news archives

May 31, 2002 - Avril Lavigne stopped by MTV's Total Request Live on Thursday to chat with host Carson Daly and perform her TRL hit 'Complicated'. Avril addressed her recent quote about Britney Spears, sort of anyways, denying it but not coming off as believable. She then sidestepped Carson's question on whether she'd ever tour with Spears. Read here for a transcript.

May 31, 2002 - Mike Roberts of The Vancouver Province reviewed the Britney Spears concert Tuesday night at PNE Coliseum calling it a "great fat lollipop of cotton-candy pop." Check out his review on each song during the concert here.

May 31, 2002 - A Britney Spears business associate tells Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun Times that the pending breakup of Jamie and Lynne Spears longtime marriage is connected to the success of daughter Britney Spears. "There is no question that Jamie and Lynne have been on separate paths ever since Britney's career took off," the source revealed. "Lynne loves it, loves the limelight, loves being involved with it all ... helping manage the career, write those books ... the whole ball of wax. ...Jamie is just the opposite. He's a quiet guy ... very down to earth." 

May 31, 2002 - Associated Press reports 13-year-old Andrew Benson from Yakima, Washington decided he'd rather have $475 in cash after winning a Pepsi bottlecap contest than see Britney Spears in concert. Since he's a fan of rap music, he wasn't too interested in Britney concert tickets. Read more.

May 31, 2002 - Lynne Spears posted another update on Wednesday though made no mention of the fact that Britney bowed out of sound check meeting and VIP corporate party Friday night due to what her rep claimed was illness. Lynne also didn't mention anything about Britney's father Jamie, who also was reported to be in town for Britney Spears' tour opening weekend in Las Vegas... and it goes without saying she made no mention of her much publicized divorce filing. Lynne did talk about the Jamie Lynn, herself, and Britney heading to Los Angeles on Memorial Day for a day off at the beach. Read more.

May 31, 2002 - Dionne Warwick has blasted Britney Spears just a week after her marijuana arrest last week. Dionne tells the London Telegraph that Spears is "a role model for strippers" adding, "I don't really approve of the way our children are forced into being looked at as Playboy bunnies. I think it's degrading. Britney would not be a role model. Not for my kids anyway."

May 31, 2002 - Gene Stout of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reviewed Britney Spears' concert at the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday saying Britney "kept her fans in high spirits even if her voice wasn't the high point of the show." Stout added her show "featured clever, elaborate sets and choreography that explored childhood fears and fantasies. It was as though Spears were celebrating the wonders of girlhood before she must face the uncertainties of adulthood later this year." Read more.

May 31, 2002 - Pam Sitt of the Seattle Times was at the Britney Spears concert in Tacoma on Wednesday night. Sitt said, "As expected, the show was pure mindless entertainment, with plenty of fancy footwork, explosions, video montages and one revealing outfit after another. With all the dancing, can Britney be forgiven for apparently lip-synching a few numbers, most obviously, 'Stronger'?" Read more.

May 31, 2002 - The Sun reports Britney Spears is about to jump into a film role that will focus on NASCAR racing. An insider revealed, "There is no title yet but the film is inspired by one of Britney’s favorite movies, 'Days Of Thunder' which starred Tom Cruise. Tom played a hot-tempered Nascar racer – Britney wants to race too." Read more.

May 30, 2002 - The New York Post reports Britney Spears is said to have "gained at least 10 pounds" recently according to a spy at her Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas last weekend. The spy adds, "She's gotten chunky, and even my boyfriend commented on her big butt." Meanwhile, Britney was spotted in town throwing a fit until she got a choice bungalow at the hotel, and also messed up ordering a Coke from a waitress until she corrected her saying, "Don't you mean Pepsi?" Britney replied, "Oh... yeah." On the bright side, Britney's mother, sister, and father were all in town despite Lynne and Jaime's recent announcement of divorce plans.

May 30, 2002 - Globe magazine reports that Britney Spears is back in the arms of *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake which is being credited to hot phone sex with the couple. A source revealed sparks flew when Britney phoned Justin from Australia while he was on tour with *NSYNC in Washington D.C. "Justin was whispering to Britney for hours, telling her how much he loved her and needed her, and how he wanted to be with her." Then things got more X-rated: "He'd ask which negligee she'd be wearing so he could think about it all day. She'd tease him with plenty of hot talk of her own. She wasn't shy in the least!"

May 30, 2002 - Britney Spears' cameo in the Austin Powers flick 'Goldmember' will have the singer, who plays herself in the film, using her "enhanced" breasts fire on Mike Myers character using special nipple guns. A movie source told Britain's Daily Star tabloid, "Britney's breasts are the star of the show. The scene is hilarious. She reveals her rude side - and she isn't afraid to make fun of her own boobs."

May 30, 2002 - Star magazine reports one of the main factors between the split of Britney Spears' parents Jamie and Lynne was the pair's opposite lifestyles. A source revealed, "The lifestyle the rest of his family leads is a far cry from what Jamie is about. He's just a regular guy who has witnessed an extraordinary thing happen to his daughter. He likes hanging out with his friends and enjoying a simple lifestyle." Read more.

