Alli Sims, Britney Spears’ “cousin,” has done an exclusive interview with Access Hollywood about her time living and working with Britney. She claims that things weren’t nearly as bad as the media portrayed them and that her cousin was just going through a hard time.

Alli was one of the characters in Britney’s life that her father Jamie cut out along with Sam Lutfi and Adnan Ghalib. Again, the story here is a bit different than previously stated in other media outlets. Alli says that she wasn’t going to fight Britney’s parents – but blames Jamie for kicking her out.

“I feel like the media made it appear a lot more insane than it really was,” Alli told Access.

Alli revealed that while she was at Britney’s side, they were constantly followed by the paparazzi.

“It was a minimum of 50 people following us,” she said. “It made everything look so much more hectic. It was crazy.”

Alli was Britney’s assistant for one year until reports said she was let go.

When asked if she was fired from the job, Alli said, “No.”

“I still lived with her after I wasn’t working with her and we’re still best friends,” Alli said.

When asked about the reports that Britney’s dad, Jamie Spears, said she couldn’t come around anymore, Alli said that was true.

“Yeah, he definitely said that,” she said. “You know, they’re very controlling and that’s fine and I just stepped back. I’m not going to fight nine lawyers and parents.”

In fact, it was a team of lawyers that handled a divorce, child custody and questions about Britney’s mental health. And with Jamie in charge, they brought order to Britney’s life.

“They pretty much cut out everyone, honestly,” Alli said.

[from Access Hollywood]

Alli also doesn’t think that Britney had a breakdown. In reference to Britney’s crazier days, including the time she locked herself in a bathroom with her boys to prevent them from being taken back to their father, Alli chalks it up to Britney not adjusting to the custody rules. “She was just like, ‘I wasn’t ready for them… you know, to go home,’” Alli recounted. “It was a mom just being protective and a mom that didn’t want her kids to leave.” Oh really, Alli? It wasn’t the drugs that Sam Lutfi was sneaking her?

And despite reports that Britney is bi-polar or suffers from post-partum depression, Alli said she didn’t see evidence of such conditions.

“I just feel like, you know, she had kids fast,” Alli said. “There was a divorce going on and that’s a lot for a young person to handle.”

In January 2008, Britney barricaded herself and son Jayden at her then home, refusing to give him back to ex-husband, Kevin Federline. Alli said the reason Britney refused is quite simple.

“She was just like, ‘I wasn’t ready for them… you know, to go home,’” Alli recounted. “It was a mom just being protective and a mom that didn’t want her kids to leave… I mean, it’s weird when you have kids three days a week and you’re used to having them all day everyday.”

During one stretch of Alli’s tenure with Britney, the star was hospitalized twice in one month. The second time she was taken by ambulance to the UCLA Medical Center’s Psychiatric Ward.

When asked how Britney was in the hospital, Alli said she was OK.

“Fine, fine. Honestly, fine,” she said.

As a result, Britney temporarily lost visitation rights to both her boys in January 2008.

“I think that was a really harsh step,” Alli said. “It looked a lot worse than it was… I actually got subpoenaed for the custody case and I was in there for eight hours and it was brutal. But, I mean, I just sat in there and told the truth. There was nothing bad to say.”

[from Access Hollywood]

I’d say that this girl is just kind of delusional, but the end of the article gives some good hints as to why exactly she sat down for this interview: her singing career. She released a beyond terrible song earlier this year, “Driving Blind,” and she claims the song is about Britney.

Alli hasn’t spoken to Britney in over a year. She’s spent the time doing what she says Britney encouraged her to do – pursue her music.

Alli’s first single, “Driving Blind,” is about missing someone. In this case, Britney.

“I want her to know when she hears [it], that it is about her and I miss her friendship,” Alli said.

[from Access Hollywood]

So she claims that they’re still best friends, but she hasn’t talked to Britney in a year. And it’s the media that made Britney’s life seem so crazy, but she’s decided to do an interview with the media. Can someone explain this to me?

The timing of the interview is odd. Britney is (according to reports) doing much better under the strict care of her parents, and the only real news about her is that her romance with her agent might be heating up. And yet Alli wants there to still be interest in the crazy Britney of 2008. It only makes sense when one takes into consideration Alli’s “singing career.”

Here’s Alli in Hollywood in December. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .

Britney’s best buddies, who have insisted that they were hanging around with her because they care about her well being, seem to have moved on now that her family has control of her finances. Both Alli Sims and Sam Lutfi, who were nobodies until leeching onto the mentally ill popstar, were seen around Hollywood, hob-nobbing with celebrities as if they were actually famous themselves.

Alli Sims was seen partying with Canadian pop singer/pretend punk rocker Avril Lavigne. The odd pair was photographed hitting the clubs in LA over the weekend. Alli was also seen at Paris Hilton’s 27th birthday party.

Avril Lavigne showed up to Hyde last night with an interesting sidekick — Britney Spears’ former assistant/cousin, Alli Sims. Alli’s become quite the starf**ker lately; she was spotted at Paris Hilton’s birthday party Saturday night as well — ah, the Simsful life.

[From TMZ]

Don’t be surprised if we see Cousin Alli suddenly riding shotgun with Avril, accompanying her on shopping trips so she can get more designer goodies for free. Of course, we might also see her sneaking margaritas into a car, or using Avril to launch her own singing career or reality show.

Meanwhile, amateur psychologist and pharmacist Sam Lutfi, who is barred from seeing or contacting Spears, has hired his own PR mouthpiece and was spotted at Paris Hilton’s party as well. There are also new reports that Lutfi has been hounding Britney’s business manager, Howard Grossman, demanding money for his services as Britney’s manager. The nerve!

In a declaration filed in the Brit conservatorship case, a lawyer for the conservators accused Sam Lutfi of demanding money from poor Brit.

Attorney Jeryll Cohen wrote, “During the telephone conversation, Mr. Grossman [Brit's business manager] told me that he had numerous e-mails from Osama (Sam) Lutfi in which Mr. Lutfi made various demands, including demands for money. Mr. Grossman told me he did not comply with Mr. Lutfi’s demands.”

Cohen and the other lawyers have asked the court commissioner to let the conservators fire Mr. Grossman, in part because they say he has refused to provide copies of Lutfi’s e-mails to them.

[From TMZ]

Apparently, Lutfi and Sims are almost as delusional as their former meal ticket. Do they actually think they are celebrities now? They’d better get in those last few parties while they can– their 15 minutes is just about up.

Note by Celebitchy: Alli Sims has actually known Avril Lavigne for quite a while, and has been seen out with her multiple times prior to when she was linked to Britney. I don’t think she’s without her own motivations, she’s trying to launch a singing career after all, but I wouldn’t put her in the same category as Lutfi by a long shot. Britney seemed to be doing ok when she was hanging out with her, in comparison.

Here’s Britney outide of the Millenium Dance studio having a smoke on 2/9. At least she is getting some exercise even if she’s dressed like that and all. That story that she had her hair done for four hours at her house must have been an exaggeration or her hairdresser was incompetent. I guess when you don’t have much to work with there isn’t much you can do. Get better Britney.

Did anyone ever figure out exactly what so called Britney Spears’ “cousin” Alli Sims real relationship to Brit is? There were a lot of accusations that they weren’t really related, and the press has stopped mentioning any familial relationship when discussing Sims. Alli – who hasn’t been seen in a while – says her relationship with Brit is great, and Britney’s doing just fine.

“She does seem happy,” Sims told PEOPLE at Saturday’s Hugo Boss/Glamour Studio Glam suite, of Spears, 26. “I’m sure obviously she’s going through some things, and a lot, right now. That definitely gets to you. I’m not saying that everything is fine,” Sims, 26, says. “Obviously, she’s worried about stuff, like we all are. She’s hanging in there. I’m not worried. She’ll get back. She’ll be fine.”

[From People]

Assuming Britney Spears will be fine is like assuming a St. Bernard is going to come flying through your window. It’s not 100% completely out of the realm of possibility, but the odds of it happening anytime soon are pretty slim. The St. Bernard has to WANT to fly through your window. Everyone else hoping it’ll just magically happen won’t increase the likelihood.

Sims says she and Spears are still really close and absolutely nothing is wrong with their relationship. She even claims she and Brit have never had so much as a tiny fight. Yet she slams Brit’s creepy-ass boyfriend Adnan Ghalib. Would you really do that to someone you were on good terms with?

“He’s been around, what, three weeks?” Sims tells PEOPLE. “I heard about it just from friends who watched it. I don’t really see the point of that. … I only know him from him following us around for eight months. I don’t personally know him. But I don’t like that vibe.”

[From People]

This morning Barbara Walters told “The View” audience that she’d received a call from Sam Lufti, who’s now calling himself Britney’s manager. Lufti told Walters that Britney is in “treatment” for her mental health issues. I was hoping “in” was the operative word there – meaning she had gone to some kind if of facility. But it’s more that she’s seeing a psychiatrist. Which is still great, I was just hoping she was going whole hog.

