The troubled life of Britney Spears added a new chapter when the intoxicated pop star was whisked away in an ambulance after police were called to her house to help solve a nearly three-hour custodial dispute involving her young sons.
Footage from Associated Press Television showed Spears being taken away in an ambulance from her home late Thursday while being followed by dozens of celebrity reporters. Several police cars, their sirens blaring in the middle of the night, escorted the ambulance carrying Spears.
Spears was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Entertainment Tonight reported on its Web site Friday. Cedars spokeswoman Simi Singer said she could not confirm or deny that Spears was there, citing patient confidentiality laws.
Calls early Friday to the Los Angeles Police Department's media line were not answered.
Late Thursday, police said officers were called to Spears' house around 8 p.m. in a custodial dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline over their small boys, Sean Preston and Jayden James.
Spears turned the children over around 10:50 p.m., said Officer Jason Lee.
Lee said Spears was under the influence of an unknown substance, but declined further details. No injuries were reported.
Calls to attorneys and publicists for both Federline and Spears on Thursday were not returned.
Around 10:30 p.m., six police cars, two ambulances and a fire truck entered the gated-community that includes Spears' house. Several police cars were seen in the area earlier in the night. The vehicles left when Spears was taken in the ambulance.
A dispatcher with the Los Angeles Fire Department referred calls to the police department.
Spears and Federline have been involved in a long and very public custody battle.
Federline has temporary custody of the children because Spears, who has limited visitation rights, has defied court orders. The two were married in October 2004 and divorced in July.
Spears has appeared increasingly out of control the last year. She has been photographed without underwear and appeared to be drunk and out-of-control. She shaved her head, beat a car with an umbrella and spent a month in rehab and has had a handful of fender benders, including one in which she ran over a photographer's foot.
Earlier Thursday, Spears appeared for a deposition in her custody dispute.
Spears was deposed for just 14 minutes, attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan told reporters after Spears left.
Spears called in sick for a Dec. 12 court-ordered deposition, but was photographed that day driving with a friend. She also didn't show up for a session Wednesday, Kaplan said.
Spears' attorneys from the firm Trope and Trope on Wednesday filed a court motion asking to be relieved due to a "breakdown" in communication with their client.
Kaplan said Spears' attorneys were present for what became a very abbreviated session.
"The deposition proceeding did go forward today. It was scheduled for 9:45 to 11:45," Kaplan said. "However, it wasn't able to commence until 11:32."
"You can imagine in 14 minutes there's not a lot of time to develop questions," he said.
Kaplan said another deposition would be scheduled.
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Associated Press Writer Denise Petski in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
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