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Britney Spears: TV Guide News

  • Britney's Return Solves a Mother of a Mystery | Today's News: Our Take | 5/12/2008 New
    How I Met Your Mother co-creator Craig Thomas says that not only is Britney Spears "better" in tonight's encore than she was in her first cameo on the CBS sitcom, but her latest appearance will actually advance storyline. "[Her] return answers a larger mystery set up earlier in the series," Thomas tells the Reporter. "So there's a good plot reason why she's there."And yes, should Mother get picked up for another season (as expected), Ms. Spears could swing by again. Says Thomas, "When people... read more
  • Britney's Visitation Rights Expanded | Today's News: Our Take | 5/6/2008
    Following a court hearing Tuesday, Britney Spears was granted expanded visitation rights of her two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, says Us.Kevin Federline's attorney, Mark Kaplan, said the decision "represents a cautious step moving forward." He also said that the court was "pleased with the progress that seems to be occurring" with Spears daily.In addition, a court spokesman read a statement from Brit's parents that lauded their daughter and the court: "We are so pleased with Britney's... read more
  • Britney Promises "A Lot of Fun" with Mother Encore | Today's News: Our Take | 5/5/2008
    "I had such a great experience last time I was on the show, I couldn't wait to come back" — so goes Britney Spears' own take on her second guest appearance on CBS' How I Met Your Mother, airing next Monday, May 12.The set-up this time: In the midst of a falling out with his "bro," Barney recruits Spears' Abby to antagonize Ted by flaunting his "romance" with the slightly crazy receptionist in Ted's face. "Abby is going to have a lot of fun," Spears promises. — MWMRelated:•... read more
  • It's Official: Britney's Returning to Mother! | Ausiello Report | 4/28/2008
    Neil Patrick Harris is going to be so pissed thrilled! A spokesperson for How I Met Your Mother is confirming what I first hinted at earlier this month: Britney Spears has officially signed on to reprise her role as Abby for one episode during May sweeps. In the episode, titled "Everything Must Go," Barney and Abby realize that they have one thing in common — their mutual hatred of Ted. The new "couple" decide to go to the bar to flaunt their new relationship in Ted’s face. Desperate... read more
  • It's Official: Chalke Returning to Mother! Is Brit Next? | Ausiello Report | 4/21/2008
    Hear that? It's the sound of fresh ink drying on Sarah Chalke's brand spankin' new How I Met Your Mother contract!Sources confirm to me exclusively that Chalke has formally signed on to reprise her role as Ted's possible future wife in at least one additional episode. (I first reported on the Chalke-Mother negotiations back on April 10.) The Emmy-worthy Scrubs cutup is due back on the Mother set this week to begin work on this season's third-to-last episode. Meanwhile, talks are continuing for... read more
  • Is Britney About to Release Revealing Video Diaries? | Today's News: Our Take | 4/16/2008
    If UK tabloid the Mirror is to be believed, Britney Spears' appearance on How I Met Your Mother was just a hint of what's to come. The paper (arguably, a questionable source) is suggesting that Brit has been taping herself for months — yes, throughout all that drama — and is getting ready to release it all.The Mirror's alleged source says the footage is super-juicy, covering everything from Brit's feelings about her recent exes, Justin Timberlake and Kevin Federline, to her rivalry... read more
  • How I Met Your Fender: Spears in Minor Car Accident | Today's News: Our Take | 4/13/2008
    Perhaps because her mind was elsewhere as she contemplated the significance of Neil Patrick Harris' recent comments, Britney Spears was involved in a minor car accident Saturday night on Los Angeles' northbound 405.Police reports say that Spears, traveling in stop-and-go traffic, did not see a Nissan (it's always some poor Nissan, isn't it?) directly in front of her as it came to a full stop. Spears attempted to brake in time but instead her Mercedes collided with the rear of the Nissan, which... read more
