LOS ANGELES—A judge on Monday refused to restore for now Britney Spears' right to visit her two sons, a court spokesman said, after a hearing where the troubled pop star showed up outside court but never made it inside.
Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon left in place a ruling that barred Spears from visiting with her two young sons at least until another hearing on Feb. 19, lawyers for her ex-husband Kevin Federline said outside court.
Gordon issued that order some 10 days ago, after police were summoned to Spears' home when she refused to hand over the two boys to Federline's representatives after a visit and became distraught.
The 26-year-old singer was taken away on a stretcher and hospitalized for two days.
Spears arrived hours late for Monday's hearing and was mobbed by photographers as she stepped out of a sport utility vehicle outside the downtown Los Angeles courthouse.
But instead of heading into the building where the hearing was under way with Federline in the courtroom, the troubled pop star climbed quickly back in the car and drove off again.
"Move back, I'm scared. Stop it. Stop it. I want to get back in the car. Just stop it. Let me get in the car, please!" Spears shouted at photographers, according to the celebrity Web site TMZ.com
It was the latest in a series of strange episodes involving Spears since she divorced Federline in late 2006. She lost custody of their two sons, 1-year-old Jayden James and 2-year-old Sean Preston, last year.
That incident prompted Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon to suspend her visitation rights with the children until Monday's hearing—which experts considered critical for Spears to attend.
She did not show up for a morning session, and made her brief appearance outside the courthouse after a noon break.
The hearing was closed to the press and public, but Federline, his hair styled into a Mohawk, was seen coming and going.
Spears became a teen pop phenomenon nine years ago, and enjoyed a brief comeback in October with her new single, "Gimme More" and an album, Blackout,
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