The showbiz world is reeling from revelations in a jaw-dropping new expose on Britney Spears.
Author Ian Halperin, spent 18 months as an undercover paparazzi getting close to the singer and her handlers and planning to reveal his sensational discoveries in a tell-all book.
Among the allegations are that Britney’s drug-fuelled problems lead her to attempt suicide twice – and he says her entourage are entirely to blame. “The book is mainly about her handlers, how sleazy and destructive they are towards her,” reveals Ian. “ The people around her are like vultures.” Here are the guilty and the innocent of those closest to her…
CURRENT
ASSISTANT
BRETT
After a Series of terrible PA’s, it seems Brit has finally found someone solid on whom she can rely. Omni-present Brett has supported Britney through her recent comeback and held her hand while she attempts to get her life back on track. Her positive influence on Brit was obvious as the tanned and relaxed pair were spotted giggling together recently on a Costa Rican beach, and the fact that super-cautious dad Jamie trusts Brett speaks volumes.
EX-BOYFRIEND
ADNAN GHALIB
The paparazzi weaseled his way into Brit’s affections then reportedly cheated on her and bragged about how much money he was set to make from private pics of the singer.
He has since allegedly been trying to sell a two-hour intimate home movie starring himself and the singer.
In fact, this guy’s so poisonous, even Alli Sims smelt a rat – “He’s not a good person. He only has bad intentions”.
SUPER-SHADY SIDEKICK
SAM LUTFI
Failed producer Sam Lutfi homed in on Britney in October 2007, after which time she was inseparable from her new ‘pal.’ With several law-suits and restraining orders filed against him, his suspicious past raised eyebrows about his suitability as a companion for an already fragile Brit, and those fears were realised when he allegedly stole the singer’s diary and attempted to flog it to the highest bidder. Brit has since taken out a restraining order on shady Sam amid claims he drugged her.
FORMER ASSISTANT
SHANNON FUNK
Twenty-one-year old Shannon Funk was more interesting in non-stop partying and hooking up with sexy backing dancers than running Brit’s life. Her catastrophic reign culminated in her overseeing a disastrous magazine photoshoot, during which the singer rambled incoherently, and wiped up chicken grease with expensive, borrowed designer dresses. Shannon was fired after three weeks with a source revealing, “Britney felt lot of her recent troubles started and stopped with Shannon.”
AGENT
JASON TRAWICK
The acting agent was reportedly devastated by Brit’s downfall and has been instrumental in her comeback, engineering her two cameos on TV series, How I Met Your Mother.
“Jason was deeply saddened when she lost it and he made it his personal mission to see she comes back,” said a source. “Jason was one of the key figures who helped reunite Britney with her parents and get herself back on track,” And if rumours of a romance are true, we approve. Jase is a good egg in our book!
RE-INSTATED MANAGER
LARRY RUDOLPH
One of Brit’s oldest friends, her manager of nine years Larry Rudolph parted company with the popstrel last February, over her claims he forced her into rehab.
He’s continued to support her throughout her recovery and has hinted that he will work with her again when the time is right. Britney has since recognised that Larry was one of the few in her inner circle to genuinely care about her and recently repaid his loyalty by surprising him on the set of his reality TV show Rock the Cradle.
FORMER ASSISTANT / COUSIN
ALLI SIMS
Brit’s cousin and wannabe singer Alli Sims basked in the attention the role of Brit’s PA garnered and used it to attempt to crawl her own way up the fame ladder. And she was so interested in raising the profile of her now Z-list status, that she allegedly deserted Brit in her darkest hour to promote her failed reality show. “While Britney was being hospitalised in LA, Alli, her supposed best friend was self-promoting in NYC,” an insider revealed. The groupie also apparently pimped out her relationship with Britney to several US gossip mags, reportedly offering warts-and –all exclusive interviews in exchange for publicity.
FORMER ASSISTANT
FELICIA CULOTTA
Felicia ‘Fee’ Culotta, a friend of Lynne Spears, worked for Brit for almost 10 years before she quit in early 2007 over Brit’s increasingly erratic behaviour. Many believe if Brit hadn’t driven Fee away, her calming influence could have prevented her from further decline, but the singer’s destructive behaviour became too much. In an online open letter to her former employer Fee’s despair was apparent - “There’s just so much you can do to help a person, I don’t dare want to be an enabler, and I cannot love her enough for the both of us. I cannot convince her in any way to love herself.”