  • Brit Hits the Fan: NPH Clarifies Alleged Stab at Spears | Today's News: Our Take | 4/12/2008
    Seeking to clarify some sound bites he gave an AP reporter on the set of How I Met Your Mother, Neil Patrick Harris has issued a statement stressing that he is not opposed to Britney Spears reprising her guest-star role as Abby the receptionist. Positing that the AP scribe "took some quotes of mine and speculated an opinion about their intent," Harris tells EW, "As I have said all along, Britney did a great job on the show. She really did. In fact, we are all hoping that she returns rather... read more
  • Exclusive: Oops… Is Brit Doing CBS' Mother Again? | Ausiello Report | 4/2/2008
    Hmmm… if this keeps up, people are going to start whispering that maybe she's the mother.Britney Spears and How I Met Your Mother are looking to rekindle their mutually beneficial relationship later this season. According to multiple sources, Brit's in talks to reprise her role as Barney's fraternal twin Ted's stalker in at least one more episode. "It all depends on her availability," whispers an insider.Brit's first go-round on Mother was a resounding success for all concerned: The... read more
  • A Tale of Two Britneys: Mother, South Park | Roush Dispatch | 3/25/2008
    Which Britney Spears do you prefer: the tragic cartoon version that appeared, head half-blown-off, on last week’s brutal South Park satire; or the silly cartoon version that appeared, mercifully briefly, on Monday night’s How I Met Your Mother? Could the appropriate answer be: Neither? Every time I see or hear about her, in unflattering paparazzi shots or the endless litany of late-night stand-up insults, I can’t help but wonder at a culture so fascinated by someone so... read more
  • Cheers: Chalke One Up for HIMYM! | Cheers & Jeers | 3/25/2008
    Cheers to How I Met Your Mother for booking a brilliant guest star: Sarah Chalke. Oh, Britney Spears was on, too, and she was fine in her relatively minor role as a ditzy receptionist. But as Stella, a dermatologist who removed the butterfly "tramp stamp" from Ted's back, Chalke — reportedly a last-minute replacement for Alicia Silverstone — displayed real chemistry with Josh Radnor. (Not surprisingly, the Scrubs doc looked totally comfortable in her white coat.) CBS' on-the-bubble... read more
  • Mother Preview: Do Ted and Britney Have a Future? | Today's News: Our Take | 3/24/2008
    In last week's Q&A, Josh Radnor discussed with us the new batch of How I Met Your Mother episodes. And then the Britney Media Hurricane hit. A man of his word, Radnor got back to us — via e-mail — with his even more recent thoughts on Ted's assorted prospects arriving in this Monday's episode. — With reporting by Michelle HellerTVGuide.com: What's it like working with Sarah Chalke?It felt like Sarah and I had worked together for years — in the good way. She's super... read more
  • Can Britney Spears' Sitcom Stint Save the World? | Today's News: Our Take | 3/22/2008
    Well... sort of. And in a very small way. But it's the thought that counts!A half-dozen items worn by Britney Spears for her role on this Monday's How I Met Your Mother — a navy Juicy Couture dress, a yellow Nanette Lepore dress and a cream Nanette Lepore cardigan included — will be auctioned off to benefit the environmentally conscious Natural Resources Defense Council. The auction, sponsored by CBS and 20th Century Fox Television, begins Monday night, just after Spears' episode... read more
  • Britney Blows Her Head Off on South Park | Today's Top Videos | 3/21/2008
    Warning: Only funny in a very disturbing wayIt was only a matter of time before the guys at South Park addressed Britney’s—how can we put it gently—fall from grace? But good god, they took it to a new level that even made us feel bad for laughing. Don’t get us wrong, the parts that poke fun at what jackals the paparazzi are is great, but Britney blowing her head off and proceeding to record a new album with just a bloody chin atop her neck? Wow! Watch the full episode... read more
  • Britney on How I Met Your Mother: Funny Girl? | Today's News: Our Take | 3/21/2008
