''3'' Sells 2 Million Downloads

Britney Spears' "3" tops the 2 million mark. It's Spears' third song to reach this level, following "Womanizer" and "Circus" (though many of her biggest hits pre-dated the digital revolution).

Source: Yahoo! Music

Federline Defends Britney in Child Abuse Claims

An attorney for Britney Spears' ex-husband called child abuse claims leveled at the singer by a former bodyguard baseless and motivated by money.

Fernando Flores, who worked on the singer's security detail, sued Spears on Wednesday claiming sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. His lawsuit claims Spears repeatedly exposed herself to him and that he witnessed her punish her young sons with his belt and act inappropriately in front of them.

Kevin Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan told The Associated Press that Flores' accusations had been looked into before the suit was filed and warranted no action. He said Federline takes any allegations of abuse or wrongdoing regarding the former couple's children seriously.

"He is satisfied that the allegations are a product of economic motives," Kaplan said. "They are as baseless as they seem."

Federline has custody of the former couple's sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, but Spears has substantial visitation with the boys.

Kaplan said if Federline believed the children were in danger, he would have stepped in already.

He noted that Flores' lawsuit was leaked to online news outlets before the suit was filed. "I think that the timing of this and the nature of the allegations speak for themselves."

The lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages and includes several lurid allegations of Spears allegedly exposing herself to Flores.

Spears' publicist Holly Shakoor did not return e-mail messages seeking comment on the case.

The lawsuit claims that Spears, among other things, exposed herself to Flores and summoned him to her bedroom while she was naked.

The bodyguard's employment with Spears appeared to be brief — his court filings state he started working for her in February and had "exhausted his administrative remedies" with a state agency by July.

Flores also sued his former employer, Advanced Security Concepts Corp. A woman who answered the company's phone Wednesday declined to comment and refused to be identified.

Spears remains under a court-ordered conservatorship in which her personal and financial affairs are controlled by her father and an attorney, and monitored by a judge. The conservatorship has prevented Spears from being deposed or testifying during previous cases in which she was sued.

Despite a high-profile custody battle, Spears and Federline reached an agreement in 2008 and neither side has sought changes to the custody arrangement in nearly a year, court records show.

Source: Yahoo! News

'The Singles Collection' Debuts at #22

Britney Spears' The Singles Collection opens at #22 with 28.000 copies sold. The sub-par showing is due to two factors. This is Spears' second compilation (2004's Greatest Hits: My Prerogative reached #4). And greatest hits sets simply don't mean as much in the iTunes era. "3," the album's new song, rebounds from #8 to #7 on Hot Digital Songs. It'll top the 1 million mark in paid downloads next week.

Source: Yahoo!

Katy Perry: 'I'll Do a Britney'

Katy Perry says she would love to emulate Britney Spears's spectacular Circus tour.

The I Kissed a Girl star has to make do with a smaller budget, but one day hopes to rival Britney and Madonna by putting on a massive stage show.

She said: "I really want to see (Britney's) show. I hear it's supposed to be amazing and I love those big production shows, because I haven't been able to get to that point yet.

"I'm on my first record. I don't have millions of dollars to do shows like that just yet.

"I love how she uses all the dancers and all the theatrics."

Source: Yahoo!

Mel Gibson: Spears Dad Pulled Her Through Breakdown

The 'Braveheart' actor phoned the pop star to offer her advice while she was struggling through her recent problems.

He said: "She's a nice kid. She was just going through a rough patch. You see kids that you know in the industry... I just felt like this poor kid she's lining up to be stoned. I just thought, 'I wonder if anyone is reaching out to her', so I just called her and she's doing great now."

Britney's public meltdown saw her shave her head in February 2007 and culminated in her being hospitalised in January 2008 and losing custody of her two sons Sean Preston, three, and Jayden James, two.

She has since got her career and life back on track and is to embark on her new 33-date tour 'Circus' on March 3.

Despite his friendship with Britney, Mel - who invited the 27-year-old star to holiday with his family in Costa Rica last March - does not take any credit for helping the 'Womanizer' singer out of her troubled spell.