May 30, 2002 - Corey Moss of MTV News attended the opening night of the second leg of the Dream Within a Dream Tour on Friday at Mandalay Bay. Moss said nearly ever part of the show was the same as the first leg, and says the "intimate portion" of the evening got the loudest reaction from the audience. Read more.

May 30, 2002 - The Las Vegas Review Journal reports 'Baywatch' star David Hasselhoff was spotted bringing his pre-teen daughters to see Britney Spears' concert at Mandalay Bay on Saturday night.

May 30, 2002 - Norm Clarke of the Las Vegas Review Journal reports Britney Spears canceled her sound check meeting and VIP corporate party Friday night, which left a 5-year old girl with brain cancer whose meet-and-greet was arranged by "Make A Wish" and HBO devastated. Britney's handlers gave the lame excuse that she was ill and couldn't meet the girl, yet was able to perform her show three hours later. Clarke sneered, "Explains why she was lip-synching so much during Saturday's show."

May 30, 2002 - Bslive.org reports Britney Spears has once again decided to split her singles between countries, 'Rock N Roll' for UK 'Boys' for US and it has just been reported by Zomba France that 'Anticipating' will go to the people of France. The difference between this video and any other videos she has done is that it will be animated.

May 30, 2002 - The New York Daily News reports Britney Spears was "extremely distraught" last week before the kickoff of her Dream Within a Dream tour opener in Las Vegas. An insider claims, "She was ready to call off the tour. The tour was off, then it was on. It was really tense backstage hours before the show." Britney has been upset after her mother Lynne filed for divorce from her husband of 30 years, Jamie, which comes on top of her breakup with *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake. Britney's rep Lisa Kasteler insists she never considered pulling the plug on the tour, "She's doing what she loves." Read more.

May 30, 2002 - Dionne Warwick has blasted Britney Spears just a week after her marijuana arrest last week. Dionne tells the London Telegraph that Spears is "a role model for strippers" adding, "I don't really approve of the way our children are forced into being looked at as Playboy bunnies. I think it's degrading. Britney would not be a role model. Not for my kids anyway."

May 30, 2002 - Lynne Spears posted another update on Wednesday though made no mention of the fact that Britney bowed out of sound check meeting and VIP corporate party Friday night due to what her rep claimed was illness. Lynne also didn't mention anything about Britney's father Jamie, who also was reported to be in town for Britney Spears' tour opening weekend in Las Vegas... and it goes without saying she made no mention of her much publicized divorce filing. Lynne did talk about the Jamie Lynn, herself, and Britney heading to Los Angeles on Memorial Day for a day off at the beach. Read more.

May 28, 2002 - Mike Roberts of The Vancouver Province spoke by phone with Nikka Costa who is headed to town with Britney Spears on Britney's Dream Tour at the Pacific Coliseum on Tuesday. "We couldn't be more different in every way," Costa says of Spears. "But I think it's a good thing. It makes for a more interesting night and it means the audience gets to see two totally different shows. It's different musically and performance-wise -- I don't have any dancers, routines, costume changes or fire-breathing equipment. Me and my band just get there and rock out." Read more.

May 28, 2002 - BritsSlave4ever17 writes "It's official, today the tickets for Britney´s concert in Mexico City have sold out. Britney will perform in a stadium with an audience of over 52,000 people. Tickets went on sale for $16, $26, $36, $50, $100 and $190 USD. The concert will be on July 27th. It´s not official yet, but there are rumors that a second date will be added either the day before or the day after. These tickets sold out within a half hour."

May 28, 2002 - A reader named Mandee e-mailed me today with news on Britney's new line of sunglasses: "Hey I was in the local shop rite yesterday and there was a stand selling the Shades of Britney sunglasses...they were priced at 11.99." There's an official site for Britney Spears eyewear, which sells the line for between $16-20. Check it out here. You gotta wonder why none of the photos on the site include Britney actually wearing any of the sunglasses.

May 27, 2002 - Britney Spears fan site BSUWeb.com has photos of Britney from behind the scenes of her 'I Love Rock n' Roll' video shoot. Check out the three pictures here.

May 27, 2002 - The National Enquirer reports the split between Britney Spears and *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake was caused by Britney being afraid of getting pregnant were the two to have sex. A pal revealed, "Britney was horrified over what her young female fans would think of her becoming pregnant outside marriage. If she became a mum her career would be kaput - and so would the healthy, moral image she has projected for years. They stopped sleeping together while they dealt with the issue, and, with their sex life at a standstill, Justin dumped her." Read more.

May 27, 2002 - The Sunday people reports Britney Spears has not returned to ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC. In fact, his grandmother Sadie Bomar denied any reunion talk and said they fight on the rare occasions they speak on the phone. She added, "He has no plans to meet Britney at all."

May 27, 2002 - The latest issue of Star magazine includes the following blind item: "This young diva has picked up some very bad habits over the last year. She's been boozing it up again, began smoking and now she's moving on to more expensive -- and dangerous -- goodies. While at a Miami nightclub recently, a patron walked into an employees-only bathroom to avoid the big line downstairs. When she pushed the door open, two very large bodyguards tried to block her view. Too late! She saw the diva and a friend doing some illegal drugs of the white powdery kind."