    We've seen a smidgen of Britney Spears' guest role on How I Met Your Mother — but that was just a hint. Now, a bigger taste of the pop star's acting chops is available. The clips (available here and here) preview Ted's entrances into the dermo's office, where he's greeted by an increasingly smitten Ms. Spears. The amazing part? Spears in the role of a love-bitten receptionist is actually funny. Describing the short clips might strip some of the fun, so watch them and then let us know what... read more
  • Britney's Mother of a Guest Role | Today's Top Videos | 3/18/2008
    Yep, they’ve finally released a sneak peek of the new and improved Britney Spears during her guest appearance on an upcoming episode of How I Met Your Mother. The poptart plays Ted’s dermatologist’s assistant, Abby. And when we say sneak peek, we really mean peek because it’s only 10 seconds—so whatever you do, don’t blink. Your take: Think it was a poor move on the show’s part to include Britney as a guest star, or are you looking forward to her appearance? read more
  • TV Guide Exclusive: How Mother Got a Piece of Britney | Today's News: Our Take | 3/17/2008
    Britney Spears' visit to How I Met Your Mother certainly has brought some quick buzz to the post-strike season. The March 24 issue of TV Guide went behind the scenes to get the scoop on the pop star's surprise sitcom gig; the exclusive cover story with posed Josh Radnor/Brit pic will be on newsstands this week (watch a clip of Britney and Neil Patrick Harris' Barney here).Talking to the Mother cast last Thursday at their return party, it became clear that each wanted a "piece" of her —... read more
  • Britney New Animated Music Video | Today's Top Videos | 3/13/2008
    You may be asking yourself, how does Britney, who’s been busy trying to get her train wreck of a life back on track, find the time to make a brand new music video? Well, simple—hand over your music track and pay someone to animate a video for it! In this superhero-esque music video for “Break the Ice,” off her latest album, the pop star is featured as a bad ass chic in tight black leather that’s fighting the forces of evil. Our Psych 101 skills have determined the... read more
  • Britney: "I'm Having a Blast" with Mother Role | Today's News: Our Take | 3/13/2008
    How goes it three days into Britney's stint on How I Met Your Mother, now slated for a March 24 air date? "[It] has been so terrific," Spears shares. "Everyone, including the cast, the crew and the producers, has been so wonderful." Spears is guest-starring as the assistant to Ted's dermatologist (Sarah Chalke), and as such will find herself crushing on the young architect as well. "Abby is such a fun girl to play," says Brit. "I'm having a blast!"Ted's portrayer shrugs off any speculation that... read more
  • Mother Boss: "We Can't Wait for You to Meet Britney!" | Today's News: Our Take | 3/12/2008
    And now, a word (or 42) from How I Met Your Mother cocreator Craig Thomas on the week's biggest TV headline, Britney Spears' upcoming visit to the CBS sitcom. "We're thrilled to have Britney Spears on the show," Thomas raves. "Britney is an exciting new talent and we can't wait for the world to meet her. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go check out this 'Internet' thing everyone's talking about."Before Thomas stole away to the nearest Atari 800 and dial-up modem, however, he also weighed in... read more
  • Britney Is Bonkers for How I Met Your Mother's Ted! | Today's News: Our Take | 3/11/2008
    More (and I'm guessing there will always be more) details are trickling in on Britney Spears' upcoming How I Met Your Mother drop-by. Series creator Craig Thomas tells Us that in the as-yet-unscheduled episode, Spears will set her sights on no less than Ted Mosby, Architect himself. Playing the assistant to the dermatologist (originally Alicia Silverstone, now Scrubs' Sarah Chalke) tasked with removing Ted's embarassing butterfly tat, Spears' character falls hard for the patient but "keeps on... read more
  • HIMYM/Britney Fallout: Silverstone Out, Chalke In! | Ausiello Report | 3/11/2008
    Britney Spears' havoc-wreaking cameo on How I Met Your Mother has already claimed its first victim. A Mother insider confirms that Alicia Silverstone — who was slated to appear in a multi-episode arc as Ted's dermatologist/lover — has dropped out and will be replaced by Scrubs' Sarah Chalke. Pink Is the New Blog reports that Silverstone bowed out because her reps (understandably) feared she would be overshadowed by Spears, who, per my sources, will play an assistant to the... read more