He told US TV talk show host Jimmy Kimmel: "It's got nothing to do with me. She pulled herself out of this, and her dad - he's the real hero."

The 53-year-old Hollywood actor also revealed his regret at not helping actor Heath Ledger before his tragic death in January last year from an accidental drug overdose.

He said: "I should have called him years before. I didn't really know the ins and outs of what was up with him, but I don't believe it was just an accident. Maybe, I could have called him. When you see sort of an impending tragedy that might go wrong, it just felt like I should do something about it."

Heath won the best supporting actor Oscar last night (22.02.09) for his role in 'The Dark Knight' - which he was working on at the time of his death.

Source: Yahoo!

Finally...someone who actually has a brain speaks out!

Confirmed: Britney Not Appearing At 2009 NRJ Awards

Bad news for those who were waiting for the superstar to walk the red carpet of the MIDEM: it’s official, NRJ confirmed in a press release that Britney Spears will NOT attend the show this year.

Source: Yahoo.fr

Britney Spears Tops Yahoo Searches

The following Italicized article is from www.accesshollywood.com:

She did it again: Britney Spears was the most popular search term on Yahoo for the fourth year in a row — her seventh time topping the list.

Spears bested World Wrestling Entertainment, Barack Obama, Miley Cyrus and the online game “RuneScape” as the five most-searched terms of 2008 the Web portal and search company announced Monday, a day before the singer released her new album “Circus.”

Jessica Alba, the anime series “Naruto,” Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie and “American Idol” rounded out the top 10 list.

To compile their year-end review, Yahoo editors analyze search queries based on “absolute volume and growth versus previous periods, to see which themes and trends bubble to the surface.”

Users and their search queries remain anonymous.

Spears also continues to be a ratings draw on television, too. The Saturday episode of the British talent show “The X Factor,” which featured an appearance by Spears, attracted 12.6 million viewers, the show’s biggest audience, The Guardian reported Monday.

Source: Access Hollywood

New "For The Record" Commercial

Source: Yahoo!

Both Sides Rest In Spears Driving Case

Britney Spears did not appear at her driver's license trial Thursday. Instead, her father did the talking.

Spears' defense consisted solely of the testimony of Jamie Spears, who told jurors his daughter intends to return to Louisiana once she has custody of her children. The singer's attorney, J. Michael Flanagan, said in his opening statement that she was exempt from having a California driver's license because she didn't meet residency requirements.

On cross-examination, however, Jamie Spears acknowledged that his daughter got married, had two children and divorced in California.

Both sides rested their cases Thursday afternoon and jurors will return for deliberations Friday morning.

Throughout the day Thursday, the possibility of the 26-year-old testifying during the trial remained. That prospect was quashed Thursday afternoon when Flanagan asked Jamie Spears whether he would allow his daughter to take the stand.

"No," he replied.

The singer's trial on a misdemeanor count of driving without a valid license began with jury selection Wednesday. The case is the last remnant of an August 2007 incident in which Spears was photographed hitting a parked car and leaving the scene.

While Spears settled a hit-and-run charge, Flanagan rejected a plea deal that prosecutors offered Spears on the driving-without-a license charge because he said Spears did not want a criminal record.

Prosecutors relied on testimony from Jamie Spears and two witnesses, a Department of Motor Vehicles investigator and a paparazzo assigned to Britney Spears around-the-clock, to build their case that the singer's home is in Los Angeles. The paparazzo, Sondro Rodregues, told jurors Britney Spears spends roughly 80 percent of her time in the area.

Flanagan tried to establish that Los Angeles is a temporary home for Britney Spears and that she will likely leave once she has custody of her young sons. Ex-husband Kevin Federline currently has full custody of the couple's children, and Spears remains under the conservatorship of her father, who controls the singer's personal and financial affairs.

Flanagan gave jurors three examples of her ties to Louisiana: she is registered to vote there; she takes a homestead exemption on her property taxes there and until late last year, she had a Louisiana driver's license.

Los Angeles Deputy City Attorney Michael Amerian chipped away at those ties, however, including revealing that Spears' voting registration in Louisiana had lapsed due to inactivity. He then introduced divorce records that Spears signed in 2006 and a couple weeks before the hit-and-run accident that stated, under penalty of perjury, that she lived in California.

