Today's meltdown is the price of unrealistic expectations...

[SlayOut]

I think people are legitimately pissed off at Larry aka her team. But everyone's valid concerns are just simple conspiracy, according to Larry...  At the same time, I don't think people are denying that the music Britney has created on Glory is fantastic, that she is dancing the best she has since her breakdown, and that she seems to be at a happier place in her personal life. I think people are legitimately upset that while everything is and can be in Britney's favor, her team hasn't been able to match that in their responsibilities. Yes, her team managed to get more promo this era, and I would hope everyone is grateful about that. But there are also small missteps that have happened and shouldn't have happened. And since these missteps have also accumulated (in small ways) overtime, I think people get more and more upset/tired as time goes on. So I don't find peoples' discontent surprising tbh I personally just take it as it is.

I honestly doubt the conservatorship is going to end. No matter how much you or I want Britney in control of her career 100%. None of us are flies on the wall, so we truly don't know what happens behind closed or slightly opened doors. None of us know the actual agreements and breakdown of control or power. We know somewhat who's involved, but so many details aren't public and personally I think that's fine. When the conservatorship was implemented in 2008, it obviously helped Britney balance her financial, legal, contractual, career, family, and personal issues. For someone, at that time, age 25/26 having to manage and balance that by herself is insane. So I think it has helped shift the brunt of the behind the scenes work from Britney to those who help manage, which allows Britney to most likely focus on her health, being a mother, and other personal concerns. It's obviously an expensive thing to run, so I think questions of power abuse and individual peoples' egos (her dad, financial manager, etc.) come up naturally. And now that it's been in place for so long, and given the growing discontent this fanbase feels, the "ethics" of the conservatorship obviously become an issue. I feel like Larry, her team, and her conservatorship have really filtered her post-breakdown. The filtering of questions, the controlled appearances, the set interviews, while necessary at first, come off somewhat disingenuous now. Maybe that filtering is in place for medical reasons or personal reasons, but she seems somewhat withdrawn from everything no matter how committed and passionate she seems about everything. And that article makes me think that it's obviously not entirely her, but within the makeup of her team or conservatorship. 

I don't think her team outwardly silences her or intentionally sabotages her; I think she does have a say in her career/life to some degree. At the same time, those she's surrounded by obviously have really narrow frames of reference and are stuck in the past couple decades. So it seems anything she has an opinion on (when it comes from her team) isn't well informed from the first place since her team is so obviously incompetent.

Idk we can ramble on and analyze each person in her team, but everything seems solidly set in stone...

[Steel Magnolia]

Some background that was compiled back in the day...

Aug 5, 2006:

Lou M. Taylor, the President of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment Group, is by now representing Jamie Lynn Spears. Jamie Lynn appears at the time in the TV show "Zoey 101."

Lou says, "I am a strong woman, I am a boss, I am a woman in a man's business, I am married to a Godly man and Pastor, I am a submissive wife."

http://www.drewmarshall.ca/listen2006.html

According to Taylor's bio, "I focus on making a difference in our business by operating a life management model that includes a cohesive working relationship with each member of a client’s team to ensure maximum professional support and counsel."

http://www.tristarse.com/loutaylor/loutaylor_lou.asp

[Youll Have To Wait And See]

what meltdowns? what happened today?

[Steel Magnolia]

Apr 13, 2007

In a taped rant to X17, Britney sarcasticly criticizes her mother and her management. "My management totally knew what they were doing when they sent me to rehab - they were so right." 

http://x17video.com/celebrity_video/britney_spears/britney_talksx17_xclusive_its.php

By this time Lou Taylor is representing the entire Spears family, including Jamie Spears and Lynne Spears.

[Steel Magnolia]

May 29, 2007

"Dear Fans,

I just wanted to reach out to all of you and explain some of the things that I have been faced with recently.

It’s so funny how many stories are put out there about people. It’s like we all want our side of the story out there as well, but at the end of the day only a few people care to hear what is really going on since the bad is always so much more interesting than the truth. I don’t know why, but this is so weird to me. I used to be angry at the tabloids for printing horrible things about me, but now I try to just be numb to what I see. I saw Tyra Banks once get really upset and cry on her show because they made her look fat. We all want a certain image of ourselves out there, and at some point we all do really care what other people think or we wouldn’t be here.

Recently, I was sent to a very humbling place called rehab. I truly hit rock bottom. Till this day I don’t think that it was alcohol or depression. I was like a bad kid running around with ADD. I had a manager from a long time ago come in and try to direct me and my life after I got my divorce. I was so overwhelmed I think that I was in a little shock too. I didn’t know who to go to. I realized how much energy and love I had put into my past relationship when it was gone because I genuinely did not know what to do with myself, and it made me so sad. I confess, I was so lost.

