Though at times estranged, Britney's dad (on Jan. 31) is now regularly at her side. Photo by: DS / Flynet |
On Jan. 28, Lynne – who had used Lutfi as a reliable conduit to her daughter since their failed reunion in October – arrived from Kentwood, La., and joined a small group inside Britney's Beverly Hills home including Lutfi, Ghalib and Alli Sims for what a source calls a "bonding session." But it did not go well. Later, in her court declaration, Lynne accused Lutfi of drugging Britney, verbally abusing her, cutting off all phone lines in the house and disposing of cell phone chargers in an attempt to control her. Lutfi declined People's request to address the accusations in Lynne's file. But a source close to him says, "Sam's not worried. He can handle this." Indeed, Lutfi had told PEOPLE a few days earlier that he "knew the family would try and force him out of the picture. [They] are trying to look like heroes, swooping in after all the dirty work is done. Their worry is being financially cut off." Sources in the Spears camp vehemently deny the accusations. "Jamie has a job. And Lynne is a simple, Christian person, not flashy. She's always in jeans and sweatshirts. She doesn't care about money."
With the court siding with Jamie, Lutfi, the man who was a companion to Spears, who was at the hospital 30 minutes after she arrived – and ran to get her In-N-Out burgers the next day – is now barred from having any contact with Spears in any way: phone, fax, text or e-mail.
How Britney feels about her parents assuming control of both her life and her finances is unclear; she has had strained relations with them for years. At a hearing on Feb. 4 estate attorney Adam Streisand claimed she had hired him to try to have her dad's conservatorship rejected to no avail. Why?
