ABC News.
Keep your head up Britney.
Just when it seemed like the old Britney Spears -- the one who shaved her head and brandished an umbrella at the paparazzi -- had been laid to rest, Sam Lutfi's lawsuit brought the whole mess back to life.
Background: Lutfi is suing Spears' parents, Lynne and Jamie Spears, for defamation. In her 2008 book, Spears' mom portrayed Lutfi as a "gatekeeper" who preyed on her daughter's vulnerabilities and cut her off from her family.
Lutfi contends that he actually reunited the Spears women after a long estrangement. In court this week, he showed a photo he took of Lynne and Britney smiling in front of Britney's Malibu home. "I spent months working on a reconciliation, and this is the day of the reunion," he said.
Lutfi also claims he served as Spears' manager during 2007 and 2008. He's seeking millions as his share of her income during that period.
Testimony from Lutfi, attorneys, and others who were close to Spears during those dark years have illuminated the details of her epic breakdown. Click through for the seven biggest revelations from the trial so far:
1. Justin Timberlake Started It All
Leon Gladstone, who represents Spears' father, Jamie, said in opening statements that Justin Timberlake's breakup with the "Baby One More Time" singer spawned her downward spiral. Gladstone said their 2002 split changed Spears from a "ray of light" to a"depressed" and "angry" person.
2.
This text message allegedly sent by Jamie Spears to Lutfi was read in
court Wednesday: "If and when I meet you I am going to jail and you are
going to the hospital." Lutfi also described Jamie Spears chasing him
around a kitchen, punching him and threatening his life.Britney's Dad Threatened a Smackdown |
3.
... even when she wasn't working. On the stand, Lutfi said Spears
enticed him to be her manager by saying, "I'm getting $800,000 a month
even when I'm not working. You will get 15 percent of that." Lynne
Spears' legal team has backed up that figure, saying that Lutfi wanted
to get a 15 percent commission on the $800,000 per month Spears pulled
in during 2007-2008, which would work out to around $120,000 a month.
Spears Earned $800,000 a Month ... |
But according to Joel Boxer, who represents Spears' conservatorship, Lutfi never demanded that kind of payment for his services.
4.
... according to Lutfi. Lutfi said Spears "was in crisis mode, dealing
with press photographers, 30, 50, 100 following her every move,
speeding, driving next to her." He said she suffered from "a lot of
anxiety when they followed her. When she got out of a car they would
cluster around her, she couldn't move, she was very anxious." He came up
with a solution: Once he started working with Spears, he began texting
photographers to tell them where he and Spears were going in an attempt
to stop them from following her. "I was also setting up private meetings
with Britney and press photographers at her home, so [they] could get
to know her as a human being," he said.Spears Was in Cahoots With the Paparazzi |
5.
In court, Lutfi's lawyer claimed that Spears' infamous 2008 head shaving
happened after someone told her she could be tested for drugs with
samples of her hair and would lose custody of her children if she tested
positive. He said that prompted her decision to dive into a San
Fernando Valley salon and buzz off her locks.Spears May Have Shaved Her Head Over Fear of Drug Tests |
6.
Barry Weiss, the former CEO of Jive Records who signed Spears when she
was 16, said he never considered Lutfi to be Spears' manager, partly
because he was the man Spears came to during her times of
crisis. "There was no manager involved," Weiss said. "She was estranged
from her family. I felt I was a lifeline for her. She was texting me
constantly from her cell phone."Spears Cried to the Head of Her Record Label |
7.
After parting ways with Spears, Lutfi started working as a co-manager
for Courtney Love, the rocker who famously appeared stark naked for a New York Times interview and asked the reporter to dress her. Love's publicist is also the same person who represents Lindsay Lohan. How's that for a coincidence?
Lutfi Now Co-Manages Courtney Love |
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