Dad 'Blackmailing' Britney, Court Told

She sneaked star a secret cell phone
By Sarah Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 2, 2009 7:40 AM CDT
Dad 'Blackmailing' Britney, Court Told
Britney Spears performs on ABC's "Good Morning America" show in New York on Dec. 2, 2008.   (AP Photo/Peter Kramer, File)

Chafing under her dad's control, Britney Spears wants to hire her own lawyer, People reports. The sister of Spears' former manager, Sam Lutfi, told an LA court yesterday that she recently sneaked the singer a cellphone so she could call Lutfi and ask for help without her father knowing. "She was scared because her father was blackmailing her with visitation rights over her kids," Christina Lutfi testified.

Christina Lutfi says she met Spears at an LA hotel's gym and handed off the phone in the sauna, but the pop star's bodyguards found it. The court hearing is to determine whether to extend the restraining order Spears has against Lutfi. Dad Jamie Spears says the onetime manager is harassing the singer, but "when someone asks for your help, that person is obviously not scared of you," Lutfi's lawyer countered.
(More Britney Spears stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X