May 26, 2002 - The Britney Spears remix version of 'Boys' to be included on the Austin Powers soundtrack has made its way online. The track features Pharrell from the Neptunes singing on the track.

May 26, 2002 - Mel from WorldOfBritney.com has on hand at the Britney Spears opening night show in Las Vegas on Friday. Mel says that the tour was largely the same as the second, though she did perform the remix version of 'Boys' with Pharell Williams from the Neptunes singing on the screen, she did another untitled ballad before 'I'm Not A Girl Not Yet A Woman', and did a remixed version of 'Overprotected, plus a few different outfits. Listen to more of what she had to say here.

May 26, 2002 - Gene Stout of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer profiled Britney Spears before her sold-out show at the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday. Stout said, "As her fans mature, Spears faces a growing challenge to keep her music relevant. An energetic entertainer but less-than-spectacular singer, Spears knows she has to evolve as a performer in a way that looks credible. She likes to use the word "real" to describe herself and her music, but she'll have to prove it to a generation of fans now entering their 20s." Read more.

May 26, 2002 - Pam Sitt of the Seattle Times previewed Britney Spears' concert at the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday. Sitt said of Britney's edgier, sexier album 'Britney', "So is Britney simply graduating from girlhood to womanhood? And where does that leave her fans, many of whom are pre-teen girls? These are questions Spears has answered — many times — before. She insists she's not a role model to young girls, and that it's up to their parents to explain that she is a performer." Read more.

May 25, 2002 - Ryan Davis of GameSpot.com reviewed Britney Spears' new videogame 'Britney's Dance Beat' giving it a 6.9 rating (fair). Davis said, "'Britney's Dance Beat' can actually provide an enjoyable if short-lived experience, and it serves as a good introduction for the uninitiated to the world of rhythm games." Read the entire review here.

May 25, 2002 - The UK edition of FHM's Sexiest Women 2002 poll named tennis babe and Enrique Iglesias girlfriend Anna Kournikova as the #1 most sexy star. Pop stars on the list included S Club 7 singer Rachel Stevens at #2, Britney Spears at #3, Jennifer Lopez at #4, Kylie Minogue at #6, Holly Valance at #8, and Shakira at #9.

May 25, 2002 - As ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake took in the LA Lakers playoff game, Britney Spears kicked off her 'Dream Within a Dream' tour with a performance at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Check out photos from the sold-out gig here.

May 25, 2002 - Samsung will be sponsoring Britney Spears Dream Within A Dream 2002 concert tour that kicked off last night in Las Vegas. As part of the deal, Spears's tour will be used as a vehicle to promote Samsung's three new wireless phones: the models SGH-r225M, SPH-a500, and SPH-n400. Pete Skarzynski, the senior vice president of wireless terminals for Samsung Telecommunications America said in a press release, "We believe that connecting Samsung's brand and products with Britney will resonate strongly with consumers. Britney has developed such a tremendous fan base through her passion for her music, her sense of style, and her energetic performances. These qualities make this a very exciting sponsorship for Samsung." Read more.

May 24, 2002 - The Sun reports Lynne and Jamie Spears have split up after being together for 30 years. Britney Spears is said to be distraught over her parents split, which comes on top of her own failed romance with *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake. An insider revealed, "This is destroying Britney. Jamie and Lynne have drifted apart and decided they can’t salvage their marriage. Lynne loves travelling with Britney as the mum of one of the world’s biggest stars but Jamie prefers a simpler life." Britney's brother Bryan said Thursday, "Yes, they’ve split. Mom’s asking for the divorce."

May 24, 2002 - Globe magazine reports Britney Spears has ordered a $4,500 solid-color Shih Tzu after surfing the net for the perfect dog. A source close to Britney said, "Britney's been a little down in the dumps since she broke off with [*NSYNC's Justin Timberlake]. So she decided to get a pet." Britney is having to wait six weeks until the dog arrives, and a source said, "Britney is bragging that she's going to be a mom to the most beautiful creature she's ever seen. She can't wait to get her hands on her."

May 24, 2002 - The Daily Star reports Britney Spears is reportedly set to appear in six episodes of next season's 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer.' An insider told the paper, "This will be an amazing sight. Britney and Sarah Michelle Gellar are two of the world's most gorgeous girls. Millions will tune in to see the two of them fighting in their trademark figure- hugging outfits."

May 23, 2002 - Britney Spears fan site WorldOfBritney.com has a clip of Britney's Dance Beat commercial that's been airing on MTV lately, advertising Britney's new Playstation 2 video game. The 30-second long commercial is perhaps the most infomercial style ad that Britney has ever done. Download the 8 MB clip here.

May 23, 2002 - The Sun reports Britney Spears and *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake have again split up. Word is that Justin took dancer Jenna Dewan with him to Janet Jackson's 36th birthday bash. After hearing of the news, a furious Britney told Justin that he's no longer allowed to see Jenna if she wants to stick with her. A pal revealed, "She has told Justin if he wants to stick with her he can never see Jenna again. When he said he could not promise that, Britney called the whole thing off. It is now completely over – and Britney is totally over him." Read more.

