Troubled pop star Britney Spears has been stripped of legal custody of her two little boys Friday, after she was hospitalized "for her own welfare."

Court commissioner Scott Gordon gave Spears's ex-husband Kevin Federline sole custody and suspended the singer's visitation rights.

Britney Spears is wheeled out of an ambulance on a gurney at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center late Thursday night in Los Angeles.
(ET/Insider/Hollywood TV/Associated Press)

Gordon ordered another hearing to be held Jan. 14.

The ruling came hours after Spears was taken to hospital by paramedics at the end of a three-hour standoff over custody of her two sons.

Police intervened when Spears refused to return the children to Federline after a court-monitored visit.

Officers on Friday would only say that the 26-year-old was at a local hospital for "medical treatment" after a dispute over custody of her sons at the singer's home on Thursday night.

Spears turned over the children to Federline following the dispute.

Attorneys for Spears and Federline were in court Friday in Los Angeles to discuss child custody arrangements. After a 30-minute meeting, both sides left without comment.

Officers were called to Spears's home around 8 p.m. PT Thursday night, police spokesman Jason Lee told City News Service.

The children were handed over at about 10:50 p.m. Aerial footage from KTLA-TV showed Spears being lifted in a gurney into an ambulance.

Police initially said Spears was under the influence of an unknown substance but a police spokeswoman later denied drugs were involved.

"Our understanding is that was not the case," said police officer Ana Aguirre.

"Police resolved the conflict," Aguirre said. "Both children were turned over to her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, for custody and she was in fact taken to a local hospital for medical treatment."

Hospital spokesmen would neither confirm nor deny reports Spears would be held for 72 hours to undergo psychological testing. She remained hospitalized Saturday.

Her mother, Lynne Spears, also declined to give details. "Just say prayers," she told Access Hollywood on Friday.

Spears and Federline have an ongoing dispute over custody of their sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1.

Spears missed court dates

Federline, 29, already had temporary custody of the children because Spears, who had limited visitation rights, has defied court orders.

The two were married in October 2004 and divorced in July.

Earlier Thursday, the singer appeared in court in the custody dispute.

The deposition lasted just 14 minutes, Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, told reporters after she left.

Spears called in sick for a Dec. 12 court-ordered deposition, but was photographed that day driving with a friend. She also didn't show up for a session Wednesday, Kaplan said.

Spears's attorneys from the firm Trope and Trope on Wednesday filed a court motion asking to be relieved due to a "breakdown" in communication with their client.

Spears had hoped to regain her pop crown with a much-hyped performance at MTV's Video Music Awards in September, but it was panned by fans and critics.

However, her latest album, Blackout, has earned positive reviews.