Posted Aug 18th 2008 6:52PM by TMZ Staff
So you thought Larry Birkhead's legal bill was sky high? The lawyer who repped Britney Spears for a grand total of four months wants more than $481,000 in attorney's fees -- and she didn't even go out for lobster.
Attorney Stacy Phillips filed a declaration, claiming her $481,627.37 bill is a bargain, since she graciously discounted her fees by more than $126,000.00.
In court docs obtained by TMZ, Phillips whines she was completely put out by repping Brit, moaning that she was called back from her "pre-honeymoon" to attend a hearing in "non-Court attire." We're wondering if that was the day we saw her appear before the judge, wearing a sleeveless cocktail number.
Phillips says in her declaration that her rate is $700 an hour, similar to what Richard Gere paid Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman."
Now compare Phillips' bill to that of disso-queen Laura Wasser, who settled the whole case after Phillips was fired. Wasser's two-month bill is $59,700.
Sources say Phillips is ready to sue Britney, because her peeps are refusing to pay the bloated bill.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
Posted Aug 14th 2008 4:58PM by TMZ Staff
$20k a month in alimony sure buys a lot of video games.
K-Daddy hit up Corbin Bowl in Tarzana, Calif. last night for an evening of arcade games and bowling. Think maybe SPF and JJ would have liked to have tagged along?
Filed under: Britney Spears
Posted Aug 14th 2008 12:10PM by TMZ Staff
Casey Aldridge is hotter than fish grease.
Our sources connected with Casey and Co. say he's ballistic at reports that he had an affair while Jamie Lynn was six months pregnant.
As for the picture of Casey with Kelli Dawson (the Sienna Miller of the South), he claims it was taken before he even hooked up with J.L.
Casey has called the Spears clan to vent and they believe his story.
And Casey has a point ... where he lives, there are just a bunch of one horse towns, so everybody knows everyone else's business.
Casey says it's all about Southern Sienna trying to make a buck.
Filed under: Britney Spears
Posted Aug 9th 2008 4:08PM by TMZ Staff
Britney Spears appeared in Bel Air yesterday -- and the popwreck was all smiles during her visitation with sons Jayden James and Sean Preston.
With Grandpa Jamie there too, it seems hospital observations and barefoot bathroom runs are now a thing of the past.
Filed under: Music, Britney Spears, Hot Mamas
Posted Aug 6th 2008 9:36AM by TMZ Staff
Shhh, don't tell daddy -- but a happy and surprisingly smokin' hot Britney Spears hit up papper central yesterday (Robertson), where she got hit with question after question about being used in McCain's attack ad.
Lets just say she's no Paris Hilton.
Filed under: Britney Spears
Posted Jul 31st 2008 4:18PM by TMZ Staff
We're now told everyone in the Brit conservatorship is on board to end the whole deal on October 28.
In court today, the judge extended the conservatorship until the end of the year, but set a hearing on October 28. We're told daddy Jamie is following the lead of the doctors, who are saying they think the 28th is a reasonable time to end the conservatorship. Brit is cool with that as well, though the commissioner said she agreed ... "reluctantly."
We're told between now and October 28, the goal is to gradually wean Brit off being managed so tightly so she can get back to life.
Filed under: Britney Spears
Posted Jul 31st 2008 2:43PM by TMZ Staff
The court hearing has ended and Britney Spears is still officially under the control of daddy Jamie.
The court has extended the conservatorship through December 31. There's a status hearing on October 28, just in time for Halloween! The commissioner is leaving the option open to end the conservatorship early.
Just as we said yesterday!
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
Posted Jul 31st 2008 11:30AM by TMZ Staff
LAPD Police Chief William Bratton told KNBC TV there's no need for laws against the paparazzi anymore, since Britney's sane again, Paris is M.I.A., and Lindsay's living a quiet life in Lebanon.
Bratton says he'll oppose the L.A. City Council proposal to regulate pappers.
Filed under: Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan
Posted Jul 30th 2008 8:34PM by TMZ Staff
Our sources say Britney Spears' hanger-on-er Sam Lutfi won't be legally restrained from getting his Brit fix, but it doesn't matter because she's over him.
We're told Brit's lawyers will not ask for a new restraining order when the existing one expires tomorrow. That's because Sammy boy ain't getting near Britney -- she wants nothing to do with him. The fact that daddy Jamie feels confident that Britney's mindset is stronger than any legal document is an affirmation of Sam's irrelevance.
So the hearing tomorrow will be short and sweet.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
Posted Jul 30th 2008 6:38PM by TMZ Staff
In case you read otherwise, sources tell us Britney's conservatorship will definitely not end tomorrow.
There are reports Britney Spears will become a free woman tomorrow when lawyers for the conservatorship go to court to announce their intentions. Well here are their intentions. They will ask the judge to continue the conservatorship until the fall. We hear it may last until the end of the year.
Jamie Spears won't be in court. The lawyers will deal with bookkeeping stuff in chambers, but that's it.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
Posted Jul 30th 2008 12:19PM by TMZ Staff
John McCain is allowed to call Barack Obama lots of things, but comparing him to Paris and Britney -- that's going below the belt ... with no panties on. Check out McCain's new pap smear campaign.
Filed under: Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Prez Election 2008
Posted Jul 29th 2008 2:22PM by TMZ Staff
Britney Spears got back on the horse, literally, on the beaches of Los Cabos. The pappers had to resort to the most ridiculous method ever to get the shot: A flyby in what appears to be a single seat ultralight!
Filed under: Paparazzi Video, Britney Spears
Posted Jul 28th 2008 2:06PM by TMZ Staff
It appears being under her dad's care is paying off for Britney Spears' mind and body.
The conservatorship phenom hung out in Mexico with a shirtless man friend on Sunday and proved that at least some things are shaping up rather nicely.
Now that Brit's got her figure, she just needs her kids and career back, too.
Filed under: Paparazzi Photo, Beauty, Britney Spears, Hot Bodies
Posted Jul 28th 2008 10:42AM by TMZ Staff
Britney Spears celebrated her custody settlement with Kevin Federline the best way she knows how -- by going on vacay. Mama will send you a postcard!
Brit went down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico this weekend with Palms Hotel and Casino owner George Maloof.
Filed under: Paparazzi Photo, Britney Spears
Posted Jul 25th 2008 6:38PM by TMZ Staff
The Britney Spears trial is over. The case has officially settled.
Under the terms of the settlement filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, before July 30, Brit must pay K-Fed's lawyer, Mark Kaplan, $250,000 for fees.
As for child support, K-Fed has scored. As we first reported, he's getting 5k a month more -- it's gone from $15,000 to $20,000 a month.
The agreement does not mention visitation, but we know Brit has three days and one night a week with the kiddies and that will increase as time goes on. We're told by fall, she'll have a second overnight a week.
Brit never asked for custody, because she's still under a conservatorship. So K-Fed has sole custody and she has visitation rights. We're told Brit is ecstatic.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Britney Spears