May 22, 2002 - Someone claiming to be an extra in Britney Spears' new video for 'Boys' has posted a spoiler of the video on a Britney Spears message board. The person claims the Neptunes Pharrell is singing on the track, while the video features celebrity cameos from not only Mike Myers as Austin Powers, but Taye Diggs and Jason Priestley as well. Read more.

May 22, 2002 - Britney Spears fan site WorldOfBritney.com reports there are rumors that Spears will visit Panama sometime in June. A contact in the country tells WoB that a meeting was held at the Miramar hotel in Panama City, Panama, where the appearance was discussed. It is still uncertain if the visit will be made in form of a concert or simply a promotional trip. Read more.

May 22, 2002 - Britney Spears and StubHub.com are working together to auction premium seats to all shows on Britney Spears' upcoming North American Tour. "We are excited to be working with StubHub to offer premium concert tickets to the fans," said co-manager Larry Rudolph for Britney Spears. "This allows Britney's fans to get access to premium seats and other great benefits, while at the same time raising money for The Britney Spears Foundation." Read more.

May 21, 2002 - A  spokeswoman at Jive Records tells dotmusic.com that reports from Rav Singh in The News of the World about the singer talking about an emotional reconciliation with *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake are untrue. The spokeswoman said that Britney had not carried out any interviews with English press in recent weeks. Read more.

May 21, 2002 - 'The Osbournes' star Kelly Osbourne tells the new Interview magazine that she has a new empathy with Britney Spears. Kelly admits, "I used to think, 'Why the fu** is she complaining? She has everything she wants! What a brat!' But I do think it's one of the hardest jobs in the world."

May 21, 2002 - Radio 1 quotes Britney Spears on the difficulty she had in shooting a cameo for 'Austin Powers in Goldmember'. Britney said, "I'm trying to be all serious and sexy and cool and it's not working because you want to just laugh... he's a really funny character and very fun to work with."

May 20, 2002 - Anastacia chatted with Christa D'Souza of TheAge.com about how at 28 years old, she's just starting to hit her stride at an age that's almost time for retirement in the fickle music business when pop stars like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are barely in their 20's. The tiny but powerful singer said, "Hey, Britney had a 10-year career before anybody knew who she was, too, it's just that she started out when she was about eight and I started out when I was about 18." Read more.

May 20, 2002 - Britney Spears 'fansite' WorldOfBritney.com has a clip of her new Pepsi Twist commercial with Austin Powers. Check out the 30-second streaming video clip here.

May 19, 2002 - Rav Singh of News of the World spoke with Britney Spears about how she and *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake have patched things up. Britney revealed, "I didn't want it to be over. We'd known each other since we were kids and I couldn't imagine life without him. It was a tough time. We both went out and drank to block out our sadness but we still loved each other. We both did the single thing and didn't like it." Read more.

May 19, 2002 - Lynne Spears revealed earlier this week what her daughter got her for Mother's Day - a $62,580 Lexus SC 430 - and US Weekly talked to a source in Britney's hometown of Kentwood on more behind the pricey gift. "Britney had two guys pick it up from Lexus of New Orleans and drive it an hour and a half to a friend's place, so she could surprise her mom with the car." The source added that Britney bought her the car because Lynne is "a great mom and so supportive emotionally after Justin broke up with her."

May 19, 2002 - Dawn Hudson, the senior vice president of strategy and marketing for Pepsi-Cola North America said in a press release regarding the latest Britney Spears commercial for the company, "Moviegoers are looking forward to the new 'Austin Powers In Goldmember' opening July 26th and this commercial will help generate some of the early buzz. We'll run it on big programming -- during May sweeps and during the NBA Playoffs -- giving enormous exposure to both Pepsi Twist and 'Austin Powers In Goldmember'." The commercial debuts tomorrow during the finale of Survivor: Marquesas on CBS. Then in the next several days the spot will begin to air on CBS, FOX, MTV, NBC and other television networks.

May 18, 2002 - The Daily Record sounded off on "just another week in the weird world of planet pop" citing "Geri Halliwell's bulimia, Jay Kay's bloodied nose, Britney Spears' cherry being popped and Kylie's cheating man. It's just another week in the weird world of planet pop." Read more.

May 18, 2002 - The Enquirer has photos of Britney Spears partying the night away at Extra Innings, a club in Hammond, La., only a few miles from her hometown. The singer was pictured drinking and bumping and grinding with guys on the dancefloor, sometimes sandwiched between two guys. Aaron Arteaga, who danced with Britney said, "It's not a big deal to drink if you're underage. All the kids do it. Britney had a drink in her hand when I was dancing with her, but I don't know what it was." Read more.

May 18, 2002 - alwaysbsb writes "MTV.com reports Britney Spears is offering 10 pairs of choice seats for each stop on her summer tour, as well as passes to soundcheck at select venues, through an online auction at BritneySpears.com beginning Friday (May 17). Proceeds from the auction will benefit the singer's children's charity, the Britney Spears Foundation."

