January 14, 2008 18:49

Britney Spears a no-show at custody hearing

The pop star may lose custody of her kids

Britney Spears did not show up to an important court hearing in Los Angeles this morning (January 14) about the custody of her two children.

Spears was due to appear in court today along with her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, following up on an emergency court hearing last week in which the court suspended her visitation rights with her two sons Sean Preston (2), and Jayden James (1).

Federline and his lawyer were present when Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon began the hearing, reports the Associated Press.

Several police officers were on hand to keep an eye on the proceedings as throngs of media surrounded the courthouse. However, Spears never showed up to the hearing that attorneys were calling "the most significant hearing in the case so far".

As previously reported, Spears was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for psychological evaluation following a highly publicised meltdown on January 3. She had just been in a standoff with police after refusing to turn over her son to ex-husband Federline's bodyguard.

Today's hearing was considered crucial to her ability to restore visitation rights with her sons.

--By our Los Angeles staff.
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