This letter is to not place blame on anyone, although I do see the world with a completely different set of eyes now. Being in that vulnerable state and taken to dinners and parties with friends and finding out later you paid for everything was a huge learning lesson for me. I think the whole problem was letting too many people into my life. You never know another persons intentions or what another person wants. I feel I was too open and looking for answers when I had it all to begin with. I have had to cut so many people out of my life. It is so sad, because if anyone is a family person…it is me. When I was little I remember every night watching movies with my family and feeling so at peace. Dancing and singing all the time just like a little girl should. Now recently I find with my children that I want them to have that feeling all of the time. I am having to face a lot of things right now since I have children of my own. A lot of insecurities from when I was little are coming up again. It is like we are never good enough.

I know everyone thinks that I am playing the victim, but I am not and I hate what is going on right now so much. Maybe this is the reason for this letter…to maybe allow people to look at me differently. It is like when you are a real woman and say what you feel and how you think things are supposed to be, that people just say you are a “*****.”

I feel like some of the people in my life made more of some issues than was necessary. I also feel like they knew I was beginning to use my brain for a change and cut some ties, so they wanted to be in more control of my life than me. I think it is actually normal for a young girl to go out after a huge divorce. I think it was a bigger issue because I had not gone out in such a long time. I am 25 and I do still have a lot to learn, and I am going to make mistakes everyday, and I am sure every mistake I make will probably be on CNN or Good Morning America. I am only human people and I love you for still loving me.

I am sitting here at home and it is 6:25 and both of my sons are asleep. I am truly blessed to have them in my life. Everyday is so surreal. Life in general is so surreal and crazy.

I just hope this letter made some of you think a little bit more of me and where I am coming from. I just want the same things in life that you want…and that is to be happy. It is just so weird because everyone has their own perception of me and how they think I really am. It is so weird how stories are told. There is your side, my side, and the truth. Somebody has to figure it out. I guess we will never really understand or figure out life completely. That’s God’s job. I can’t wait to meet him…or her.

Love, Britney"

http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2c%2c20012207_20040543%2c00.html

[Looukas]

Impossible expectation is one thing, but we all know that the original MV concept EXISTED AND WAS ACTUALLY SHOT. It's not something imagined as "it would be perfect if...". They literally made us all like "wow they are really putting effort this time around, this is not a drill", just to wipe everything out of existence. 

[Steel Magnolia]

June 29, 2007

"Britney Spears feels totally betrayed by her mom, her soon-to-be ex husband, her former manager and Promises, the rehab facility she called home for nearly a month. In short, she claims she never had a **** or alcohol problem but was railroaded into rehab. Sources tell TMZ that Lynne Spears, Kevin Federline and then-manager Larry Rudolph all pressured Britney to check herself in. We're told Spears acknowledged having emotional problems after her second child was born, but strongly maintained she did not have a **** or alcohol problem.

...Federline threatened to go public by going to court to wrestle custody from her if she didn't go to rehab. Sources say Spears could not withstand the pressure from her mom, Federline and Rudolph, and checked into Promises last February 20.

We're told eventually the professionals believed Spears suffered from post-partum depression, made worse because she stopped taking Prozac. She was also emotionally crumbling because of a messy divorce and intense media scrutiny.

We're told it took several days to get an answer. Only two reports were sent to Britney's rep, both showing no **** or alcohol use whatsoever. Most shocking, the first report was dated March 7, 15 days after Britney checked in. 

Sources say one of Britney's reps then called the facility and asked for any evidence of a dirty test, but she was told there was nothing in the file. The question -- if the first test was taken more than two weeks after Britney checked in, how could they treat her if they didn't know the problem?

Britney fired Rudolph and has now drawn a line in the sand with her mom. As for Federline, we're told he's threatened to go to court and question Britney's fitness as a mom every time there's a disagreement. Spears, who is extremely protective, does not want to expose her kids to a public battle, so she's caved on many of his demands. 

