on motorcycles, as well as more in police cars and
in a pair of helicopters hovering overhead, shepherded her to the
hospital.
UCLA spokeswoman Roxanne Moster, citing patient confidentiality
laws, declined to say whether Spears was at the hospital
Thursday.
Generally, a person on psychiatric hold receives a physical and
mental evaluation and undergoes tests that can include X-rays and
blood samples. Doctors can also recommend a course of treatment
during that time.
If a person is still considered a danger after the initial hold,
doctors can extend the confinement to up to 14 more days and a
court-ordered hearing is held at the hospital during that time to
determine if the person should be let go.
An estimated 40 to 100 people are committed against their will
in Los Angeles County every day, Spring said. Most, however, arrive
with only an escort of two police officers or a psychiatric mobile
response team.
"It's unusual that there would be a parade of people," Spring
said of the circus-like atmosphere under which Spears arrived. Her
visit drew complaints from neighbors who contacted the Federal
Aviation Administration about the helicopters.
Police Capt. Sharyn Buck said some people complained, but the
motorcade was provided to get Spears through a paparazzi swarm
without endangering her or the public.
"It's not preferential treatment by the LAPD, it's protecting
public safety," Buck said.
Because paparazzi photographers trail Spears' every public move,
she is forced to conduct almost all of her life in the equivalent
of a moving fish bowl. As the world has watched, her behavior has
gotten increasingly erratic.
Earlier this week, she was videotaped speaking in a faux British
accent as she ordered Lutfi out of the driver's seat of her black
Mercedez-Benz, shouting at him, "I want to drive my f------
car."
At other times she has arrived at public events in short skirts
and without underwear, shaved her head bald, ran over a
photographer's foot, left the scene of a fender bender, flogged
another car with an umbrella and abandoned a car in traffic when it
had a flat tire. Earlier this week, she was photographed holding
her pet dog and crying.
Spears was hospitalized on Jan. 3 after police were called to
her home when she refused to return her children to Federline
following a visit. That episode resulted in her losing custody of
her sons.
As she was about to leave the hospital the first time, Spears
was confronted by TV personality "Dr." Phil McGraw, who said he was
sent there by her family. At one point, McGraw had planned an
episode of the "Dr. Phil" show about Spears, but quickly abandoned
the idea amid criticism that he was exploiting her problems. He has
since apologized for discussing his visit publicly — but not for
going to see her.
Meanwhile, another hearing in Spears' child-custody case was
scheduled last week but she didn't attend.
She arrived at the courthouse wearing a short, black party
dress, bright pink lipstick, shiny gold platform shoes and
sunglasses. But after passing through the courthouse metal
detector, she announced, "I want to leave" and returned to her
car.
(China Daily/Agencies February 1, 2008)