May 18, 2002 - World Entertainment News Network reports the guys from *NSYNC, as well as Britney Spears, got special spoof Star Wars t-shirts which feature Timberlake as Anakin Skywalker and Britney as Queen Amidala. Joey commented on their brief scene getting cut from the film saying, "We got cut and we were obviously disappointed. A lot of people thought we took it to heart. I enjoyed just being there."

May 18, 2002 - britfan writes "This is a small extract from Frank Skinner's 60 second interview with Metro: What was Britney really like? "We were really excited but a little apprehensive about Britney because when we were contacted, the papers had been full of stuff about J-Lo and how she needed 16 dressing rooms. Britney had one very ordinary dressing room at the BBC and she arrived with just the three, admittedly very big, people. Her modest rider was 'could I have some mineral water?' When we decided to sing 'I Got You Babe' she could hardly remember it as she's only 20. An hour before the show, someone said they were passing her dressing room and they heard her with the CD, practicing over and again. So she scored a lot of brownie points.""

May 17, 2002 - FHM has listed their 100 Sexiest Music Videos of all time. Amongst those on the list are Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Geri Halliwell, Madonna, Mariah Carey, and Toni Basil. Check out and watch all of the videos here.

May 17, 2002 - VH1 will deal out over 130 hours of Diva-driven programming -- celebrating more than 25 ultra-fabulous artists in VH1 specials, series and movies, capped by the live "VH1 Divas Las Vegas" special on Thursday, May 23 at 9pm (ET/PT). Amongst the specials is a Tuesday episode of 'Driven: Britney Spears' at 9:00 p.m. Read more.

May 17, 2002 - justinzgirl82 writes "On Entertainment Tonight this evening Britney Spears was on the set of her Pepsi commercial along with Mike Myers as Austin Powers. When asked what her name would be if she were to play an actual character in an "Austin Powers" movie, she replied that her name would be 'Anita Man' (ie. I need a man). Wonder if those rumors about her and Justin being back together are really true?"

May 17, 2002 - Our last survey asking what you thought of the photo of Britney Spears smoking had most reply 'She's should be a better role model for kids', with 44.34% of you chosing the conservative response. 28.15% said it's her business, while 23.05% wondered if it was part of her & Lynne's anti-cancer diet that Britney's mom recently announced. Just under 5% thought she was just holding the cigarette, or that it was a candy cigarette or perhaps a pen. Check out the full results here.

May 17, 2002 - Entertainment Tonight reports Britney Spears' latest Pepsi commercial featuring Mike Myers as Austin Powers will debut Sunday night, May 19, on CBS during the 'Survivor: Marquesas' finale. Britney spoke to ET about her cameo on the 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' movie and working with Myers saying, "He is so inspiring for me, because he's so laid back on the set. I'd love to work with him in the future. He's a very cool guy!"

May 17, 2002 - Britney Spears' mother Lynne posted an update on her daughter's official website on Thursday. Britney is currently in Los Angeles with her mother rehearsing for her new video for 'Boys' - that she says will include help from Britney's hometown friend Brittany Hastings. In addition, Lynne talked about getting a Lexus 5C-430 sports car (actually she should have typed SC-430) from Britney and Bryan as a surprise gift assumably for Mother's Day, and admitted to her children having spoiled her. Read more.

May 16, 2002 - Globe magazine reports Britney Spears went into a rage after reports surfaced that Justin Timberlake had told a fellow airline passenger that he had bedded the singer. An insider revealed, "She's absolutely livid. Britney can't believe Justin would blab about their private moments together. She's insulted, humiliated, and has told friends that Justin is a lowlife creep!" Read more.

May 16, 2002 - Britney Spears will be featured on the Thursday episode of Entertainment Tonight, where she'll be on the set of the 'Austin Powers in Goldmember'. Britney makes a brief appearance as herself in the film and her single 'Boys' will be included on the film's soundtrack. Mike Myers will cameo in Britney's video for the song as well - the first single released off the Goldmember soundtrack.

May 16, 2002 - Greg B. Michetti of the Edmonton Sun reviewed Britney's Dance Beat for PlayStation2 as well as the hyped up press release surrounding it. Michetti described the game though it doesn't appear he actually played it. He did have a negative view on the entire genre of "goofy video games that are tied to the release of a hot singer or popular movie." Read more.

May 16, 2002 - Jeannette Walls of MSNBC quizzed a spokesman for US Weekly after a photo of Britney Spears published in the magazine had the cigarette Britney was photographed holding airbrushed out of an article about celebrity butts. The spokesman said, "Yes, we did airbrush it out. We didn’t want readers to confuse one butt for the other. And Britney’s is much better to look at than a cigarette butt." Read more, including more news on Madonna's 'Up For Grabs' debut, here.

May 16, 2002 - Ruben Garay, the Webmaster/Founder of WorldOfBritney.com returned to running the most popular Britney Spears fan site on the internet on Wednesday. Garay will run the operations of the site, while another media company will handle the hosting and advertising. Read more.

May 15, 2002 - The Mirror reports now that *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears have gotten back together, they plan on being a more normal couple, not manipulated by their record company. The insider said, "Justin's sick of the Britney virgin stuff. It makes him look ridiculous and it makes them look ridiculous as a couple. Britney's fed up with it, too. They've resolved to try to be more of a normal couple and not just a pair of packaged pop stars whose romance seems to be handled by publicists." Read more.