We're told Britney's legal team has repeatedly asked to have a "private" judge handle disputes in a private office (that's the M.O. of her divorce lawyer, Laura Wasser, in celeb divorce cases), away from the cameras, but Federline has insisted that everything be handled at the L.A. County Courthouse, where the media could record their comings and goings."

http://www.tmz.com/2007/06/29/britney-claims-her-rehab-was-bogus/5/

[Steel Magnolia]

Oct 1, 2007

"LA Superior Court Commissioner Scott M. Gordon issued an order Monday granting Federline the sole right "to retain physical custody of the minor children...Federline attorney...petitioned Gordon for Monday's unscheduled hearing, after Spears was spotted shuttling her two children around LA over the weekend, less than two weeks after she was busted on charges of driving without a license...Calling Spears a "habitual, frequent and continuous" user of controlled substances and alcohol, Gordon last month ordered the entertainer to undergo twice-weekly random **** and alcohol testing..."

http://www.eonline.com/ca/uberblog/b56320_britney_loses_custody_of_kids.html

Oct 1, 2007

The Dr. Phil show contacts Kevin Federline's family members asking them to be guests on an upcoming show about Britney's custody battle over her and Kevin's two sons.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Britney-Spears-and-Kevin-Federline-Memorabilia-/330580645216?hash=item4cf8245560&pt=Art_Photo_Images

[Steel Magnolia]

Oct 29, 2007

"We asked Lynne Spears about the supposed tell-all for which she reportedly has a book deal and she told us it's not true! We spoke to Britney's pal Sam Lutfi later (off camera) and he told us Lynne does in fact have a deal with a Christian imprint, but for a book based on her spiritual journals that will have NOTHING to do with spilling any beans about her daughter's private life!"

http://x17video.com/celebrity_video/lynne_spears/exclusive_lynne_spears.php

[Steel Magnolia]

Jan 9, 2008

Television personality Dr. Phil McGraw is invited into Britney's hospital room by her family. Britney reportedly walks out when he enters the room, and checks out of the hospital.

http://www.today.com/id/22497895/ns/today-entertainment/t/dr-phil-pulls-show-about-britney-spears/#.V9GcuZMrJE4

When Dr. Phil speaks out to the media about an upcoming show on the subject, family spokesman Lou Taylor tells the media that, "The family, basically, extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements."

http://trent.blogspot.com/2008/01/choice-has-been-made.html

"I want to set the record straight. I went to see Britney at the request of her family. I talked to Lynne, Jamie and Brian, because they were frustrated that she wasn't going to be held for a longer time," McGraw said on CBS' "Early Show." Asked how he had come to be involved in the saga, Dr. Phil said, "Thursday night, the phone rang, it was Lynne, clearly she was very upset. Any parent would be. I was first contacted by her family a year ago and had maintained a running dialogue for the last year or so." 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,320589,00.html

[MoodRing]

4 minutes ago, Looukas said:

Impossible expectation is one thing, but we all know that the original MV concept EXISTED AND WAS ACTUALLY SHOT. It's not something imagined as "it would be perfect if...". They literally made us all like "wow they are really putting effort this time around, this is not a drill", just to wipe everything out of existence. 

You're absolutely right and I should have been clearer in my post that I'm not so much on about the video debacle, it just seems that the Larry comment today has sparked a lot of negativity about Britney in general. But then are you surprised about the video after Criminal, Perfume and even Work ***** to a lesser extent? All cut heavily.

[Steel Magnolia]

Feb 4, 2008

"Jamie Spears will remain co-conservator of his daughter's estate until Feb. 14, a commissioner ruled, despite a lawyer's claims Britney Spears had a "strong desire" against her father's temporary supervision. The decision came in a hearing in which attorney Adam Streisand, who asserted he was hired by Britney Spears, argued that Jamie Spears's conservatorship "would only cause further distress, agitation and estrangement." In addition, Streisand argued that co-temporary conservator Andrew Wallet "simply doesn't have the knowledge" to manage Spears's vast estate, he said in court. It was Streisand who valued the estate at $40 million."

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176045,00.html

"An attorney for Britney Spears revealed that the institutionalized singer’s estate is currently undergoing an IRS audit with her record label, Jive, in open court on Monday. “Ms. Spears’ estate consists of $40 million in assets and is currently undergoing a $17 million IRS audit,” Adam Streisand said during a hearing to strip Spears patriarch Jamie Spears of conservatorship over the embattled pop star. Streisand went on to say that Brit is in the middle of the IRS audit with Jive Records."

http://www.popcrunch.com/britney-spears-irs-audit-britney-spears-17-irs-audit/

[Steel Magnolia]

In case anyone is wondering why I'm posting these, I think everyone forgets about the events that led to this situation in the first place. The exact same players are in place that were involved back in 2006 to 2008. Those are the same people Britney is dealing with today.

