Celebrities live in the glare of a harsh, unforgiving and unfair spotlight. But what the spotlight illuminates is often, ironically, the darker side of success, and exposes the inner workings of the human mind, which for all the exposure, are beyond public comprehension. We still don’t know the full story of what happened with Owen Wilson, which is fine–we hope he’s on the mend and that we’ll see him out and about again soon. And Lindsay Lohan’s bingeing on men and substances looks likely to continue in the new year.
And then there’s what this new year has brought so far for Britney Spears.
Mom and sister are at the grave of mom’s sister. Thursday night, after a disturbance at her home, Britney is taken in by cops to a hospital–it is reported that she “held her sons hostage” after a visit, refusing to give them over to her ex-, Kevin Federline.
The stand-off, which involved five police squad cars, a police helicopter and paramedics, was sparked because Federline thought Spears would shoot their two children, it has been reported. A friend of his said [to] the News of the World: “K-Fed was terrified. He realised she had a gun where she was holding them.”
If you want to experience for a few minutes what it’s like to live your life and watch it unraveling through the eyes of the paparazzi, watch this eerie video and witness the stunned, haunted look on Britney’s face during those few frames in which she appears. It’s disturbing.
Friday, she’s stripped of all visiting rights with her children. Saturday night, she storms out of the psychiatric ward at Cedars Sinai, against the advice of talk show therapist and “family friend” Dr. Phil McGraw, “who is planning a TV special on the case.”
Dr McGraw is said to have told the singer’s father that his daughter’s release was “one of the worst decisions that could have been made”.”My meeting with Britney and some family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention,” he said. It has been suggested that Miss Spears is exhibiting signs of bipolar disorder.
Of course, now the question is, are Dr. Phil’s motives pure, or motivated by the ratings he’d undoubtedly get if he could land a Britney appearance on his show?
“This is exactly Britney’s trouble,” said one source who knows the shrink personally. “Does a troubled young woman who is already fodder for the media need a TV psychologist descending on her with camera crews? Isn’t there any other psychotherapist in America who can help her without making a show out of her?”
You could literally spend all day on the internet gathering news and pictures about the latest chapter in Britney’s unfortunate meltdown. You could look at the dreadful pictures that were taken as she was strapped to a gurney to be taken to the hospital (as indeed I was doing for this post, before I was sickened by them, and decided to use an older photo to accompany this post). You could devote pages and posts and photos and newsprint and book her into every talk show on daytime. And I’m not sure any good would come of it. It’s not like us posting about her every day is going to get her to get her act together.
Hopefully, this is the low point, and from here on, things will get better: the situation will calm down, and the mini-train wrecks will stop. Let’s all think of all of the children–Britney, Jamie Lynn (haven’t forgotten about her) and Preston and Jayden. And even Chris Crocker, who may have been right after all when he urged the world toleave Britney alone.
If Dr. Phil books her on his show and manages to help her, GREAT. But I can’t be the only one to suspect that maybe the spotlight on Britney, from an early age, is the problem, and not the solution.
posted January 8, 2008 at 9:28 am
I don’t think Britney has bipolar disorder. The constant spotlight, her extreme fame from a young age, her recent troubles with marriage, children, and life. There’s no evidence that her life has two sides, just one glaring, streaming light that invades her every moment– as if that video weren’t evidence enough.
Everyone deserves privacy and basic respect. What’s happening to Britney now is a case study in what happens if they don’t have it.
Imagine the down times you have had in your own life. Now put them on television and on the cover of every pop magazine cover and tabloid in the world. I don’t think I’d be doing better than Britney is now…
Shame on us for bringing it to this point. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.
posted January 8, 2008 at 12:20 pm
I agree with Maya Norton. Also when my own ex-husband filed for custody of our children because I was trying to increase my income for the future of our children by moving out of state, I know how angry I was. It was unfair that he could live his life, make money/hide it (self employed farmer)and not pay the equitable child support and force us to stay at poverty level. (I qualified for WIC and got Earned Income Credit.)In the court room he and his family told lie after lie of my future plans and their plans for quality time with the children. (That regular quality time never came to be. What kind of quality is time spent in front of a tv with no verbal interaction?) I stayed for the sake of my children who did not want to live with him nor do they enjoy going for visitation because of their step-mother. In the mean time I’m waiting for my youngest to graduate high school and I will finlly get to move. I won’t have much, but I will have my freedom from my ex once and for all. In Brittney’s case there may be similar lies and non-truths being initiated by KF. I went to a Catholic grade school and high school and I learned how to keep my mouth shut and endure the lies of others. It’s called turning the other cheek. The trouble is that I still remember and so do the kids.
posted January 8, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Give the girl a break! She has to hand over her children and I doubt she married and had children just to give them away with a failed marriage. She loved that man and I think he really, REALLY hurt her. The spot light should be put on him showing his every move and maybe we will catch a real glimpse at the REAL K-fed: I don’t think he’s innocent in all of this.
posted January 8, 2008 at 6:17 pm
I think that there is one thing we need to consider when comments are made that this is a result of constant media glare – Brittany courts the paparazzi on a regular basis. I think part of her problem stems from her sick need for the attention.
posted January 8, 2008 at 6:55 pm
There are other famous people who “court” or try to use the paparazzi to their advantage because it’s easier than fighting them all the time. I don’t think she is suffering from a sick need for attention. She may be struggling with career and motherhood. My mother instilled in me that when you have kids, they are yours to care for and raise until they are 18 yrs of age. Any deviation from that goal makes one feel like not being a good mother. It makes it even harder when the jackal is sly enough to appear as the lamb. No one really knows unless we walk in her shoes. I do know that after you have kids, your life never really belongs to you any more. As with Brittany, it seems like every one is pulling at her “puppet” strings.
posted January 17, 2008 at 2:41 am
I JUST THINK ANYONE WOULD BREAK DOWN WITH K.FED AS A HUSBAND. HE WAS ABLE TO PARTY, TAKE HALF HER MONEY, NOW THE KIDS FROM THE MEDIA NIT PICKING ON EVERYDAY SHE DOES NOT HIM.