LOS ANGELES - Britney Spears' request for a restraining order against a Japanese fan will be dismissed as part of an out-of-court agreement between both parties, court officials said Wednesday.
Masahiko Shizawa's attorney had said Spears' misunderstood his client's interest in her. "He's not a stalker," Simon R. Hiller said during a February hearing. "He's an avid fan."
In asking for a court order keeping Shizawa at least 1,000 yards from her, the 21-year-old pop star said he had sent hundreds of love letters and photographs and tracked her to her homes in Louisiana and California. She said one photo bore the words, "I'm chasing you."
Hiller said Shizawa, a 41-year-old computer programmer and inventor, returned to Japan when his visa expired but wanted to resolve the issue so he could eventually return to the United States.
Spears' attorney Joel R. Strote was out of his office Wednesday and unavailable for comment, associates said.