[Steel Magnolia]

Feb 5, 2008

"In her request for a harassment order, Lynne says her daughter met Lutfi, whose full first name is Osama, "in or about October 2007" and that he has "essentially moved into Britney's home and has purported to take control of her life, home and finances."

"Mr. Lutfi drugged Britney," Lynne Spears' affidavit reads. "He has cut Britney's home phone line 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."

http://www.eonline.com/ca/uberblog/b57411_lynne_sam_drugged_controlled_britney.html

"Sam told Jackie and me that he grinds up Britney's pills, which were on the counter and included Risperdol and Seroquel. He told us that he puts them in her food that that was the reason she had been quiet for the last three days (she had been sleeping.) He told us that the doctor who is treating her now is trying to get her into a sleep-induced coma so that they could then give her ***** to heal her brain."

Later in the document, she says, "I did not see Britney again until I arrived at her house on Wednesday night after Sam called me and told me to come to the house. When we arrived, Britney seemed subdued. The police arrived and took her to the Neuro Psychiatric Institute at UCLA ("NPI"). While at NPI, I l earned that Britney informed her doctor, Lee Sadja, MD, that she had also taken Aderol."

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=4249744&page=3

The original document can be viewed here: 

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/crime/britney-spearss-bizarre-world

[Steel Magnolia]

Feb 6, 2008

"Britney Spears left the psych ward at UCLA Medical Center on Wednesday and later was chased by paparazzi and news helicopters as she traveled to a hotel and a lawyer's office. Spears, 26, spent seven days at the hospital even though her psychiatrist had extended her stay Sunday to a 14-day involuntary hold. It was her second early departure from an involuntary mental-evaluation hospitalization. "

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20176565,00.html

"After meeting at the hotel, Britney and Adnan Ghalib drove over to the law offices of Adam Streisand, the lawyer who, on Spears' behalf, objected to Jamie Spears being named co-conservator of her estate earlier this week. Britney was released yesterday because the hospital said it could no longer hold her against her will."

http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2008/02/britney-spears-meets-up-with-adnan-ghalib-lawyers/

Feb 7, 2008

In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, Britney's boyfriend Adnan Ghalib says, "You must understand something about Britney," he says, in arguing her side of the story. "People turned on her. They were only there when the getting was good. She has become very Columbo-esque — she acts a certain way so that people don't think she's intelligent, and then people volunteer information, and she is able to put together what is going on. It's not the blogs or magazines or the people on the street she cares about. She knows that the people who had a responsibility to support her bailed out and is very hurt by their actions."

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-tragedy-of-britney-spears-rolling-stones-2008-cover-story-20110329?page=8

[Steel Magnolia]

Feb 17, 2008

Britney allegedly attempts to hire a new lawyer to fight the conservatorship.

http://www.x17online.com/celebrities/britney_spears/x17_xclusive_britneys_sosbrit_talks_to_attorney_says_she_wants_independence-02172008.php

According to OK! Magazine, "But now, OK! can confirm that Britney was at least originally party to bringing Eardley in as her attorney. Britney spoke to Eardley via a third party back in the early days of the conservatorship, using a paparazzi pal to set up a conference call so that her father, Jamie Spears, wouldn’t find out. (Jamie currently monitors all of Britney’s phone calls.) In a phone transcript obtained by OK!, Britney says to Eardley: "Basically I want my life back. I want to drive my car. I want to live in my house alone. I want to pick my own security, see who I want to see and make it happen." During the phone call, Britney can be heard speaking in her English accent."

http://okmagazine.com/2008/03/judge-throws-out-eardley-claim-again-5459/

Feb 25, 2008

"In a declaration filed Friday, Jon Eardley maintains that the pop star's civil rights have been violated, including her right to be heard "as to the appropriateness" of her father, Jamie Spears, being given co-conservatorship powers over her person and estate."

"Counsel has learned that there has been significant verbal attacks by her live-in father conservator. ... I have been informed of the existence of voice mails, etc., that include verbal abuse."

http://www.mtv.com/news/1582277/britney-spears-has-been-robbed-her-self-proclaimed-lawyer-insists/

[Steel Magnolia]

Mar 31, 2008

It's revealed that Larry Rudolph is once again Britney's manager.

http://okmagazine.com/2008/03/ok-exclusive-britney-makes-nice-with-former-manager-5622/

Apr 13, 2008

"Adnan was attacked and stabbed last night but he is doing OK after receiving medical attention for his wounds. He received a stab wound to his arm, facial lacerations as well as a nice shiner."

