7/4 Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Enough of Britney already.. Oh, come on...just one more. Sleeping With the Enemy: What's Britney Doing Now? Spear's Relationship With Photographer May Be Akin to Stockholm Syndrome, Say Psychologists By MARCUS BARAM Jan. 17, 2008 — It's a well-documented phenomena that abducted hostages sometimes grow emotionally attached to their captors, despite the danger of the situation. The condition is called Stockholm syndrome, and it was most famously used to explain the transformation of heiress Patty Hearst, who was kidnapped by a guerrilla warfare group and later took part in a bank robbery with the gang in 1974. Now some believe that Britney Spears may be experiencing a mild version of the disorder in her relationship with British paparazzo Adnan Ghalib. "When you see her seeming like she's friends with the paparazzi, she's got, like Stockholm syndrome," actress Patricia Arquette told Contactmusic.com. "I mean she's becoming friends with her captors. She's being torn apart by this business." Ghalib, 35, who works for the FinalPixx photo agency and has been inseparable from Spears since New Year's Eve, has photographed the 26-year-old singer for years as part of the horde of shutterbugs who follow her every move. In the last two weeks, they've checked in to hotel rooms together and he's accompanied Spears all over Los Angeles, according to published reports. The singer's relationship with the paparazzi has certainly fluctuated over the years, from her posing sexily outside nightclubs to last February's temper tantrum in which she attacked a photographer's SUV with an umbrella. But her new relationship with one of her tormentors strikes some clinical psychologists as a sign of co-dependency or a variation of Stockholm syndrome, named after a 1973 bank robbery hostage standoff in Sweden. In that case, the victims became emotionally attached to their captors, even defending their actions. "When people are struggling with psychological problems and substance abuse, their experience of the world is altered and they will often gravitate to the people who create the most intense stimuli," says Patricia Saunders, a New York psychologist. "Some of the characteristics of persistent paparazzi are similar to stalkers. And for Britney, she's looking for any port in a storm. The elements of Stockholm syndrome come from that sense of "If you can't beat them, join them." Saunders said the relationship also reminded her of some of her own clients who enact a savior/victim fantasy. "It might be that he has some pathological attachment to her, to rescue her and to save her," she explains. "To someone who's drowning, like her, they're drawn to that." Dr. Carole Lieberman, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist who often testifies as an expert witness in high-profile trials, believes the relationship is more akin to co-dependency than Stockholm syndrome. "She's looking for that feeling of security, and she's obviously familiar with him," explains Lieberman. "And from years of following her, he knows the buttons to push with her. He knows how to play her like a violin, and he wants her pictures. And she doesn't even know that she's being held hostage." The case of a star falling for one of their paparazzi is apparently unprecedented in the annals of celebrity, according to entertainment journalists and Hollywood veterans. Some stars have always had friendly relationships with the photographers that hound them, but not to this extent, says Us Weekly senior editor Ian Drew. "If you go on YouTube, you'll see Amy Winehouse getting paparazzi to carry her groceries for her," he says. "But Britney is obviously deranged right now." Drew says that the relationship is not that hard to imagine considering how Spears and Ghalib have been in close contact for so long. "You do get a sense of somebody by hanging outside their house all the time," Drew explains. "They talk to each other. He's always on the Britney beat. It's just like anyone hooking up with one of their makeup artists." Although romantic pairings can be complex and sometimes inexplicable, he thinks that commerce may be at the root of the relationship. "It also makes you question if there is a business motive behind it. Is she getting a cut of that money he's making by selling pictures? There has long been speculation that she's made deals with paparazzi. She's sold pictures of herself, of every baby, of every wedding. I wouldn't say she's a victim of captors. I would say she's been in on the game all along," Drew said. Ghalib and his agency didn't return calls for comment. Some celebrity photographers were equally cynical about the relationship, noting that Ghalib's agency recently posted pictures of the two of them looking at pregnancy test kits in a Rite Aid pharmacy. "He, out of anyone, knows all their tricks," says one shutterbug who asked not to be named. "And could make it so she was not photographed all the time. It only leads me to believe that is what she wants." An agent for Spears did not return e-mails seeking comment. Copyright © 2008 ABC News Internet Ventures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDK Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 I sympathize with most of the celebs that have to deal with paparazzi bullshit each and every day, but I've been in Hollywood long enough to know that Brit brings most of this on herself. I'm not sure if she's enabling the press or vice versa, but telling the court that she's afraid to show up because of the paps is ludicrous. The chick hits Starbucks, supermarkets, and gas stations far more than any "common" person I know, leading the