Lawyers for the singer's father, Jamie Spears, who has been granted temporary control of his daughter's business and personal affairs, filed court documents saying Lutfi was served with the order at his home on Thursday morning.

Lutfi had been Spears' constant companion over the last few months as she repeatedly displayed bizarre behavior and was twice admitted to hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

In court papers requesting the restraining order three weeks ago, Spears' mother Lynne said Lutfi had drugged the former teen pop star, cut her home phone line, yelled at her and controlled her life.

Lynne Spears said Lutfi told her and a friend that he gave Britney Spears pills ground up in her food to keep her quiet and at one point he told Britney she had to take 10 pills a day if she wanted to see her two young children.

Spears, 26, has not seen her children since Jan 3 when she became agitated and was taken to hospital at the end of a court-monitored visit with them.

Spears spent six days in a psychiatric unit earlier this month. She asked the court several times to reinstate her visitation rights, but her requests were rejected.

Her life in the past year has gone into a tailspin with spells in rehab, a head-shaving incident and a ridiculed comeback performance all captured by paparazzi photographers who track her 24 hours a day.