Britney Spears' Ex-Manager Sam Lutfi Still Forbidden to Contact Her Despite Conservatorship Ending
The "Free Britney" campaign worked, as Britney Spears is free of her 13-year conservatorship. A judge ruled that the "Baby One More Time" singer no longer has to live within the confines of the original court-appointed order and did so without forcing Spears to undergo further mental health evaluation. But one thing that stays in place is a no-contact order Spears has against her former manager, Sam Lutfi.
TMZ reports that the five-year restraining order Spears has against Lufti, one that has been in place since 2019, is still in effect. This is not the first restraining order against Lutfi. One was initiated at the beginning of Spears' conservatorship in 2008.
Lutfi worked with Spears before the conservatorship went into effect. Her parents, Lynne and Jamie Spears, alleged that Lufti was controlling all aspects of Spears' life. Per Lynne and Jamie, Lutfi crushed pills and spread them in Britney's food to keep her aloof to maintain control. He denies those claims. The former manager was also allegedly in control over who could visit Spears, who could talk to her, and he even reportedly tried to become the singer's emergency contact when she was hospitalized.
That first restraining order was also for five years. Spears' lawyer went back to court in 2019 to extend the no contact order by alleging Lufti was trying to ease his way back into Spears' life. Lutfi reportedly reached out to Lynne and offered her $1,000 to "disrupt and take over" the conservatorship process. He also reportedly threatened to release confidential information about Spears. He allegedly told Lynne at the time, "We have hundreds of people, drs, lawyers, journalists, celebrities all working" to disrupt the conservatorship. He encouraged Britney's fans to stop at nothing to free her.
Lufti has been ordered to stay 100 feet from Britney, refrain from any contact whatsoever, and refrain from making disparaging comments about her. The order of protection also protects Spears' parents and her two sons.