Barbara Walters received a call from Britney Spears’s manager and “very good friend” Sam Lutfi, the TV host told her cohorts on Monday’s The View – reporting that Lutfi said the pop star was seeking help for what Walters termed “mental issues which are treatable.”

“She has been to a psychiatrist,” Walters, 78, said, recounting Lutfi’s explanation over the phone. “She, I assume, is starting some kind of treatment.” Walters also reported that Spears was having trouble sleeping and was suffering from “mood swings,” but that she was back in touch with her mother, Lynne Spears. When those at the table challenged the veracity of Lutfi’s report, Walters’s response was, “I don’t know if anybody is telling the truth or not telling the truth.” But she noted, “He has been with her constantly. He seems to be enormously supportive.”

[From People]

Hey, Britney Spears getting some sort of treatment is better than nothing. And with her level of crazy, you probably have to take baby steps. Actually that’s not true, with her level of crazy you should be institutionalized. But because Brit’s got money and power, she seems to be able to do whatever she wants. And considering how reticent she’s been to make any positive changes in her life, baby steps towards psychiatric care is a really big deal. Though to be honest, I’m hoping someone gets her into a straight jacket by the end of the week.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Britney Spears at a gas station buying soda after she went to Petco pet store to buy a bird and birdcage with Sam Lutfi. January 20th. Images thanks to WENN.

Well, her much-hyped “comeback” was once again a massive failure. Like most of Britney Spears’ other comebacks of late, she underperformed and horribly embarrassed herself. Britney opened the VMAs with what was supposed to be an impressive, magic-laced performance of her new single, “Gimme More.” She left the audience thinking the same thing. Spears wandered around the stage aimlessly with a bleary, drugged out expression on her face. Instead of dancing, she swayed her hips randomly and let a dancer grab her a few times. She half-heartedly shook her hips and did a couple body rolls, and at a few points it looked like she might stumble, but she managed to right herself. And that was about it. She’d completely forgotten how to lip-sync… hello, don’t you have a hairbrush and a mirror to practice with like the rest of us?

“Somewhere, Kevin Federline is laughing.

“An out-of-shape, out-of-touch Britney Spears delivered what was destined to be the most talked about performance of the MTV Video Music Awards – but for all the wrong reasons. Kicking off the show Sunday night with her new single, “Gimme More,” Spears looked bleary and unprepared – much like her recent tabloid exploits on the streets of Los Angeles.

“She lazily walked through her dance moves with little enthusiasm. It appeared she had forgotten the entire art of lip-synching; and, perhaps most unforgivable given her once taut frame, she looked embarrassingly out of shape.

“Even the celebrity-studded audience seemed bewildered. 50 Cent looked at Spears with a confused expression; Diddy, her new best friend, was expressionless.

“Some comeback.”

[From the Associated Press]

It’s clear that Britney’s days of super-athletic routines are far behind her. Though she’s always lip-synced in concert, most people forgave that, since there’s no way someone could dance the way she did and sing. But most of us could stumble around confused without a problem. I don’t think she looked bad in terms of her physique, but she’s clearly forgotten how to dance and how to perform. So essentially, she’s forgotten how to have a career. Either she was incredibly tired or she was on something… my guess is both. According to 24/Sizzler, Britney partied until 6 a.m. the night before the Video Music Awards.

“Britney Spears, donning a fedora hat and blonde extensions arrived at Tao for a Samsung Gleam bash around 1 a.m. Sunday morning with her partying partner-in-crime Diddy…The duo partied in the club’s VIP area and danced to Britney’s new single ‘Gimme More’…Former rehab inpatient Britney drank Grey Goose vodka and sugar-free Red Bull, while Diddy downed Patron…

“On Saturday, Britney sidekick Alli Sims arrived at the Tao Hospitality suite – sans Britney – but with two other friends…’Alli claimed that Britney was so tired from the night before partying until 6 a.m. that she wanted Alli to pull “fun” swag from the suite,’ tattles a 24Sizzler.com eyewitness. Alli grabbed Britney product from Disney Couture, Treesje Handbags, Luxottica sunglasses but kept the Oceanaut watch for herself.’”

[From 24/Sizzler]

It’s not like a lot of people were pulling for Britney anymore, but I naively thought that if MTV was going to let her open the VMAs, she must have a good performance ready. The VMAs have lost a lot of viewers the last few years, and MTV has been trying to revive the awards show. But apparently they were willing to take a risk on an old commodity, and it definitely didn’t pan out. Sarah Silverman caustically summed up Brit’s performance “Was that incredible? Britney Spears, everyone. Wow. She is amazing. She is 25-years-old and she’s already accomplished everything she’s going to accomplish in her life. It’s mind blowing.” Watching Britney limp around on stage was sort of sad, but it doesn’t make me pull for her. It just makes me hope she goes back into rehab – or wherever she needs to be – stays away from the spotlight, and gets her life together. Then, when she can actually do a great job, she should work on a comeback.