http://www.jfxonline.com/2008/04/13/adnan-ok-after-attack/

Apr 28, 2008

"It's reported that during the worst year of her career (2007), Britney generated $84-million in perfume sales."

http://www.eonline.com/ca/uberblog/the_awful_truth/b4877_written_on_smelly_wind.html

"Britney competed against other celebrities...and succeeded in becoming the number 1 celebrity perfume endorser of all time with global sales of 1 billion and gross revenue of US$2 billion. To date Spears has grossed over US$1.5 billion from perfume sales across the globe selling an astonishing 1 billion bottles in 5 years."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britney_Spears_products

[Steel Magnolia]

July 1, 2008

"REACHING editors as we speak by way of agent William Gladstone is "Stalking Britney: Under Siege With Britney Spears." Author's Ian Halperin. Journalist, documentarian, book writer...Adnan Ghalib reveals what he claims went on that night when Spears' parents engineered what he calls a coup, forcing him out of her life and committing her to an institution, followed by her father taking legal control over her affairs."

http://pagesix.com/2008/07/01/writer-spins-brits-inner-circle/

Sept 17, 2008

Lynne Spears releases her book, "Through the Storm: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World." The book was originally titled, "Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World," and was announced the day before Jamie Lynn Spears announced she was pregnant.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=5817668&page=1

Lynne Spears thanks Lou Taylor on page 208 for, "believing I had a story to tell," and for "making it happen."

https://books.google.ca/books?id=eOiunEB5ccMC&pg=PA208&dq=lynne+spears+through+the+storm+Lou+Taylor&hl=en&ei=34HhTeudMYKTtwfYvtCIBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result#v=onepage&q&f=false

[Steel Magnolia]

Sept 29, 2008

"BRITNEY SPEARS' ex-boyfriend allegedly owns a *** tape featuring himself and the US singer. ADNAN GHALIB, the British pap whom she dated during her breakdown, says he WILL sell the tape for the right price. He told Heat magazine: "There is such a tape, but I won't discuss prices for hypothetical enquiries. "Unless there is a locked-in deal, I will go no further." 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/usa/article1746931.ece

Oct 1, 2008

"There is no *** tape and I’ve never claimed there is one,” Adnan tells Star exclusively. Adnan goes on to say, “I don’t know where these quotes I’m supposed to have said have come from. What I do know is they certainly didn’t come from me and they are completely false. I’m extremely upset and distressed and I’m taking legal action… This story has caused a lot of hurt to my family and people close to me.”

http://www.jfxonline.com/2008/10/01/there-is-no-***-tape/

Oct 16, 2008

The National Enquirer claims that, "A woman identifying herself as Lou M. Taylor told us: "I represent Jamie Lynn and Lynne Spears, and if you want to make a deal with Casey, go through me." 

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/celebrity/exclusive-buine-being-jamie-lynn/

[Steel Magnolia]

Oct 21, 2008

JFXonline insinuates that Britney and Adnan may be back "on" after photos arise of her wearing his ring.

http://www.jfxonline.com/2008/10/21/does-the-ring-tell-a-tale/

Oct 28, 2008

"Lawyers for the pop princess asked that the temporary co-conservatorship (which was due to end on Dec. 31) be made permanent on Tuesday afternoon and Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Riva Goetz granted the request. Britney's father Jamie will now have long-term control over her assets, estate and business affairs and Spears's mental health will be closely monitored by a team of experts. The order will remain in tact until the 26-year-old has made a full and stable recovery. According to TMZ, her legal team feels that a permanent conservatorship will increase her chances of regaining custody of her sons as the family commissioner will feel appeased knowing that Spears is being appropriately cared for. "The conservatorship is necessary and appropriate for the complexity of financial and business entities and her being susceptible to undue influence," Goetz said."

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,444644,00.html

Nov 19, 2008

"For The Record" is released, in which Britney claims, “There’s no excitement, there’s no passion. I have really good days, and then I have bad days. Even when you go to jail, y’know, there’s the time when you’re gonna get out. But in this situation, it’s never ending. It’s just like Groundhog Day every day. I think it’s too in control." 
 

"If I wasn’t under the restraints I’m under, I’d feel so liberated. When I tell them the way I feel, it’s like they hear but they’re really not listening.If you do something wrong in your work, you can move on, but I’m having to pay for a long time. I never wanted to become one of those prisoner people. I always wanted to feel free. I think I’ve learnt my lesson now and enough is enough.”

http://yeeeah.com/2008/11/19/britney-for-the-record-it-feels...

Britney claims that the last time she felt "free" was when she got to drive her car a lot: