Britney Spears leaves hospital: reports (AFP)

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Britney Spears checked out of a Los Angeles hospital Saturday, a day after the troubled singer was stripped of access to her two children following a late-night medical drama, reports said.

Spears, who was admitted to Cedars Sinai Hospital late Thursday, left the facility after officials determined she was no longer a danger to herself, celebrity website TMZ.com reported, citing unidentified sources.

The website of syndicated US television show Entertainment Tonight reported that Spears had left the hospital via an underground tunnel, avoiding throngs of paparazzi photographers keeping vigil outside the hospital.

TMZ and Entertainment Tonight reported that Spears left the center after a visit from US television therapist Dr. Phil McGraw.

A Cedars-Sinai spokesperson declined to comment on the reports citing patient confidentiality rules.

Spears release came after the latest setback to the pop stars turbulent life, which began late Thursday when she was wheeled out of her home on a stretcher and taken to hospital for evaluation.

The drama came after Spears refused to hand over her sons, Sean Preston, two, and Jayden James, one, to the bodyguard of ex-husband Kevin Federline under a court-ordered visitation agreement.

On Friday, a Los Angeles Superior Court commissioner ordered the children to be placed in the sole care of Federline, suspending the pop stars visitation rights until "further order of the court."

A hearing has been set for January 14 which will determine how their bitter custody battle is to proceed.