May 15, 2002 - Ananova reports Bob Sheffield from the Southern Baptist Convention is urging Britney Spears to seek forgiveness for her sins, including smoking and premarital sex. Sheffield said, "I would have preferred it if she wore more clothes and if she had waited and had sex after marriage. But Jesus will forgive her." Read more.

May 15, 2002 - Following success of 'The Osbournes', TV execs are salivating over what other celebs they can cast in reality based shows, and Julia Wang, senior editor of J-14 magazine for teens, tells Amy C. Sims of Fox News that Britney Spears' family would be a good choice. "Britney has the classic stage mom, a precocious sister, Jamie Lynn, waiting to upstage her big sister with the Eve Harrington stamp all over her," she said. "And a shadowy figure of a father hiding in the backwoods of Kentwood." Read more.

May 14, 2002 - Craig Kilborn joked on his Late Late Show monologue Monday, "Friends say Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake are getting together again. And the best part of getting back together? The makeup celibacy."

May 14, 2002 - The Sun scrambled to invent a story to tie into Liz Smith's report Monday that Britney Spears had gotten back together with *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake. The paper says that it was Justin who made the first move with a phone call begging Britney to "Please take me back." A pal of Britney's said, "I think it is safe to say they are an item again after a hiccup in their relationship. A lot of things have been said about them individually since the split and it has been upsetting. They just want to meet up, spend a little quality time together and get on with what they do best — loving each other." Read more, though most of it is retreaded info.

May 14, 2002 - According to WorldofBritney.com, the guys from N.E.R.D. visited Z104 studios, and since two of the members of the group comprise The Neptunes, they spoke about future producer projects they have going on. Pharrel revealed that one of those projects is a remix of Britney Spears' new single 'Boys', which will be included on the Austin Powers soundtrack and titled 'Co-Ed Remix'. In addition, they mentioned that they had just finished producing some tracks with Justin Timberlake, apparently for his solo debut. Read more.

May 14, 2002 - KTLA has a brief video clip of their morning show talking about Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC being back together with Britney Spears, at least according to Liz Smith. Not much new here, but they did say the couple all but told Liz over the phone they are back together. Check out the clip here.

May 14, 2002 - The London Star reports that Britney Spears has replaced her man Justin Timberlake of *NSYNC with a black shih tzu dog, though we all know by now that the latest is that the couple have reunited.

May 13, 2002 - Liz Smith of the New York Post reports Britney Spears and *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake are again a couple. The pair have managed to work things out and would like to be left alone, according to Smith. Britney's 'Dream Within a Dream' kicks off in this week and she's making her video for 'Boys' beforehand with Mike Myers.

May 12, 2002 - This week's US Weekly has a brief pictorial of 'The Top Bottoms of 2002', where Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez are mentioned on the list. The photo used for Spears was the widely distributed shot of her scurrying inside her Australian hotel room, but curiously, they have digitally removed the cigarette that was in her hand. The article quotes J.Lo talking about her butt saying, "I don't have to be a size 2 to be sexy. I love my butt, and I was never ashamed of it." As for Spears, she says, "There are mornings I wake up and my butt feels fat."

May 12, 2002 - Wired.com reports Britney Spears and her manager filed documents in a lawsuit supporting Perfect 10's claim that the world's largest "adult verification system," Adult Check, is linking to non-existent nude photos of celebrities such as Spears. Judge Baird ruled that despite the fact that Adult Check was only linking to sites that have material that violates the law, because they are in partnership they bare a shared responsiblity. Read more.

May 12, 2002 - Australia's ABC Broadband has the latest videos from Kylie Minogue, 'Love At First Sight', and Britney Spears 'I Love Rock & Roll' streaming. I don't believe Britney's is set to be released in the U.S. ('Boys' is scheduled next) and Kylie's might not be available for awhile in America if at all. Check out the videos here.

May 11, 2002 - The Sun reports Britney Spears had a night out clubbing in Hammond, Louisiana where she stuck strictly to soft drinks all night. An insider said of her time out following her worldwide promo tour, "She’s catching up with old friends and enjoying herself. It wasn’t an easy tour – she was booed in Britain and split up with Justin." Read more.

May 11, 2002 - Mwahz.com has additional photos of Britney Spears taking a few smoking breaks on the balcony of her hotel room in Australia. Check out the five pictures here.

May 10, 2002 - Vanessa Carlton talked about her early days to Jim Farber of the New York Daily News. Carlton's efforts to three years ago to get a record deal were met with offers that she didn't have much interest in. "They'd say, 'Can you dance around like Britney Spears? Do you really need to play the piano yourself? And do you have to write your own material?'" the now 21-year-old artist recalls with a sigh. "I'd turn around, walk out and not look back." Read more.