paps around like a pack of trained dogs. She may be unstable, bipolar, whatever - but she also knows what she's doing. If I thought she was smart enough, I'd almost believe she was pulling some brilliant Andy Kaufman/Tony Clifton punk on all of us. But no, she's just once-successful poor white trash putting on a show as she burns out in public. Sad, yes, but funny too, and I can't blame anyone for watching/enjoying this particular crash-and-burn. January 17, 2008 Four Paparazzi Arrested After Chasing Britney Spears By REUTERS Filed at 1:16 p.m. ET LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Four photographers were arrested for reckless driving after a late night car chase of pop star Britney Spears on the outskirts of Los Angeles, police said on Thursday. Los Angeles police spokeswoman Sara Faden said the four were among a group of paparazzi seen driving at high speed in the Mission Hills area of the city around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday on the trail of the troubled singer. "Britney Spears was part of the group, but was not driving recklessly," Faden said. She said four men were booked for reckless driving and each ordered to put up $5,000 bail. According to the celebrity Web site TMZ.com, Spears told police that one of the cars, which she could not identify, may have tried to run her off the road. Spears, 26, has been trailed by paparazzi day and night for several months as her personal and professional life has fallen apart following her divorce from Kevin Federline and bitter battles over the custody of her two children. Yeah, but you left out the last part (or Reuters didn't report it)... However, Spears' constant sidekick Sam Lutfi told E! News' Ryan Seacrest Thursday morning that the singer, who has a well-documented affinity for certain members of the paparazzi, did not want to see the four photographers carted away. Lutfi said that while speaking with cops, Spears tried to prevent the paparazzi from getting arrested, though the officers didn't take to the celebrity intervention. But while the night was over for four of Spears' shutterbugs, it was still young for the "Gimme More" warbler herself. Spears and Lutfi continued on with their late-night excursion, making a pit stop at a Studio City grocery store, which she left at roughly 1 a.m. with a cartful of bagged goods. After switching rides from the Benz to a black Escalade, sources tell E! News that at roughly 2 a.m. (a timeline since disputed by Lutfi), the duo headed over to the trendy Beverly Hills boutique Kitson. The store, which closed hours earlier, opened solely for Spears and her burgeoning entourage: Lutfi, security man Mark Chinapen, who orchestrated the late-night logistics, new hanger-on Chad Hardcastle and Danish fashion executive Claus Hjemblak, who owns the Scandinavian Style Mansion where Spears celebrated her birthday last month. Curiously absent from the mix was paparazzo pal Adnan Ghalib. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 Yeah, but you left out the last part (or Reuters didn't report it)... No they didn't. I'm not following this too closely, but I also noticed this: Britney pregnancy rumors are a hoax ‘They’re just toying with the paparazzi,’ says a friend of the couple Access Hollywood updated 7:07 p.m. ET, Wed., Jan. 16, 2008 While images of Britney Spears and new pal Adnan Ghalib apparently shopping for pregnancy tests at a pharmacy have sent the baby bump rumor mill into a frenzy, a source close to Spears tells “Access Hollywood” it’s all a joke. “It’s all bull---t. They’re just toying with the paparazzi,” Spears confidant Sam Lutfi told “Access.” The couple was seen perusing the pregnancy test aisle at a Rite Aid in Studio City, Calif., on Tuesday. However, the validity of the rumors was questioned as the photos of the couple were taken by FinalPixx — the agency Ghalib works for. Spears lost custody of her two kids (Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1) in October. She is still embroiled in a very public custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Copyright 2008 by NBC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoGrubb Posted January 18, 2008 Report Share Posted January 18, 2008 I can't believe that I'm still reading this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted February 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 Court: Spears' Dad Has Temporary Control Feb. 1, 2008, 9:54 PM EST The Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Throughout the course of Britney Spears' months-long emotional tailspin, one universal question has lingered with each spectacular turn: Why doesn't her family take drastic measures to stop this? On Friday, they did. Spears' father, James Spears, was put in charge of the troubled pop star's welfare during a surprise court appearance by him and mother Lynne Spears, a day after their daughter was whisked to a hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. Just as Spears' immediate family was taking charge of her life, Sam Lutfi, the man seen escorting her about town and sometimes speaking on her behalf, was removed from the picture with a restraining order. A message left on Lutfi's cell phone seeking comment was not immediately returned. James Spears' eyes grew teary when he was named conservator of his daughter. He and an attorney, Andrew Wallet, were named conservators of the estate. The parents sat with attorney Blair Berk throughout the hearing, smiling and embracing after the announcement. The events of the past two days were the first positive signs that Spears may have reached a turning point in a downward spiral of bizarre behavior — all of it captured by