Britney Spears’ Ex Ordered to Trial on Stalking Charge

Britney Spears at the 4th Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards held on February 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (AP)
Britney Spears at the 4th Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards held on February 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (AP)
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Britney Spears’ Ex Ordered to Trial on Stalking Charge

Britney Spears at the 4th Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards held on February 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (AP)
Britney Spears at the 4th Annual Hollywood Beauty Awards held on February 25, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (AP)

A California judge found Monday that there is enough evidence against a man once briefly married to Britney Spears who showed up uninvited at the pop star's wedding to go to trial on a felony stalking charge.

After a two-hour preliminary hearing, Ventura County Judge David Worley ruled that 40-year-old Jason Allen Alexander should be held to answer on the charge, along with misdemeanor counts of trespassing, vandalism and battery, court records showed.

Not guilty pleas to all the charges were entered by an attorney for Alexander, who did not attend and remains jailed.

Spears married longtime boyfriend Sam Asghari at her home in Thousand Oaks, California, on June 9, in front of several dozen guests including Selena Gomez, Drew Barrymore, Paris Hilton and Madonna.

Alexander, a childhood friend of Spears to whom she was married for less than three days in 2004, appeared uninvited at the house before the ceremony, livestreaming his raid on Instagram.

Richard Eubler, a since-fired security guard for Spears, testified at Monday's hearing that Alexander got inside her house and up to the locked door of Spears' bedroom while she was inside, according to multiple media reports.

Eubler said Alexander had also tried to enter the property in the days before the wedding.

Alexander's attorney, Sandra Bisignani, argued there was no evidence he had any intention of harming Spears.



One Direction Stars Join Mourners at Liam Payne’s Funeral

A funeral goer holds the order of service with the image of former One Direction singer Liam Payne on it, on the day of his funeral at St. Mary's Church in Amersham, near London, Britain, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A funeral goer holds the order of service with the image of former One Direction singer Liam Payne on it, on the day of his funeral at St. Mary's Church in Amersham, near London, Britain, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
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One Direction Stars Join Mourners at Liam Payne’s Funeral

A funeral goer holds the order of service with the image of former One Direction singer Liam Payne on it, on the day of his funeral at St. Mary's Church in Amersham, near London, Britain, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)
A funeral goer holds the order of service with the image of former One Direction singer Liam Payne on it, on the day of his funeral at St. Mary's Church in Amersham, near London, Britain, November 20, 2024. (Reuters)

The former members of boy band "One Direction" were among the mourners at the funeral of their band mate Liam Payne on Wednesday, just over a month after the singer died aged 31.

Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson joined Payne's family and friends for the private church service in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, north west of London.

Payne's former partner, fellow pop star Cheryl, with whom he had a son now aged seven, was photographed leaving the service.

The singer and songwriter was found dead after he fell from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, triggering an outpouring of grief from fans around the world.

His coffin arrived at the church in a white carriage drawn by two white horses and adorned with floral tributes spelling the words "Son" and "Daddy".

Attendees included Payne's girlfriend Kate Cassidy, actor and TV host James Corden, and Simon Cowell, the music mogul who created One Direction for Britain's X Factor talent show.

The group were catapulted to global fame in the 2010s after appearing on the show and they went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time.

With their tousled hair and youthful charm, the band members became teen idols through hit singles like "What Makes You Beautiful", "Live While We're Young", "Best Song Ever" and "Story of My Life."

Fan Victoria Horwood, 28, speaking outside the church, said she had followed Payne since he appeared on X Factor and she was shaken by his death. "I just wanted to pay my respects," she said.

Payne, who was still a teenager when One Direction found global success, struggled with the pressures of fame, and he later spoke about his problems with alcohol.

"Don't get me wrong, we had the best time ever but there were moments where ... you don't realize you have a choice at that point," he said in 2021. "There is a sacrifice for that."

He launched a solo career after One Direction split in 2016 and he released a debut album in 2019.

Argentine authorities have charged three people in connection with Payne's death after an autopsy revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine and a prescription antidepressant in his system when he died.