Britney Spears has temporarily lost physical custody of her children. Her once much-maligned ex-husband Kevin Federline now has the boys 100% of the time. Spears does, however maintain legal custody of the children, and will continue to be entitled to make decisions about the children’s health, schooling and well-being.
Why even give her that much?
Los Angeles County Commissioner Scott Gordon [insert Batman joke here] revoked her custodial privileges due to her inability to make even decisions affecting her own welfare, much less the welfare of her two small children with Federline: Jayden James and Sean Preston.

As TMZ.com reports, “Gordon ordered Spears to do a number of things in order to maintain 50/50 custody. Spears was ordered to meet with a drug counselor — she didn’t do it. Spears was ordered to submit to drug testing — she didn’t do it. Spears was ordered to enroll in parenting classes — didn’t do it.”
Additionally, the judge had ordered that both parents must have a valid California driver’s licenses in order to be allowed to continue driving with the children. After evidence of Spears driving the children on her Louisiana license appeared on TMZ, the Commissioner decided enough was enough and put up the Bat-Signal.
Spears’ own lawyer admits to People that it was this inability to produce a valid California license by 10:00 a.m. Monday that led to the ruling.
Obviously Britney Spears is a mess. I was pulling for Britney to make a spectacular comeback with her MTV appearance, but she has gone beyond being the object of sympathy that the most popular entertainers are fortunate to accrue; and, worse, beyond even the sympathy that popular opinion tends to accord the mothers of young children.
Amy Winehouse’s addictions, overdoses and domestic spats are very traditional, acceptable even, in a very rock-n-roll way, hearkening back to the days of Sid and Nancy. But, Britney — showing her hoo-hoo with abandon, stripping at the drop of a hat, hooking up with one player after the next, partying every night, shaving her head one day and blaming a bad performance on hair extensions the next — is breaking all boundaries of acceptable maternal behavior.
As a rule, gossip mag readers will forgive just about anything, — affairs, drug, addictions, memberships in strange religious group, lackluster MTV award show performances — anything, that is, except being a bad mother. Certainly many of these same women are being hypocritical in their judgments, but even those of us without children realize that motherhood is a difficult, often-times thankless, self-sacrificing responsibility.
Britney was singing Gospel when she sang “Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman.” We could discuss for days why Britney is the way she is: lack of normal family life, chemical imbalances, bipolar disorder and on and on. But, what it comes down to is that Britney chose to have those children. I’m sure she thought that they would give her that unconditional love that VH1 specials say former child stars crave; but didn’t realize that love comes with a lot of hard work…the kind of hard work that Spears once excelled at and now leaves to others.
She has ignored the advice of anyone who could give her proper guidance and support: her parents, her high-powered attorneys and her management, all of whom she has now severed relations with. Clearly, Britney has problems that she needs to work through and perhaps this will be her “rock bottom.” Although, following the ruling last night, Britney was spotted out and about in L.A going tanning and eating at Nobu. Tan away those tears, y’all!
Sure, there are bad parents everywhere that act similarly and don’t lose custody of their children. But some do, and perhaps more should. And for those who say she is being singled out because she’s in the spotlight, I say you’re right. In fact, a recent report in the Chicago Sun Times notes that the pop star actually tracks down the paparazzi so she can get photo ops! Talk about hoisting yourself on your own petard. Some might even say that she’s trying to engineer her own downfall.
I sincerely hope that someone can perform an intervention. (I’m voting for Justin Timberlake – I think he could reach her and it would make a great “Behind The Music” episode). Heck, even Courtney Love eventually got Frances Bean back. But, as of now, this “Toxic” singer is toxic to her kids.
Read another opinion about the Britney Spears custody case, “Leave Britney Alone!”, here.