paparazzi lenses — that has resulted in her losing custody of and visitation rights with her two young sons. Spears was taken early Thursday by paramedics with a heavy police escort to UCLA Medical Center's psychiatric hospital. There was no account or description of the young star's actual condition during the hearing. It was the second hospitalization this year for the 26-year-old singer, who has exhibited odd behavior since November 2006, when she filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, the father of their sons, 1-year-old Jayden James and 2-year-old Sean Preston. A court creates conservatorships when it determines that a person cannot care for themselves or handle their affairs. Commissioner Reva Goetz said Spears would be under conservatorship until Monday, at which time another hearing would be held. "It is in the best interests of the conservatee to have conservatorship over her person," Goetz told a packed courtroom. As conservator, her father will have the power to "restrict visitors," have around-the-clock security for Spears and have access to all medical records, Goetz said. It was unclear whether the court gave her father the power to make medical decisions on Spears' behalf; even if that was granted, the role can be limited. Conservators can consult with doctors on medication options, but the patient can refuse. Only in emergencies can someone be forcefully treated. Otherwise, a court hearing must be scheduled to hammer out the issue. "Being a conservator does not give them the power to force medication," said Nancy Kincaid, a spokeswoman with the California Department of Mental Health. The court also issued a restraining order against Lutfi, Spears' sometime manager and friend, and gave her father permission to change the locks on her estate and remove anyone who is there. Goetz said conservatorship over the estate was "necessary and appropriate." She gave approval for the conservator to "take all actions to secure all liquid assets including credit cards." Dr. Mark Goulston, a Los Angeles psychiatrist who is not involved in the case, said he was not surprised by the ruling, given Spears' increasingly erratic behavior and what appear to have been periodic and unsuccessful efforts at rehabilitation. Although placing people in conservatorships is not unusual, Goulston said, courts usually look long and hard at the evidence before putting a person in one. "You have to really make a case before someone is allowed to become a conservator, so I would conclude her judgment is fairly impaired," he said. The court, which rejected a request to hold the hearing without news media present, did not immediately rule on another request to seal all documents. Goetz said she would rule on Monday, and court spokesman Allan Parachini said the papers would remain sealed until then. The conservatorship was approved by a different court from the one handling a custody dispute over the singer's children with Federline. A hearing on custody issues is set Monday morning in that court. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoGrubb Posted February 2, 2008 Report Share Posted February 2, 2008 I'm glad, maybe he'll provide a stabilizing influence on her, get her some pro help. Nobody deserves to be mentally ill. It can be a horrible existence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted February 3, 2008 Report Share Posted February 3, 2008 not lookin' too good: "Britney Spears, pictured on Wednesday after driving around LA erratically, screamed her way through her first night in UCLA's psychiatric ward" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EulaM Posted February 4, 2008 Report Share Posted February 4, 2008 (edited) Unless heading to a club or just leaving one, I've hardly ever seen her on television that she doesn't have some large sugar laced something or other in her hands, it's like she is on a perpetual sugar high. Ever been around anyone who's hypoglycemic? They can just act bonkers, totally normal one second and going off the next, add in alcohol and/or any other mind altering substance and you have a real sick person on your hands. I think the girl needs to detox; mostly from an inproper diet, and I would bet you'd see a different Britney. Her everyday habits are enough to change anyone's personality for the worse. Then throw in the fact that she has never not worked for her living since she was a little girl, never having had the chance to have a normal childhood and life, well, we're seeing the results and with child stars, this is all too common. It's almost as if we should expect it to be this way. Edited February 4, 2008 by EulaM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 It looks like a case of a Svengali controlling a mentally ill millionaire. http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8...;show_article=1 Spears' Manager Accused of Drugging Her Feb 5 03:46 PM US/Eastern By LINDA DEUTSCH AP Special Correspondent Spears' Dad Still in Charge of Her Affairs Paparazzo Boyfriend Visits Britney Bearing Gifts and Cameraman LOS ANGELES (AP) - A restraining order aimed at Britney Spears' sometimes manager Sam Lutfi alleges that he took over her life and finances, drugged her and controlled the paparazzi who pursued her for months. The order, based on a lengthy declaration from Spears' mother, Lynne, says that Spears met Lutfi in October 2007 and "Mr. Lutfi has 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 him to stay away from her and stop harassing. In a section of the order that detailed previous harassment, Lynne Spears said "Mr. 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." Spears' father has been granted control of her finances until Valentine's Day by a judge who also barred the troubled pop star from contacting Lutfi. Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz also appointed a physician Monday to evaluate whether Spears, who is in a psychiatric ward, is competent to make decisions. Her father, James Spears, and an attorney were granted conservatorship last week after the 26-year-old was hospitalized for the second time in two months following increasingly bizarre behavior. The commissioner extended that conservatorship until Feb. 14. It allows Spears' father, and attorney Andrew Wallet, to make decisions involving the singer's assets and even who enters her home. The commissioner also tried to further distance Spears from Lutfi, who sometimes spoke on her behalf and had been seen escorting her about town. Spears was ordered to have no contact with him by phone, texting, or any other means. The commissioner extended a restraining order against Lutfi that was issued last week, although court spokesman Allan Parachini said the original order had not yet been served. In a Monday text message to The Associated Press, Lutfi said: "I have no problems with anyone writing anything negative against me. My image is not of concern, hers is." A police motorcade helped shepherd Spears to UCLA Medical Center last Thursday for a 72-hour mental evaluation. She was originally to be released Sunday but doctors and a ward medical officer decided to keep her for two more weeks. They cited a state law that allows holding patients for treatment if they are found to be gravely disabled or a danger to themselves or others. The question of Spears' competency came up again Monday as an attorney, Adam Streisand, unsuccessfully argued that the pop star told him by phone that she wanted her father removed as conservator. "She has expressed to me very strongly (her wish) that her father not be the conservator," Streisand said. "There has been an estrangement for quite some time. With him as conservator, that is causing her more agitation and more distress." Streisand, who placed Spears' estate assets at $40 million or more, also said he believed he had been authorized to represent Spears. But court-appointed attorney Samuel Ingham said he interviewed Spears on Sunday at the hospital and determined she didn't understand the court proceedings, and "she lacks the capacity to retain counsel." Attorney Vivian Thoreen, who represents Spears' father, said her client should continue to be conservator because "his daughter is in great distress." "He's not here to take over her assets," Thoreen said. "He's here to get her medical help. He's here to take over while she's healing." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 (edited) It looks like a case of a Svengali controlling a mentally ill millionaire. Uh huh. The latest chapter. Check it out - Osama Lutfi. February 5, 2008 Lutfi Has Previous Restraining Orders By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Filed at 6:21 p.m. ET LOS ANGELES (AP) -- He's been seen squiring around a dazed looking Britney Spears, at times acting as her spokesman, referring to himself as her manager and friend, and insisting all the while that her best interest is his only concern. All the same, Sam Lutfi, the 33-year-old man in the baseball cap who's been behind the scenes throughout Britney's public downfall, has not been easy to define. Then on Tuesday, accusations in a restraining order cutting him off from the troubled pop star would seem to support at least one theory: that he was a Svengali figure in her life, a shady hanger-on who controlled everything -- from doling out her pills to holding the paparazzi's leash. The day before the court documents were released, Lutfi told The Associated Press in a text message: ''I have no problems with anyone writing anything negative against me. My image is not of concern, hers is.'' Lutfi did not immediately respond to further inquiry. The restraining order, based on a statement from Spears' mother Lynne, was not the first against Lutfi, who is listed in legal documents as Osama Lutfi. Accusations in at least three prior orders range from obscene messages following a business deal to a neighbor who said he was hounded incessantly and threatened with bodily harm. Spears remained hospitalized Monday for psychiatric evaluation after being committed last week. The order, which bars Lutfi from contacting her in any way, was granted the same day a court turned control of her affairs over to her father and a lawyer. Though Lutfi had recently reached out to various magazines and media personalities with information on Spears' condition and state of mind, details on him have proved elusive. Public records show he was born August 16, 1974 in Los Angeles. Music magazine Blender, in a March cover story on Spears, states that Lutfi grew up in Woodland Hills, where his mother reportedly owns several gas stations. According to the movie database IMDb.com, Lutfi served as associate producer of 1998 film ''Circles'' (also known as ''Crossing Paths'') and 2001's ''Crossing Cords.'' And a profile titled ''Sam Lutfi'' on the networking Web site LinkedIn lists him as an ''Independent Media Production Professional'' with education from the University of Southern California. The school's alumni Web site does not list Lutfi as a past student. How Lutfi connected with Spears in the first place isn't clear. Brandy Navarre, co-owner of celebrity photo agency and Web site X17, told the AP that Lutfi contacted the agency about nine or 10 months ago -- after her head-shaving incident and others -- about telling Spears' side of the story. Since then, X17 photographers have cultivated a