Family Spokesperson: "Dr. Phil Betrayed Trust of Spears Family"

Family Spokesperson: "Dr. Phil Betrayed Trust of Spears Family" 1/9/08

'TODAY' EXCLUSIVE: SPEARS FAMILY SPOKESPERSON TELLS MEREDITH VIEIRA THAT DR. PHIL BETRAYED THE TRUST OF THE SPEARS FAMILY, ACTED INAPPROPRIATELY, AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THEM

The Interview Aired Live This Morning on NBC News' "Today" – Full Transcript Below

NEW YORK – January 9, 2008 - - In a live exclusive interview, the Spears family spokesperson, Lou Taylor, talked to Meredith Vieira about Dr. Phil's hospital visit with Britney Spears and his actions and statement thereafter. Taylor said, "This is just another example of trust really being betrayed, and being inappropriate." Taylor also said the Spears family was never going to appear on Dr. Phil's television show. She said that the family felt Dr. Phil acted "self-serving" and that he "compromised" their relationship with Britney. Taylor, who serves as the business manager for Britney Spears' father, mother, and younger sister, Jamie Lynn, talked to Vieira live this morning on NBC News' "Today."

MEREDITH VIEIRA: Lou Taylor is the business manager for Britney Spears' father, mother, and younger sister Jamie Lynn.

Lou, good morning to you.

Ms. LOU TAYLOR (Britney Spears's Family Spokesperson): Good morning, Meredith. Thanks for having me this morning.

VIEIRA: Thanks for joining us.

Britney's parents have not spoken out publicly about her recent problems, but they felt the need through you to do so now. What was it that made them decide it was important to speak out?

Ms. TAYLOR: Well, we thought it was important for people to just have a voice for Jamie, to hear a voice for Jamie and Lynn Spears. You know, this has, again, just set another bar for us that has become disturbing for what's happened to be, you know, now again played out in the media.

VIEIRA: Well, you know--let's get right to it, because this is about Dr. Phil and his relationship with her family, and the comments he has made. On Saturday, he did meet with Britney in the hospital, and after that, he released the following statement. He said, "My meeting with Britney and some of her family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention." What is wrong with Dr. Phil's statement, in the family's estimations?

Ms. TAYLOR: Well, what's wrong with Dr. Phil's statement is that he made a statement. The family basically extended an invitation of trust for him to come in as a resource to support them, not to go out and make public statements. Any statement publicly that he made, because he was brought in under this cloak of trust are just inappropriate. So, you know, we feel like, to set the record straight, we need to say that.

VIEIRA: But, in fact, they did invite him in to see their daughter. That's correct?

Ms. TAYLOR: Yes. Lynn Spears has had a relationship with Robin (Dr. Phil's wife), and he was invited. It was an invitation, but he was not invited to make this part of a public display, or part of the media. And I think that was the heart of Jamie and Lynn to say, `Look, we're looking for support here,' not to add, you know, to the trouble that's already upon them.

VIEIRA: You know, he did an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" as well, and in the interview, he said, "Is she having a rough time right now?" "Yes, she is. Somebody needs to step up and provide a vector to get this young woman into some quality care. She has children hanging in the balance. She has her own life hanging in the balance, and I do not apologize..."

Ms. TAYLOR: Mm-hmm.

VIEIRA: "...one whit, not one second for trying to make that happen." Has he ever...

Ms. TAYLOR: Mm-hmm.

VIEIRA: ...counseled her before, Lou? Ever counseled Britney?

Ms. TAYLOR: No. Not to my knowledge, but you know, I'm here to speak for Jamie and for Lynn. And even in just making that statement, it would have been appropriate had he been given the authority to do so, and he just hadn't. You know, and this is a family where you've got Jamie and Lynn constantly rallying together as a family, that they are well aware of the situation with their daughter, and they love her more than anything. And here this is just another example of trust really being betrayed, and being inappropriate.

VIEIRA: So were they ever going to do a show with him, about intervening in an adult child's life? When that child has troubles?

Ms. TAYLOR: No, they were not. No, they were not going to do a show. There are many professionals and many resources that get vetted between this team of people that surround the Spears, and Dr. Phil did broach that issue, and it was vetted amongst the team, but it was decided that that would be detrimental for anybody to ever do that. And so we really felt like, to me personally, being part of this team, I felt that, too, was inappropriate for him to even be self-serving in bringing something like that up. Because that would not be a vector to get Britney help.

VIEIRA: Well Lou...

Ms. TAYLOR: I think, I just think it would have been wrong.

VIEIRA: Does the family believe that he has damaged their relationship with their daughter in any way?

Ms. TAYLOR: I think it's been compromised, because it's a measure of trust. I mean, here you have Britney, that needs to have some security somewhere, that every single thing she does and every single person she has a relationship with doesn't become an opportunity to be exploited. I mean, when do you ever rest in that if you're constantly in fear of being exploited? And you know, I just felt for Jamie and Lynn, this was a time where, you know, they were taken advantage of, that they are people who love their daughter, and that know exactly what's going on and what that support.

VIEIRA: And yet, they have been criticized themselves, in particular, Jamie for her relationship--not Jamie, I'm sorry, Lynn for her relationship with her daughters...

Ms. TAYLOR: Mm-hmm.

VIEIRA: ...and her younger daughter Jamie Lynn recently announced that she is pregnant, and the mom has been vilified in a lot of the press. How do you respond to that?

Ms. TAYLOR: Well, you know, what I would like to say is that I really feel like people just do not know the Spears family. What they don't know about Jamie and Lynn Spears is that every day, Jamie goes to work as a professional chef, asking the Lord to give him the strength to honor the people he works for in the midst of circumstances. That Lynn Spears is a mother that is brokenhearted, just because she's apart from her daughter. That she loves her daughter so much and again, asking every day for God to give her strength, and for her to continue to have hope. I mean, I'm so disturbed, Meredith, where we've gotten to be as a people, the morbidity of us watching the depravity of people suffering, than to rally around and be hopeful. So really for, I guess for me to be self-indulgent for a moment, that I would really hope that all those who seek God for strength in their life would be interceding for this family, because Jamie Spears, Lynn Spears, Brian and Jamie Lynn Spears are all amazing people.

VIEIRA: Lou Taylor, we thank you very much.

Ms. TAYLOR: Thank you.

Source: NBC Press Release