The story of Britney Spears is the story of a destruction of a
beautiful, talented star by a heartless abusive scoundrel, an ignorant
court, a predatory media, and apathetic hypocritical public. And it is
indictment of the character of all those who participated in this
predatory act.

The goal of every systematic abuser, male or female, individual or
collective, is to break down a person enough that they believe that
they deserve the abuse or that they have no other options but to
submit to it. The goal of every systematic abuser in divorce is to
break down the ex-partner enough that the court sees the ex-partner as
an inadequate parent. Kevin Federline - a middling performer who left
his pregnant wife to seduce Britney - brought her down from an
ebullient star that she was in 2004 to the depths that she inhabits
now. Nor was he alone in this crime. He was assisted in this by many
others, all of whom enjoyed her stardom but enjoyed still more her
fall.

Kevin Federline had a pregnant wife at the time that he married
Britney. My question to the court that made this call is, This is the
person you see as a worthier parent? A heartless opportunist who
obviously could care less about his children - who sucks the life out
of the woman he marries and then wants to leave her without the
children she bore in her womb - who leaves his wife at the time of her
greatest need and vulnerability to marry another and then wants to
take away their children to go back with his ex-wife? This is what you
mean by adequate parenting, character, this is what you legislate,
this is what you reward? I'll tell you one thing. A common thief has
more ethics than you do. A common prostitute, more ethics and more
clue.

The media's behavior in this situation has been just as abhorrent.
They acted like sharks who smelled blood. The same media that made
billions off her stardom, subjected her to the nastiest, biggest, most
vicious feeding frenzy since the Clinton-Lewinski affair. At the time
that she needed support the most - as she was leaving an obviously
abusive relationship - she was savaged by vile opportunists who
claimed to speak for morality while in fact perpetrating a predatory
act. And while Clinton, although with great difficulty, was old,
experienced, ingenious, powerful and thick-skinned enough to withstand
the hideousness of the media, a vulnerable 20-something young woman is
in a less powerful position to withstand such an assault.

The public has likewise behaved in a despicable manner. The public had
enjoyed Britney's work. They enjoyed the sight of her toned athletic
body in a bikini or less dancing and singing on MTV. They kept trying
to get her to pose naked, to watch her electric performances, to dream
about being with her. And yet in her hour of need, not only were they
nowhere to be seen to assist her, but they bought and encouraged the
media's feeding frenzy while claiming themselves to be morally
superior to the woman they'd ogled and then left to the sharks.

The only person in this situation who acted with any kind of honor at
all was Justin Timberlake, who in the midst of America's second-
nastiest-ever media feeding frenzy had courage to stand up in front of
the papparazzi and state that Britney Spears had a good heart. This is
courage and love at their best - the mix that makes for
heroism.

Kevin Federline, media, court and everyone who supported this
abomination: You are nothing but scum. When Britney recovers from this
- if she ever does - I hope she gets away from all of you and gives
what she has to those who deserve it.

I'm hoping that it be Mr.Timberlake, as he is the only person in all
of this who's acted in anything like worthy manner.

Ilya Shambat
http://www.myspace.com/ibshambat