Spears' fate will be decided by a jury of eight women and four men.

Once a jury was seated, the case barreled forward, with Amerian spending two minutes to give his opening statement. He called the case "very straightforward."

The prosecution's first witness, Gary Edmonds, said records indicated that Spears had not applied for a license as of Aug. 15, 2007 — more than a week after the hit-and-run.

Flanagan also told jurors that Spears had attempted to apply for a California license months before the accident, but the DMV was unable to take her photo.

If convicted, Spears faces jail time and a fine, although she has no prior criminal record, so her penalty is unlikely to be severe.

Flanagan has said he will appeal if Spears is convicted. Before the trial he had said he was considering mounting no defense, but changed his mind and called Spears' father. He was able to speak with authority about his daughter's affairs since he has controlled them since February, when a court granted him conservatorship over Spears' personal and financial matters.

Source: Yahoo!

Yahoo! Names Britney Best Dressed Of VMAs

Britney's comeback was in full swing last night at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards as she wowed the crowd in an impeccable silver frock, strappy heels, and a smile.

Source: Yahoo!

Manager: Spears Not Slated To Perform On VMAs

Britney Spears won't perform on this year's MTV Video Music Awards, according to her manager.

"Contrary to media reports, Britney was never slated to perform on this year's VMAs," Larry Rudolph, Spears' manager at Jive Records, said in a statement. "She's in the middle of recording her next album, which is going amazingly well, and her focus remains on the studio."

Spears' "Gimme More" comeback performance during last year's VMAs was one of the most-talked-about moments of 2007. The tabloid queen is currently appearing in spots promoting this year's ceremony.

In June, MTV Networks Music Group President Van Toffler said the network wasn't ruling out giving viewers another dose of Spears at the VMAs. MTV later confirmed they were in talks to have Spears appear in some capacity. The rebounding pop queen is nominated for video of the year for "Piece of Me."

This VMAs will air live Sept. 7 from Paramount Pictures Studios in Los Angeles. Previously announced award show performers include Kid Rock, Lil Wayne, Pink, Rihanna, Paramore, T.I. and the Jonas Brothers.

Source: Yahoo!

Filings: Spears' Custody Fight With K-Fed Costly

Britney Spears' recently resolved custody dispute with ex-husband Kevin Federline wasn't just messy, it was expensive. Court documents show legal bills submitted on behalf of two law firms who represented Spears total more than $466,000. That's on top of the $250,000 the 26-year-old pop singer has agreed to pay Federline's attorneys.

The largest bill comes from attorney Stacy D. Phillips, who says in court filings that she is owed nearly $407,000 for four months of work. Phillips claims she has written off another $125,000 in fees.

Attorney Laura Wasser, who took over the case in June and negotiated an agreement between Federline and Spears' camp that allows the singer more time with her young sons, is seeking $60,000. She worked on the case nearly two months.

Federline retains full custody of the children, but Spears has some overnight visits.

Spears and Federline were married in 2004 and completed their divorce last July. She pays him $20,000 a month under an agreement finalized in July.

Phillips claims in court documents the case was made more complicated because Spears is under the temporary conservatorship of her father, James. He took control of his daughter's personal and financial affairs after a series of high-profile incidents of erratic behavior and two hospitalizations.

Any payments will have to be approved by a Los Angeles court commissioner, and attorneys representing Spears' and her father's interests indicated last week in court they intend to contest Phillips' bill.

Source: Yahoo!

Spears Gets New MTV Awards Nom

After delivering one of the worst performances in the history of the MTV Video Music Awards, Britney Spears has a chance to be crowned this year as the absolute best.

The rebounding pop queen is nominated for video of the year for "Piece of Me," a clip that had fun with her reputation as a tabloid queen. Other nominees included the Jonas Brothers for "Burnin Up," Chris Brown for "Forever," the Pussycat Dolls for "When I Grow Up" and newcomers The Ting Tings for "Shut Up and Let Me Go."