close relationship with both Spears and Lutfi, whom they have photographed together numerous times. Lutfi communicates with X17 by text messages, instant messages and e-mail regularly, and has had long conversations with Navarre, she said. Navarre said she never asked him how he and Spears met. Still, ''I think I've always had a positive feeling of him,'' Navarre said. ''He seems to have Britney's best interest in mind.'' In the order against Lutfi, Lynne Spears says her daughter met him in October 2007, and that he ''essentially moved into Britney's home and has purported to take control of her life, home and finances.'' She describes witnessing a situation of tight control and manipulation, with Lutfi calling the shots on her medications, cutting her phone lines, and deciding who's let in to see the pop star. A court commissioner on Monday extended temporary conservatorship of Spears to her father, from whom she's been estranged, through Feb 14. Adam Streisand, an attorney who said he believed he had been authorized to represent Spears, argued Monday that James Spears should be removed because his role ''is causing her more agitation and more distress.'' ''Her family hasn't been around,'' Navarre said. ''(Lutfi) has kind of been filling that void. ... He's done everything from being a default manager and publicist to being a brother, a dad.'' Navarre denied rumors that the agency was paying Lutfi for access. ''We have paid people for information, for pictures, but we've never paid Sam Lutfi and have never paid Britney Spears,'' Navarre said. ''And he's never asked us for any money.'' Last month, Barbara Walters said on ABC's ''The View'' that Lutfi had contacted her, telling her Spears ''is suffering from what he describes as mental issues which are treatable.'' She also said Lutfi ''seems to be enormously supportive'' of Spears. Court documents from previous cohorts of Lutfi present a darker picture. In October 2005, businesswoman Jumana Issa filed a complaint in Los Angeles against Lutfi; it was dismissed in March 2006 because she failed to appear for a preliminary hearing. When contacted by phone, Issa refused to comment. In court papers, the Westside Escrow Corporation owner claimed Lutfi started harassing her from the day of closing an escrow account for him after he demanded canceling an escrow check which she said she was unable to stop payment on. Issa said Lutfi antagonized her repeatedly with obscene e-mails, offensive faxes and late-night voice mails, hanging up on her around 15-20 times a day, according to court documents. Issa described the ordeal as ''an overwhelming nightmare.'' Lutfi allegedly wrote in one fax provided by Issa, ''Come on big lady, I know you are capable of responding. Put down the donuts and call me.'' In October 2004, a restraining order was issued demanding Lutfi stay at least 100 yards away from Mark Douglas Snoland, a neighbor in Lutfi's condominium building, for three years. Snoland's attorney Ronald Ziff referred questions to Snoland, who did not immediately return calls seeking comment. According to Snoland's petition for a restraining order, Lutfi began ''pounding'' on Snoland's front door on the night of Sept. 6, 2004 and tried to kick the door in while also pounding on a kitchen window and ''yelling verbal threats of bodily harm'' against Snoland and his mother, who lived in the unit. Snoland claimed Lutfi returned 15 minutes later to continue to kick the door and yell threats. Snoland also alleged Lutfi buzzed him on an intercom ''non stop'' and, hours later, called his home phone number and hung up every few minutes. Lutfi claimed in a response to the petition that Snoland only ''knocked'' on the door, and that Snoland ''was never threatened,'' but actually ''angry he was removed from the board of the condo complex.'' In April 2007, an Orange County Superior Court granted a restraining order against Lutfi for 29-year-old Danny Haines, who told Blender he had been a close friend of Lutfi for two years and that Lutfi once told him he should kill himself. Attempts by the AP to reach Haines for comment were unsuccessful. According to Blender, Haines said he and Lutfi met on Myspace.com in 2005 when Haines was struggling with relationships with his relatives and friends. The two became tight pals, Haines told the magazine, and Lutfi emphasized that he could be a mediator between Haines and his family. Haines claims Lutfi showed a jealous side, leaving voicemails calling Haines ''worthless,'' and then divulging, ''I love you, man. I love you to death.'' Haines alleges Lutfi later suggested Haines take sleeping pills, ''lots of them,'' following a dispute over money Lutfi allegedly borrowed from Haines, according to the magazine. Haines claims when he stopped communicating with Lutfi, Lutfi retaliated by e-mailing naked photographs of Haines to his family, friends, colleagues and employer, and text messaged and called repeatedly. Edited February 6, 2008 by 7/4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoGrubb Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 Sounds like the guy was pimping on her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 I have britt's undies if she needs um..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted February 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 I have britt's undies if she needs um..... all done wearing 'em, are ya? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted February 6, 2008 Report Share Posted February 6, 2008 I have britt's undies if she needs um..... all done wearing 'em, are ya? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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