The Ins and Outs of Britney's Rehab

Fri., Mar. 9, 2007 2:47 PM PST by Sarah Hall

Britney Spears seems to be sticking it out in rehab—most of the time.

The pop star took a quick break from the Promises treatment center in Malibu Tuesday for a visit with her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, as well as her estranged husband, Kevin Federline, at the nearby Serra Retreat Center, x17online.com reported.

The center, run by Franciscan friars in the hills above Malibu, "assists people in moving forward in their spiritual lives," according to its Website.

The encounter reportedly lasted about two hours, before Spears returned to the treatment facility.

It wasn't the first time Spears has emerged from the confines of the Promises compound since checking in last month.

The 25-year-old singer has reportedly left the center on at least two other occasions to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings—excursions that are encouraged by the program.

However, Spears has also reportedly been indulging in activities that are frowned upon by Promises, such as using her cell phone and even leaving the facility to pamper herself with a little retail therapy, according to Us Weekly.

Sources told the magazine Spears has denied having a substance abuse problem and that she feels she was wrongly pressured into rehab. She is said to believe instead that issues stem from postpartum depression—a theory some experts, as well as fellow celebrities, have supported.

Brooke Shields, who chronicled her own struggles with postpartum depression in a memoir, reached out to Spears this week, telling Access Hollywood, "If she wants to talk to someone, I'm available."

The Blue Lagoon star expressed confidence that Spears would be able to work through her problems, whatever they might be.

"I believe she's going to be fine, and she just needs the support and her kids," Shields said. "She's their only mom, and she'll earn that back in her own mind."

Spears has another supporter in superproducer Timbaland, who said recently he wants to work with the troubled star to revitalize her career—with the help of his "best friend" Justin Timberlake.

"I asked Justin, 'How would you feel about me working with Britney?' I had to ask him that," Timbaland told Entertainment Weekly. "I said, 'Would you do it with me?' "

According to Timbaland, Timberlake expressed willingness to work with his ex-girlfriend, saying, "She's just gotta be serious."

For now, talk of a comeback seems at best premature, as Spears has at least two more weeks of treatment ahead of her.

The singer is expected to remain at Promises for anywhere from 30 to 45 days, at a cost of at least $48,000.