A judge has granted Courtney Love's request for a temporary restraining order against her ex-manager, Sam Lutfi, TMZ reported early on Dec. 11.
Pop culture fans might remember Sam as a key player during Britney Spears' darkest days — he briefly managed the pop star in the aughts and was around during her mental breakdown more than a decade ago. He later sued Britney and her parents for libel and breach of contract.
Sam went on to become rocker-actress Courtney's manager and confidante. But she broke off their professional relationship and filed for a restraining order because Sam has allegedly been harassing Courtney and her family "unrelentingly," TMZ reports.
Courtney filed legal papers claiming Sam "has been demanding money from her for services he says he rendered … and he is now so pissed off he's incessantly harassing her with emails, texts and phone calls," TMZ explained. Sources told The Blast that Sam's messages have been "filthy, nasty and threatening."
The Blast reports that following the judge's order, Sam must now stay 100 yards away Courtney, her daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, and Courtney's sister, Jaimee.
Courtney's attorney, Howard King, told TMZ, "The escalating verbal harassment and threats of Sam Lutfi left no choice to Courtney and her family but to seek protection. The Cobains are grateful for the anti-harassment order issued by the Los Angeles Superior Court against Mr. Lutfi and the powers it provides law enforcement to assure that Mr. Lutfi terminates all contact with the family."
Courtney and Sam are linked in another legal issue: They're being sued by Frances' ex-husband, musician Isaiah Silva, who claims they coordinated a break-in at his home in an effort to steal a guitar that once belonged to Frances' father, the late Nirvana rocker Kurt Cobain. Isaiah got to keep the guitar in a property settlement with his ex.