Britney still ‘hasn’t hit rock bottom’

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

When news of Britney Spears’ release from UCLA Medical Center broke, there wasn’t immediate cause for panic from some of those close to her. “I’m glad it happened quietly. Hopefully she really is on her way for more treatment,” said one person close to Spears.

And then just hours later, as if she were literally trying to remind the world exactly who is in the driver’s seat, Spears put herself back behind the wheel of a car.

“Unfortunately this isn’t uncommon,” said someone with close ties to the same program Spears was in at UCLA. “Patients like Britney go right back to their habits until they’ve hit rock bottom. She obviously hasn’t hit rock bottom, despite what it look like from the outside.”

The developments have left many wondering just what happened during her hospital stay, if this is the end result (for a jarring portrait of Spears prior to hospitalization, take a look at Rolling Stone’s profile of Spears).

According to the UCLA source, Spears’ days at the facility were spent under close medical observation, where doctors tried to determine whether Spears was responding to medicines and becoming stable, and the staff was going to great lengths to explain her condition to her. Because Spears is an adult, she can’t be held there against her will once she is no longer deemed harmful to herself or others.

Slide show The Spears years Britney’s life, from Mickey Mouse to motherhood, divorce drama and more. more photos

“Obviously everyone who’s ever had a connection to Britney is worried,” said one person who used to work with Spears. From the sound of it, the worries are far from over.

“If it turns out that she does have bipolar disorder, she’ll struggle with this illness for the rest of her life,” said Andy Behrman, who chronicled his battle with bipolar disorder in “Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania.”

Behrman also adds that this period of her life, when she’s trying to get treatment, is among the hardest: “This is the most painful process and people who are bipolar are not used to being confined after they’ve led their lives at 150 mph.”

In lighter news … the newest ‘Dancing’ contestant?
Nothing’s confirmed yet, but rumors are heating up that Brenda Strong, aka Mary Alice Young from “Desperate Housewives,” might be one of the celebs added to the “Dancing With the Stars” lineup.

Slideshow   Celebrity sightings Lady Gaga gets wild in Malta, Will Smith and Jackie Chan party in Beijing, Mickey Rourke checks the Paris fashions and more. more photos

Strong certainly has credentials — she has a degree in musical theater and teaches yoga — but another sign that Strong might be dusting off her dancing shoes is that Joey Fatone was overheard at the SAG awards talking about how great she’d be on the show. Stay tuned …

Claire Danes and beau still going strong
Claire Danes and her beau, Hugh Dancy, recently hit the gym together in NYC and according to a spy who dished to OK! magazine, the two aren’t afraid to let their real personalities shine through.

When Rihanna’s hit single “Umbrella” came on at the gym, “Hugh interrupted Claire from on the treadmill to do a dance where he pretended to hold an umbrella, kind of like Mary Poppins,” said the eyewitness. According to the report, Danes found the bit endearing and “giggled like a schoolgirl.”

More questionable is Dancy’s workout routine: The magazine reports that he proceeded to work out with 2-pound weights.

Dylan Lauren talks candy, travel
Dylan Lauren, the creator of the Dylan’s Candy Bar franchise, recently dished to msnbc.com about her travels to Japan, Russia and London and how they influence some of those treats you might be picking up for Valentine’s Day. There’s also some good dirt about growing up Lauren (her dad is Ralph Lauren) and no, it doesn’t involve stays at five-star hotels. Check out the full piece.

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