May 10, 2002 - Jermaine Dupri has hit back at the new Eminem single 'What You Say' that features Slim and Dr. Dre slammin' JD calling him a "midget" and for getting rich off of 11 year olds - a reference to Lil' Bow Wow. In 'JD's Reply', the rapper blasts, "You same beat making non rapping individual, I was making what you make now when I was a child." As for Eminem, JD says towards the end, "Eminem, I left you out deliberatly, You know why? Cause to me, You're like a character in Disney World, Known for dissing pop groups and Justin's Ex girl." Read rapdirt.com for the full lyrics, and download the track on your favorite file swapper.

May 10, 2002 - We touched on this story a bit earlier, but the entire article is now online at Star magazine's website. The tabloid claims Christina Aguilera has blasted Britney Spears as "teenybopper trash" at the popular West Hollywood club Moomba, causing Spears and her entourage to exit the club within seconds. A source said, "They just hate each other. Christina has always disliked Britney's goody-two-shoes image, and Britney is jealous that the critics like Christina's talent better." Read more.

May 10, 2002 - Frank Skinner tells 95.8 Capital FM in London that he feels sorry for Britney Spears since her breakup to *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake, recalling his interview with the singer. "I felt sorry for Britney because I asked her about Justin and it was real love. She really thought they'd stay together and get married and all that. So I hate him now - I think he's done her wrong. It's unforgivable - and now apparently he'd been telling people on aeroplanes that they've had sex and stuff!" Read more.

May 10, 2002 - Britney Spears has commented on the release of her new video game, 'Britney's Dance Beat', designed by THQ for the PlayStation 2 computer-entertainment system. Britney said, "It is so cool that I have my very own videogame. THQ totally captured my dance moves perfectly. I was blown away by how realistic everything looks!" Read more.

May 10, 2002 - The New York Post reports *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake was spotted impressing the ladies at Pangaea by filling their glasses from a bottle of Kremly vodka saying "It's on me." Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend Britney was also spotted in New York shopping for a $700 pair of boots from Uriel, a Russian with a shop on West 26th Street.

May 9, 2002 - Text and scans from the Britney Spears interview with Twist magazine have shown up online. Britney talks about how she loves ice cream, why she'd like to be Marilyn Monroe for a day, her first tour that had her wearing spandex pink pants and tops, and of course *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake.

May 8, 20002 - Overture.com has their list of the top Britney Spears related searches for the month of April posted. Britney continues to dominate in searches, getting 2,634,551 for the month - far ahead of the second most popular pop star, Jennifer Lopez, who had just under 500,000 searches. Still, there appears little interest in her music, as nearly 10x more fans searched for fake nude pictures of the singer instead of her lyrics. Of the top 100 searches, only her song 'Overprotected' appears in the list. Read more.

May 7, 2002 - Lance Burton of the Las Vegas Review Journal reports that since her break-up with *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears has vowed to lay off of alcoholic beverages in an effort to clean up her image. Britney is instead turning to drinking water, and won't even sit next to people who are drinking alcohol.

May 7, 2002 -  Cindy Adams of the New York Post revealed in her Monday column, "Mike Myers does a guest turn in Britney Spears' new single 'Boys' which, by the oddest coincidence, gets unveiled in his Austin Powers flick in which she does a guest turn, which - surprise! surprise! - stars Mike Myers."

May 5, 2002 - US Weekly has additional news on the Britney Spears attempts to purchase booze at a recent visit to Burbank karaoke bar Dimples. An employee revealed, "She kept on trying to order drinks and was shot down. She tried all night, but no one would do it because all the waitresses knew she was underage."

May 4, 2002 - BBC's Radio 1 reports Britney Spears has revealed how she can shop incognito without her beefy bodyguards in tow. Britney thinks there is nothing better than going shopping without being recognized. Britney said, "I have some really dorky glasses that I wear - they're grainy glasses. And I wear a big cap - every time I wear it nobody says anything. I shouldn't have just said that!"

May 4, 2002 - Britain's Star newspaper reports Britney Spears will raise the bar further in her next video, which will have her dressed up in bondage gear. A friend said: "She's got whips, leather corsets, handcuffs, fishnets and five-inch stilettos." They also report she's trying to get Madonna to appear in the video for her single 'Obey Me'... Strange, since there is no track on 'Britney' by that title, unless it's for a new album?

May 4, 2002 - Cosmogirl editor Atoosa Rubenstein was on The Factor on Friday and revealed that statistics she has show that magazines that have Britney Spears on the cover have been selling terribly, as Atoosa says that ever since she's increasingly sexualized her image her appeal to teenagers has diminished.

May 4, 2002 - Britney called into the JoJo On The Radio show Monday night and gave her official approval of the remix he put together for 'Overprotected.' JoJo had thought she was calling complain about it, but she liked it. You can listen to the track, as well as Vanessa Carlton's live performance of 'A Thousand Miles' when she was recently in the studio, here.

May 4, 2002 - US Weekly has additional news on the Britney Spears attempts to purchase booze at a recent visit to Burbank karaoke bar Dimples. An employee revealed, "She kept on trying to order drinks and was shot down. She tried all night, but no one would do it because all the waitresses knew she was underage."