Other nominees announced Friday — Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Slipknot, Linkin Park and Foo Fighters — were in the category of best rock video.

This is Spears third nomination for this year's VMAs; earlier, fans nominated her for best pop video and best female video, both for "Piece of Me."

Source: Yahoo

Britney Spears Speaks: Pop Star Talks Sister's Pregnancy, New Music & More

Britney Spears has opened up about the shock of her teenage sister's pregnancy, her new album, and future acting plans, in a new interview with OK! magazine.

Plus, the pop star's father, Jamie Spears, offers an update on the conservatorship over Britney's estate and what he really thinks of her ex, Kevin Federline.

In excerpts from the article, Britney, in her first sit down interview in almost two years, spoke about her reaction to Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy at 16. Britney traveled to her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana, for the birth of her niece by the now 17-year-old Jamie Lynn, and while she was thrilled with little baby Maddie, she was taken aback.

"That was special, but it was also strange because she's always been the baby, and now the baby was having a baby. It was mind-boggling. I was shocked a little bit," Britney told OK! "But it was really cool, and she was happy. When she got to the hospital, we all thought it was going to be an all-day thing, and instead, the baby just sort of popped out. OK, we're happy now!"

Britney said Jamie Lynn will be bringing baby Maddie to Los Angeles soon, allowing the newborn to finally meet her cousins - Sean Preston, and Jayden James.

"She's going to come out here for the kids' birthdays. It will be the first time the cousins meet. I'm sure the boys will be like big brothers to Maddie," Britney told the mag.

Britney also provided an update on her new album, the follow up to last year's "Blackout," which will be out in "the next six to nine months," the pop star said.

"I'm writing every day, right here at the piano in this living room," Brit told OK! "This is my best work ever."

Britney said she is working with talented people who are helping her take her songs up a level.
"I think it is more urban. I'm working with producers who are just amazing. It's Harvey Mason of The Underdogs," she noted. "There is this fresh new energy. "

And it's not just music Britney is working on. She confirmed she is interested in doing more acting, following her successful appearance on "How I Met Your Mother," which helped the show achieve its best ever ratings.

"I'd love to, if I can find the right movie," Brit said when asked about continuing her thespian streak. "Actually, I have a part that just came up. We're just trying to work it out with my schedule, with the children."

Though it was unclear from the excerpts released at press time by OK! whether Britney addressed her hospitalizations of early 2008, her run ins with the paparazzi or the conservatorship protection she is under until the end of October, her father and co-conservator, Jamie Spears, provided some answers to OK!

Jamie said the conservatorship of his daughter will come to a close, though he hopes it will last just a bit longer, for Britney's sake.

"I would hope it stands until the end of the year, and then we'll sit back and evaluate where we are at that time, where Britney is at that time," he said.

The conservatorship reunited father and daughter, who in the past had moments where they were estranged from one another.

"It's wonderful," he said of their relationship. "It is new for both of us. She sometimes calls me 50 times a day and asks me things that light my life up. But like all daughters, she is very manipulative and cunning. So she gets what she wants a lot."

Jamie also said that despite the troubles that previously affected the pop star, there was a silver lining - their new relationship and his relationship with his grandsons.

"God has a way of taking something bad and turning it into something good," Jamie told OK! "If this hadn't happened, I would never have been able to get back with my daughter and have this relationship I have with these two little boys."

In related news, Jamie also explained why Britney and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, settled their custody dispute over their two children, without going to trial.

"Britney and Kevin wanted to settle The trial that was coming up was for permanent custody. It made no sense for that trial to proceed so we worked out an agreement. The agreement says that on Oct. 1 we'll probably get another overnight, and that will stay in place until the end of the year or the end of the conservatorship," he said.

As for how Jamie feels about Kevin, he offered a mixed answer.

"Kevin has a wonderful heart. I don't agree with giving him more money," Jamie said.

Source: Yahoo

Rep: Britney In Negotiations To Appear For VMAs

Britney Spears may get a shot at redemption during this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Widely panned for her glazed-over performance at last year's show, Spears is now in negotiations with MTV to make an appearance at the Sept. 7 ceremony, a spokesperson for MTV said Tuesday. While the network said nothing has been finalized — only Lil Wayne and the Jonas Brothers are confirmed so far — Spears is already appearing in promotional ads for the telecast.

