Britney Spears' mum claims ex-manager drugged singer

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Page last updated at 08:45 GMT, Saturday, 27 October 2012 09:45 UK

Steve Holden By Steve Holden
Newsbeat entertainment reporter Britney Spears

Britney Spears' mother has claimed her daughter's former manager crushed drugs into the singer's food.

Lynne Spears has told a US court that Osama 'Sam' Lutfi admitted to her that he did it five years ago to help the star sleep.

At the time, Britney was going through a public meltdown where she shaved her head, temporarily lost custody of her children and was briefly hospitalised.

Lutfi is suing Britney's mother, saying she wrote lies about him.

Lynne Spears has been giving evidence in her defence.

On the claims Britney's food was drugged in 2007, Lynne Spears told the court: "Those were his exact words.

"I was very worried and I didn't know what to do so I tried to get her away from there."

She also claims Lutfi cut off Britney's communication by detaching her phone lines.

Estranged family

On cross-examination, Lynne Spears said that despite her worry about her daughter she didn't call police.

She also admitted that she was estranged from her daughter for a brief period in 2007 and Lutfi told her he wanted to help reunite them.

Britney Spears Britney Spears is currently a judge on the latest series of The X Factor USA

The accusations refer to the year Lutfi said he was Spears' manager, before he was let go from her team in 2008.

Lutfi is suing the star's parents and Britney herself. He says Lynne Spears made damaging claims about him in her 2008 book Through the Storm.

He is also suing Jamie Spears, the singer's father, for punching him.

Lutfi is seeking a share of Britney Spears' fortune saying he had an agreement to act as her manager in exchange for 15% of her earnings.

He's always maintained he was a friend of Spears who tried to help the singer get clean of drugs.

Spears, now 30, has since made a comeback most recently with a judging slot on The X Factor USA.

She's not expected to appear at the trial.

Lynne Spears Lynne Spears has been giving evidence in her defence

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