By Colleen Last, MSN Celebrity Editor |  |
Britney’s Breakdown: Drugs Aren’t To Blame
Last week’s four-hour standoff, in which Britney Spears refused to return her sons to her ex-husband, made headlines around the world and painted the star as a suicidal maniac who was threatening to harm her children. We separate the fact from the fiction and explain why drugs and alcohol were not to blame for the latest sorry chapter in Britney's out-of-control life.
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The report: According to reports, Britney Spears was high on drugs when she locked herself and her sons into her bedroom on January 3 and, sobbing uncontrollably, refused to let Kevin Federline’s bodyguard return the boys to their father, as was the agreement.
The reality: Britney was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol when she took her sons hostage. “She tested clean,” a source at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told People magazine. “This lady is as clean as clean can be, and has been for some time.” Los Angeles Police Department officer Ana Aguirre confirmed that no laws had been broken by the star: “There was no actual crime involved.” Britney has been passing regular drug tests since September, when a judge in her custody trial ruled she was an “habitual, frequent, and continuous” user of illegal substances. If any of those tests had come back positive, the star would have lost all custody of her sons long ago. However, Britney has been taking prescription drugs including anti-anxiety medication.
The reality: Britney was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol when she took her sons hostage. “She tested clean,” a source at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center told People magazine. “This lady is as clean as clean can be, and has been for some time.” Los Angeles Police Department officer Ana Aguirre confirmed that no laws had been broken by the star: “There was no actual crime involved.” Britney has been passing regular drug tests since September, when a judge in her custody trial ruled she was an “habitual, frequent, and continuous” user of illegal substances. If any of those tests had come back positive, the star would have lost all custody of her sons long ago. However, Britney has been taking prescription drugs including anti-anxiety medication.
The report: Drug and alcohol abuse is to blame for Britney’s erratic behaviour over the past 12 months.
The reality: Several medical experts and members of Britney’s family believe the star is suffering from bipolar disorder and it is this, not drugs, that is causing her breakdown. A family friend told People magazine that Britney has “suffered from a psychological disease for years.” Although Britney has never been diagnosed as bipolar, there is a history of mental illness in her family (her paternal grandmother committed suicide and Britney’s father is a reformed alcoholic) and the star has regular ‘manic episodes’, such as when she shaved her head and attacked a photographer with an umbrella. She also suffered from post-natal depression after the birth of both her sons Sean Preston, now two, and Jayden James, one.
The reality: Several medical experts and members of Britney’s family believe the star is suffering from bipolar disorder and it is this, not drugs, that is causing her breakdown. A family friend told People magazine that Britney has “suffered from a psychological disease for years.” Although Britney has never been diagnosed as bipolar, there is a history of mental illness in her family (her paternal grandmother committed suicide and Britney’s father is a reformed alcoholic) and the star has regular ‘manic episodes’, such as when she shaved her head and attacked a photographer with an umbrella. She also suffered from post-natal depression after the birth of both her sons Sean Preston, now two, and Jayden James, one.
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The report: Britney threatened to kill herself or harm the boys if she was forced to give them up, according to the News of the World. Kevin knew she had a gun in the house – a Beretta 92FS that he had given her so she could protect herself – and was terrified she would carry out her threat.
The reality: Britney never threatened suicide. Responding to the report in the News of the World, a spokesperson for the LAPD said: “There was no gun involved – that’s the first we’ve heard of this… The police were called out to Britney Spears’ residence to investigate custody issues over her children, not because there was a gun in the house.”
The reality: Britney never threatened suicide. Responding to the report in the News of the World, a spokesperson for the LAPD said: “There was no gun involved – that’s the first we’ve heard of this… The police were called out to Britney Spears’ residence to investigate custody issues over her children, not because there was a gun in the house.”
The report: Britney begged Kevin to let her 'buy' the kids from him, offering him up to $100 million to drop his claim for custody and walk away, according to the News of the World.
The reality: No such conversation took place. Britney and Kevin had limited contact throughout the standoff – the court-appointed child monitor and Kevin’s lawyer and bodyguard were on the scene well before Kevin.
The reality: No such conversation took place. Britney and Kevin had limited contact throughout the standoff – the court-appointed child monitor and Kevin’s lawyer and bodyguard were on the scene well before Kevin.
The report: Britney is jealous of her sister Jamie-Lynn’s new-found fame and used this stunt to knock the teenage mum-to-be off the magazine covers. The sibling rivalry ramped up recently when OK! magazine announced that Jamie was the biggest-selling cover star in their history. The issue where the 16-year-old revealed her pregnancy sold two million copies, outselling the previous most popular issue, which had Britney on the cover, by nearly one million copies.
The reality: Britney has offered to make room in her home for her sister and her new baby, so they can raise their children together. However it's unlikely this will happen as Jamie-Lynn has said she intends to raise her child in her hometown of Louisiana, and Britney has lost custody of her own children for the foreseeable future.
The reality: Britney has offered to make room in her home for her sister and her new baby, so they can raise their children together. However it's unlikely this will happen as Jamie-Lynn has said she intends to raise her child in her hometown of Louisiana, and Britney has lost custody of her own children for the foreseeable future.
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The report: Britney is to appear on the Dr Phil show, a daytime chat show hosted by psychologist Dr Phil McGraw. The troubled star is set to appear alongside her parents to talk through their problems. Unbeknownst to the star, her family plans to do a live intervention to force her to get help, as a worldwide audience of up to one billion watches on.
The reality: TV therapist Dr Phil McGraw, who hit the big time after appearing as the resident doctor on The Oprah Winfrey Show, visited Britney in hospital without her prior consent. The visit was authorised by her father, a fan of Dr Phil’s, but Britney was not keen to listen to his advice and she has no intention of appearing on his show. McGraw said of the visit: “I went to see Britney at the request of her family, I talked to her mother Lynn, I talked to her father Jamie, I talked to her brother. They were very frustrated that she apparently wasn't going to be held for a longer period of time.”
The reality: TV therapist Dr Phil McGraw, who hit the big time after appearing as the resident doctor on The Oprah Winfrey Show, visited Britney in hospital without her prior consent. The visit was authorised by her father, a fan of Dr Phil’s, but Britney was not keen to listen to his advice and she has no intention of appearing on his show. McGraw said of the visit: “I went to see Britney at the request of her family, I talked to her mother Lynn, I talked to her father Jamie, I talked to her brother. They were very frustrated that she apparently wasn't going to be held for a longer period of time.”
The report: Britney is on the run after checking out of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center against doctors’ wishes.
The reality: Doctors told the star she was free to leave hospital early on January 5 after a two-night stay. Under Section 5150, patients can be held for up to 72 hours if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, but can be released early if doctors determine they no longer require treatment or evaluation, which was the case with Britney. “The 72 hours are not firm. If Britney isn't suicidal or homicidal, she doesn't need to be hospitalised,” psychiatrist Dr Nathan Kuemmerle explained.
The reality: Doctors told the star she was free to leave hospital early on January 5 after a two-night stay. Under Section 5150, patients can be held for up to 72 hours if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or others, but can be released early if doctors determine they no longer require treatment or evaluation, which was the case with Britney. “The 72 hours are not firm. If Britney isn't suicidal or homicidal, she doesn't need to be hospitalised,” psychiatrist Dr Nathan Kuemmerle explained.
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