Note by Celebitchy: Here’s the video thanks to Britney.cl

Pictures via Britney.cl and JJB.

Britney Spears’ re-hired cousin/assistant Alli Sims got served with a subpoena at a house party in L.A. late Saturday night. Britney’s music producer/sorta ex-boyfriend JR Rotem was also served at the party – by an ex-Israeli commando. How did that happen, you ask? Well it turns out that K-Fed’s celebrity lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, likes the drama a little more than he lets on. He hired Aaron Cohen of IMS Security – a business made up entirely of ex-Israeli commandos – to serve Sims and Rotem. I’m scared just writing that sentence. That dude must be pissed and making a major power play, to go all-out like that. Most people don’t like being served, and some will go all-out to avoid it. According to US Weekly, Sims and Rotem tried to leave the party in a car, and the Israeli commando followed them, finally shoving the subpoenas through an open car window after arguing with her. It’s a good thing for Cohen that you don’t have to get a signature.

“A visibly upset Sims attempted to avoid being served, and she and Rotem began to argue with Cohen. But, as an eyewitness reports, Cohen was not deterred by Sims’ denials and was forced to throw the subpoena through an open car window as Sims and Rotem fled in a friend’s car. Spears was spotted leaving the same party moments later and eventually joined Sims and Rotem at her Beverly Hills home.”

[From US Weekly]

Britney was also at the party and was said to be royally pissed. I’m pretty sure that was K-Fed’s lawyer’s intent, so it worked out well for him. E! News gives a little more information on the events Saturday night.

“Alli Sims, Spears’ honorary cousin, off-on personal assistant and wannabe pop star, was subpoenaed at a Hollywood house party early Sunday in connection with Spears’ ongoing custody battle with Kevin Federline, a source confirmed to E! News.

“Sims, who recently returned to the post of Spears’ right-hand woman after being briefly displaced earlier this year, was served with the legal papers just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday while leaving a party in the Hollywood Hills. While Spears was also in attendance at the party, the star did not witness the serving.

“The deposition subpoena, issued at the behest of Federline’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, requires Sims to testify about Spears’ parenting skills in the ex-couple’s custody case and was served guerrilla-style by IMS-Security’s Aaron Cohen.”

[From E! News]

K-Fed filed for sole custody of his sons last Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, and the next hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Boy, those baby bottles filed with beer and Cheetos sandwiches aren’t going to look so good in court. “But your Honor, it’s light beer!”

“Kaplan is expected to question Sims on everything from what and how frequently Spears feeds sons Sean Preston, 22 months, and Jayden James, 10 months, how late they are allowed to stay up, how much time Spears spends caring for the boys and Spears’ party habits.

“But the 26-year-old Sims may not be the most impartial witness. While there is some question to whether they are blood relations, the two grew up together in Louisiana and have been inseparable for much of Spears’ tenure in Hollywood.

“Even after Sims left Spears’ employ earlier this year, she had nothing but glowing things to say about Spears. Sims told People earlier this month that Spears is ‘a wonderful mom and she is so hands-on…Britney loves those babies to death. And they adore her.’”

[From E! News]

I think it’s the “death” part that Federline is worried about. Back in the good old days, we used to make fun of K-Fed for being a money-hungry, pot-smoking layabout. It’s hard to say whether or not that’s still true, but he’s definitely the lesser of two evils. Britney has just gone crazy, and seems to be a haphazard mother at best. Remember a few weeks ago when she was screaming at that photographer to lose some weight, calling him a fat f*%$ while her kids were in the back of her car, sobbing? Probably not the best prioritizing. Mark Vincent Kaplan told US “’Kevin would like to have as much custody as he could because he feels that the children would benefit from that.’” It seems really hard to argue with that lately. I really wanted to hate Kevin Federline. I think the majority of the world agrees with me. We all tried, we really did, and thanks to Britney Spears, we’ve failed.

Picture note by JayBird: Here’s Alli Sims with Britney and Sean P at the Millennium Dance Studios awhile back. I just thought I’d put up a more visually-pleasing picture of Britney for the header, since all the new ones are gross and I’m eating lunch. Header shows Britney in happier times, at the 14th Annual Glamour Women Of The Year in 2003. Images thanks to PR Photos.