"This is for real," Spears tells VMA host Russell Brand in one of two spots for the VMAs, which were taped last week, according to MTV. In the ads, Spears, dressed in black with blonde hair cascading down her shoulders, giggles as she and Brand banter flirtatiously. She looks sexy, confident and fit — the antithesis of her appearance at last year's ceremony.

Spears' 2007 performance was heavily hyped to be her comeback after months of negative publicity and erratic behavior. Though her disheveled look and bleary routine during "Gimme More" only became the new benchmark for Spears' decline, it was also the most talked about performance not only of the show, but perhaps the year.

Since then, Spears, 26, has appeared to have cleaned up her act. Her father James has been in control of her personal and professional matters as her legal conservator, and she drew high ratings and reviews when she made guest appearances on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" earlier this year.

Spears is working on a new album. If she were to perform, it would surely be a ratings bonanza; last year's VMA's was up 23 percent over the 2006 show.

Van Toffler, head of MTV Networks Music Groups, admitted as much in June when he said there was a possibility that Spears could appear at this year's event, to be held in Los Angeles.

"I'm not sure how we top Britney opening the show," said Toffler.

A Britney sequel just might work.

Source: Yahoo!

Atty: Britney Wants No Contact With Sam Lutfi

The following italicized article is from www.yahoo.com:

An attorney for Britney Spears said Wednesday that he will not seek an extension for a restraining order against Osama "Sam" Lutfi, but that doesn't mean the pop star wants her former sidekick back in her life.

"Britney has made clear to everyone that she does not want to be further harassed or contacted in any way by Osama 'Sam' Lutfi, now or at anytime in the future," Spears' attorney Samuel D. Ingham III said in a statement to The Associated Press.

Attorneys for Spears and her father James are expected to appear in a Los Angeles courtroom Thursday morning to give an update on the conservatorship. A hearing on a temporary restraining order barring Lutfi from having contact with the pop singer was also scheduled for Thursday. The order issued earlier this year required Lutfi to stay 250 yards away from Spears or her homes.

Lutfi represented one of the strangest twists in Spears' downward spiral earlier this year. The singer's mother accused Lutfi — who described himself as a friend and sometime manager — in court papers of keeping Spears a hostage in her own home, drugging her and taking over her finances.

A phone message left Wednesday evening on Lutfi's cell phone was not immediately returned. His spokesman declined to comment until after the court hearing.

Lutfi was a fixture in Spears' life during a period when the star exhibited erratic behavior, including being photographed without underwear and occasionally looking dazed in public.

Spears' father has control over his 26-year-old daughter's personal life and finances.

That power negates the need for a restraining order against Lutfi since James Spears' role as conservator allows him to decide who sees his daughter, according to Ingham's statement.

He serves as a court-appointed counsel representing Spears' interest in the ongoing conservatorship case.

"During the temporary conservatorship, the conservators have the power to insure that Lutfi will not harm Britney anymore," Ingham wrote.

Thursday's hearing had originally been scheduled to decide whether the conservatorship should be made permanent, but Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz decided weeks ago that she would instead consider other issues.

It is unclear how long Spears' affairs will remain under her father's control, but Ingham wrote that he does not expect her feelings about Lutfi to change.

"If Mr. Lutfi makes any future attempt to contact Britney after the temporary conservatorship has concluded, Britney has made clear she will take all appropriate legal action," Ingham wrote.

Source: Yahoo!

Britney Places #1 On Yahoo!'s Most Successful Solo Acts

Just like the title says, Britney, tied with fellow Mickey Mousers Justin Timberlake & Christina Aguilera, have placed #1 on Yahoo!'s most successful solo acts of all time. Britney beat the likes of Paul McCartney (2), Sting (4), and Diana Ross (8).

Sorry Madonna, no room for you on the list. The new queen of pop has re-emerged and is gunnin for that crown.

Congrats, Britney!

Source: Breathe Heavy