LOS ANGELES — Testimony is scheduled to begin next week in a trial that will focus on Britney Spears' darkest days, but jurors are unlikely to hear from the pop superstar directly.

Jury selection began Friday in a libel and defamation trial filed by Spears' former manager and confidante, Sam Lutfi. He claims he's owed a share of the singer's fortune and that he's been unfairly vilified by Spears' mother.

A judge overseeing Spears' ongoing conservatorship has ordered the singer not to appear at the trial. Lutfi's attorney has sought the 30-year-old's testimony to prove that statements made about Lutfi's involvement in her public meltdown are untrue.

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Spears' mom Lynne accused Lutfi in court filings of drugging and isolating her daughter, and the claims were repeated in a 2008 book.

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