May 3, 2002 - Following their story yesterday that *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake told a fellow airplane passenger that he had indeed had sex with Britney Spears, the Sun is offering sex advice for the newly single pop princess. Amongst the advice offered: Choose your man carefully, flirt in fancy dress, and resist temptation. Read more.

May 3, 2002 - The Britney Spears Camp for the Performing Arts is currently accepting applications for this summer. This ten-day, fun filled camp experience will offer foundational, hands-on skills through choosing classes in improvisational music, acting, improvisation, drumming, dance/movement and set design/building. Read more.

May 3, 2002 - MSNBC's Jeannette Walls reports LeAnn Rimes' handlers are "desperately trying to reposition" the singer as a pop star, according to a source. The source added, "They don’t want her to be seen as a country singer any more. They’re trying to re-make her image as a hot, sexy thing. They want her to compete with Britney Spears." Read more.

May 3, 2002 - Following the photos of Britney Spears smoking during her stay in Australia emerged, the Rev. David Kelly, pastor of the Louisiana church she used to attend, fumed to Heat magazine, "Smoking and drinking isn't what Christ wanted. It is disobedient. She is such a well-known person that we want her to continue being a good example of what it is to be a Baptist." In response to the picture, Britney's spokeswoman issued a terse "no response." Read more.

May 3, 2002 - Star magazine reports Britney Spears' habit of biting her nails has gotten out of control. The singer admits, "I just can't stop biting them. I even went to a hypnotist, but it didn't help. It's only gotten worse." Still, experts say it is a better way for her to releave stress than the alcohol fueled partying she has been doing of late, following her breakup with *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake. LA dermatologist Dr. Margaret Olsen said, "It's a mechanicsm that people like Britney pick up early on. It's a learned behavior."

May 3, 2002 - Shelly Kearns reacted to reports that Britney and her daughter Christina Aguilera are rivals telling a fan, "Never listen to the silly press who always tries to bash them and always try to paint the two girls as rivals. Total nonsense. Funny how the press never, ever made a big deal out of how time and again Christina would defend Britney firmly against their criticisms." Read more.

May 2, 2002 - Britney Spears is on this year's People magazine 50 most beautiful people list. For the complete list, click here.

May 2, 2002 - 48 Hours special 'Teen Idols', the show's official website on CBS has stories profiling pop stars and whether some dress too sexy for their fans. Amongst those scheduled to be on the show Britney's manager Johnny Wright, Christina Milian, Aaron Carter, Justin Timberlake, and former Monkee Davy Jones. Tune in tonight at 10 pm on CBS and check out additional coverage online here.

May 2, 2002 - Nicole Lampert of The Sun reports an unnamed passenger on a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles last week spoke to *NSYNC star Justin Timberlake about his recent breakup with Britney Spears. Justin told the guy that Britney is not a virgin and that she lost her virginity "a while ago" adding, "And I should know." Justin explained their breakup saying, "We split up because she wanted to get married and I didn’t." Meanwhile, Britney has been banned by a karaoke bar in Burbank because she was driving the staff crazy by continuously demanding booze, even though she's still not 21 years old. Read more.

May 2, 2002 - Theresa Howard of USA Today reports Pepsi, a partner for New Line's Austin Powers follow-up 'Goldmember', will soon put out a commercial featuring their spokeswoman Britney Spears alongside the movie's Mike Myers later this month. The movie comes out July 26th. Read more.

May 2, 2002 - Star magazine reports Britney Spears' habit of biting her nails has gotten out of control. The singer admits, "I just can't stop biting them. I even went to a hypnotist, but it didn't help. It's only gotten worse." Still, experts say it is a better way for her to releave stress than the alcohol fueled partying she has been doing of late, following her breakup with *NSYNC's Justin Timberlake. LA dermatologist Dr. Margaret Olsen said, "It's a mechanicsm that people like Britney pick up early on. It's a learned behavior."

May 1, 2002 - The Sun has a photo of Britney Spears entering her hotel room in Sydney after stepping out on the balcony to have a smoke. A witness said, "She seemed to be puffing on a fag. She was just standing there but suddenly freaked and ran inside." She likely freaked because she spotted the photographer. Check out the picture here.

May 1, 2002 - Undercover.com.au reports Rob Zombie is taking Mazda to court after finding out music from his Hellbilly Deluxe album was being used to sell Mazda Trucks. He claims it was used without his permission or knowledge. Rob was most concerned with how the use of the song would deem him a corporate sell-out saying, "Someone like Britney Spears doesn't have any integrity to maintain so it doesn't matter -- she's a corporate puppet from the get-go. But for people who AREN'T, it's different. I don't want to play that song live and see the kids go,'Hey! It's the truck song!' Corporate America doesn't understand that some people actually have values about things. Everything isn't for sale.'' Read more.

May 1, 2002 - IMDB reports actor and former Mickey Mouse Club star Ryan Gosling feels responsible for Britney Spears' sexuality because he answered her questions about sex from the Disney Channel's show. He says Britney, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake would "come and ask me questions about sex, and I just told them what I heard - like positions and stuff. All the other mothers went to Disney and told them I was corrupting their kids. I feel somewhat responsible for how sexual she is right now. When I see her with a snake around her neck, I think, 'Did I do that?'"

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