Britney Spears may not be completely lacking in maternal instincts after all, but it didn't help get her kids back.
After Spears bailed on what was described as a "pivotal" hearing Monday, a Los Angeles court commissioner refused to reinstate any visitation rights for the troubled pop star. (View the court minute order.)
As the morning session of the custody hearing wound down with no sign of Spears, multiple sources told E! News that she was weighing the possibility of showing up for the afternoon session. Her lawyer, Sorrell Trope, even phoned the pop star from the courthouse, imploring her to come.
Kevin Federline, on the other hand, showed up early, arriving just after 9 a.m. at the Los Angeles County Courthouse for the 9:30 a.m. hearing, which was closed to outsiders.
Amid much frenzy, the "Gimme More" singer finally appeared at the Los Angeles County Courthouse around 1:30 pm Monday, ostensibly to fight for the right to see her boys.
However, Spears pal Sam Lutfi told E! News via text message that the throngs of paparazzi awaiting the singer's arrival made it impossible for her to enter the building, as there was "no way to get her out of the car safely." Spears' entourage, including current boyfriend Adnan Ghalib, circled three times before giving up.
Instead, Lutfi told E! News he took Spears to church and then to get some lunch. The group made a prayer pitstop at the Little Brown Church near her Studio City base and then dined at a Gaucho Grill restaurant before retreating to her homestead. In the meantime, the hearing resumed without her.
And when the dust settled Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon upheld an order barring Spears from seeing her sons, leaving the boys in the sole care of Federline at least until the next hearing, scheduled for Feb. 19.
Spears' visiting privileges were revoked earlier this month, after she refused to turn two-year-old Sean Preston and 16-month-old Jayden James over to Federline at the appointed time, leading to a three-hour showdown with police and emergency medical technicians.
The 26-year-old singer was subsequently hospitalized and placed on an involuntary hold at L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on the grounds that she was a potential danger to herself or others.
Monday's hearing was called to discuss the well-publicized meltdown and to give Spears the opportunity to provide her side of the story.
Court public information officer Allan Parachini said Gordon heard testimony from two Los Angeles police officers involved in the standoff; Paula Strong, the court-appointed monitor present for Spears' visit with her sons; parenting coach Lisa Hacker, who has been working with Spears and Federline; and Lonnie Jones, Federline's bodyguard who attempted to retrieve the children from Spears' home.
Parachini declined to elaborate on the content of the testimony. Spears' lawyers did not address reporters afterward, while Federline attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan offered a quick sound bite.
"The word victory is not something Mr. Federline or his counsel would ascribe to this. There is no joy. This is a grave situation for all," said Kaplan, who had been seeking to have visitation suspended through April.
"[Federline's] goal," Kaplan continued, "his hope for the future is at some point he will be able to parent the children with the participation of their mother."
An LAPD spokesman confirmed that paparazzi outside the courthouse were warned to stay out of the street and on the sidewalk, and several were issued citations for failing to adhere to officers' instructions.