Britney Spears Reportedly Went to Rehab to ‘Look Cooperative’ After DUI Arrest: ‘She Has Not Changed’

Britney Spears may have sought treatment for reasons other than bettering herself following her March arrest for driving under the influence in California.

A rep for the Grammy Award winner told People in April that the Princess of Pop, 44, voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility but just a few weeks later, TMZ reported she had checked herself out of rehab on Wednesday, April 29.

“The value of rehab, to Britney, was never the treatment itself,” a source told Rob Shuter in the Tuesday, May 5 edition of his Naughty But Nice. “It was being able to say she went. It gave her lawyers something to point to, it made her look cooperative, and once that box was checked, Britney felt the job was done.”

“She did not leave because she was stronger,” the source continued. “She left because she thought the hard part was over.”

As Star previously reported, the “Circus” singer took a plea deal on Monday, May 4, in which she pleaded guilty to a lesser “wet reckless” charge, per Page Six. As part of the terms, Spears is on informal probation for one year and must complete 30 hours of alcohol school.

“She may have changed her plea, but she has not changed,” another source told Shuter. “Britney is relieved she avoided jail, but relief is not recovery. The court gave her probation. The people around her see the same patterns, the same denial, and the same woman who still does not believe she is the problem.”

A source previously told Star “obviously, everyone wants to give her the benefit of the doubt, but the fact she checked out of rehab after less than a three-week stay doesn’t bode well from a lot of people’s perspectives,” adding that Spears — who has already returned to posting cryptic messages on Instagram —  “was desperate to get out [of rehab] and deal with her upcoming court case.”