WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE ... Spears (Photo: Getty Images)

There's Howard Grossman, her business manager, who arranged for the return of her Mercedes, the chariot of choice in her paparazzi pied piper routine. The reason, according to court documents released yesterday, was that he wanted to "build her confidence in him." Then there's Britney's court-appointed conservator and dad character James Spears, who wants Grossman fired. Also in the documents, the claim that yet another friend, Osama Sam Lutfi, demanded money from Grossman for his services, presumably everything from keeping Spears in the public eye to crushing up a prescription cocktail of medication in her food.

"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," writes Britney's lawyer Jeryll Cohen in the court documents. "Mr. Grossman told me he did not comply with Mr. Lutfi's demands."

"Anyone can make any accusation in a court document, whether it's true or not," Lutfi spokesman Michael Sands tells Radar "Any person who works for another person should be paid. This is the American work ethic."