The ongoing, national nightmare that is the Britney Spears saga took a nasty turn early Thursday morning, when the mentally constipated pop star was rushed to the hospital.
Camera crews and police helicopters flocked to Spears' house in Studio City, Calif., as an ambulance carrying the singer made its way to UCLA Medical Center around 1 a.m (4 a.m. EST), accompanied by a police escort of more than a dozen motorcycles and two choppers.
The 26-year-old is currently being held under a 72-hour psychiatric emergency hold, known as a 5150, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Despite earlier reports from X17online.com that Spears may have been hospitalized after a suicide attempt, her manager, Sam Lutfi, says the star was admitted on her own accord.
"She went willingly. It was like something in her heart was telling her she should go. She knew something was wrong," Lutfi tells People magazine.
Spears' mother Lynne, who briefly reunited with the singer earlier this week after an extended estrangement, was spotted leaving the house with Spears' on-again/off-again paparazzo boyfriend, Adnan Ghalib, shortly after the singer was transported to hospital. Lutfi, Spears' father, Jamie, brother, Bryan, and friend, Alli Simms, arrived a few minutes later.
As to what led to the hospitalization, a family source tells People, "She was driving around her neighborhood like a mad-woman. Britney has been prescribed medication which she refuses to take. This is just another sad, sad evening."
TMZ reports the plan to get Spears on a 5150 hold had been discussed by those around her for days. A new psychiatrist, who began seeing the singer last week, visited her at home last night and decided to put the plan in action. According to the site, police and fire department were prepared because Spears was originally supposed to be committed the night before, but the plan was scrapped.
A source tells People: "The motorcade and everything was planned, it was already in the works to have them block off the road and airspace. It worked out perfectly."
This is the second time in less than a month that Spears has been hospitalized on a mental hold. She was placed on a 5150 on Jan. 3 when she refused to hand over her sons to ex-hubby K-Fed following her scheduled visit.
"She'll be in there for at least 72 hours getting evaluated. She might even stay longer," the source tells People, adding that Spears hadn't slept since Saturday. "She's more comfortable this time, she came into the waiting area, had a cigarette, made a joke about being there again. But who knows what will happen. All we can hope for is that she gets better."
Related News:
Gallery: Timeline of Britney's custody standoff Gallery: Britney through the years
Featured blog: Scandal Sheet
Video: The latest gossip on Celebrity Friends with Benefits Video: Watch Xtreme episodes on Dose.ca
© (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc.
