The restraining order against Britney Spears' friend and some time manager Sam Lutfi has been extended, even though he is reportedly working with publicist Michael Sands on a PR campaign to reinvent the popstress' image (Sands having quit as PR to Kevin Federline's lawyer and switched to Britney's side).
As previously reported, the courts ordered Lutfi to stay away from Britney after a request to that effect by the singer's mother Lynne - she claimed he had drugged and verbally abused her daughter and, in doing so, contributed to her recent mental breakdown.
A month on from the issuing of the original restraining order, US District Court Judge Philip Gutierrez yesterday extended the order until 17 Mar when another hearing will be held to review the matter. A lawyer for Spears' father also revealed to the court that it had taken over two weeks to find Lutfi in order to hand him the original order - the sometime manager having been seemingly keen to avoid being formally given the paperwork that bans him from seeing the singer.