In contrast, the pop star's life was in shambles in 2007 when she met Sam Lutfi, the self-proclaimed personal manager who says he is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars and is now suing Spears and her parents.
The question in court Thursday: Was there a legal contract?
The attorney for the conservators asserts that Spears was in no shape to make sound decisions when the alleged hiring occurred and that Lutfi knew it. The jury heard his taped deposition that Spears lost custody of the children, was subject to random drug testing and had daily talks with her divorce lawyer.
When asked about his qualifications to manage a superstar, Lutfi said he read the trades, had friends in the industry and had learned the business through what he termed "osmosis."
Defense attorney Joel Boxer asked if Lutfi's had ever earned more than $10 thousand total for all entertainment jobs he ever held. But Lutfi said he couldn't recall. He also said there was no text, e-mail or letter in which he set out terms for his personal management.
One exhibit Lutfi did produce was an artist management agreement. Lutfi testified, however, that the form was left entirely blank, and he concurred Spears never signed it.
Lutfi's lawsuit also claims he faced death threats from Spears fans after alleged defamatory statements were published in a book written by Spears' mother.
But the defense showed the jury many similar statements in other media before the book was out, and Lutfi said he had not received any death threats from those statements.
