oh….my….god…    ·    February 7th, 2006

Britney Spears: "I Love My Child" — A source close to Britney Spears explains that the singer drove to Starbucks with her bodyguard in the passenger seat and son Sean Preston Federline in his car seat in the back. When the bodyguard went into the store to get the drinks, Spears took Sean out of his car seat and held him in her lap while she waited. Photographers approached the car, says the source, and became aggressive. Once her bodyguard climbed back into the car, Spears drove away while still holding her son.

Shortly after pictures surfaced of Britney Spears driving down Pacific Coast Highway with her son Sean Preston Federline on her lap, Britney’s people quickly released a statement to her PR-damage-control magazine of choice (People magazine) explaining, "Today I had a horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi while I was with my baby. Because of a recent incident when I was trapped in my car without my baby by a throng of paparazzi, I was terrified that this time the physically aggressive paparazzi would put both me and my baby in danger. I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm’s way, but the paparazzi continued to stalk us, and took photos of us which were sold to the media. I love my child and would do anything to protect him." Two questions are begging to be answered. 1) Why doesn’t Britney have her own seatbelt on? 2) If it was such a "horrifying, frightful encounter," why is she smiling? It must have been terrifying.

The company that took these pictures retorted against Britney’s statement claiming, "These pictures were taken in a very peaceful context, in which photographers exhibited no aggressive behavior. We believe the pictures speak for themselves." TMZ has learned the LA County Department of Chidren and Family Services (DCFS) has contacted the LA County Sheriff’s Department, inquiring about Britney driving with her baby on her lap without proper child restraint.