  • Britney Spears Lands One Mother of a TV Role | Today's News: Our Take | 3/10/2008
    It sure didn't take long for Alicia Silverstone to look like small potatoes. A CBS rep officially confirms for TVGuide.com that which was reported an hour ago on Pink Is the New Blog: Britney Spears is guest-starring on an upcoming episode of How I Met Your Mother. TMZ says it's by no means a long-term gig and that her dad/conservator signed off on it. (Jamie however simply had to draw the line at a similar offer from Welcome to the Captain.) At this time, no details are being made available as... read more
  • Britney Visits Her Kids for First Time in Seven Weeks | Today's News: Our Take | 2/23/2008
    Britney Spears on Saturday morning enjoyed a visitation with her sons for the first time in seven weeks. On Friday, K-Fed lawyer Mark Kaplan told People that he, his partner and lawyers for Spears had worked out a "structured" arrangement in which the star might have some limited visitation rights restored. Brit hadn't seen Sean Preston or Jayden James since Jan. 3, when she had her first stand-off with the police. Kaplan would not reveal the deets of the new deal, but he did say, "We're... read more
  • Judge to Lutfi: Leave Britney Alone! | Today's News: Our Take | 2/22/2008
    The federal judge in charge of Britney Spears' conservatorship case has extended a restraining order against Sam Lutfi until March 17. That means that Lutfi is not allowed to contact Spears in any way, including by phone. Burning question: Is that March 17 date inclusive? Because what else is there to do on St. Patrick's Day but drunk-dial those you love/hate/have restraining orders that prevent you from seeing? Are you with me?Hello? — Mickey O'Connor read more
  • Britney's Visitation Still Denied; Naive Lawyer Wants News Blackout | Today's News: Our Take | 2/19/2008
    In the ongoing saga of Britney Spears' personal affairs, the hearings keep cropping up. In the latest of them on Tuesday, Spears was not granted visitation rights to see her young sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James. She has not seen them for a month and half.According to TMZ, lawyers on the case could not agree to the terms of the visitation, despite Kevin Federline's and Jamie Spears' hopes that the pop star might regain her right to see her kids. In the meantime, Spears' former lawyers,... read more
  • Project Runaway: Klum Invites Britney to Live with Her | Today's News: Our Take | 2/17/2008
    While the likes of Britney's father, her former manager Sam Lutfi and someone proclaiming himself to be the pop tart's new lawyer each fight for control of Spears' life, an unlikely ally has come forth to take in the wayward child. "[Britney] can call me and come live in our house with us for a couple of months," Heidi Klum says in an interview to be aired Monday night by the German broadcaster ARD. "I would help set her straight."Klum perhaps is looking to return a favor, seeing as Brit gave... read more
  • Britney's Family Maintains Control, Is Given a Bigger Financial Rein | Today's News: Our Take | 2/15/2008
    Britney Spears' father Jamie, who has been co-conservator of the star's estate with lawyer Andrew Wallet, on Thursday was given more responsibility for his daughter's affairs, and additional financial control was granted to Brit's brother, Bryan. In a hearing, Commissioner Reva Goetz granted the request for extension, citing signs that Britney's stayed out of trouble (read: dancing, shopping) since Jamie took over. The co-conservators requested that their authority be extended until at least... read more
  • Britney Appeals to Governor Schwarzenegger? | Today's News: Our Take | 2/14/2008
    How desperate is Britney Spears to get out from under her conservator father's "thumb" and take charge of her meandering life? Her former manager, Sam Lutfi, reportedly is trying to get Brit an audience with no less than California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Britney says her civil rights have been violated, and she wants to talk to Arnold about it," a source, who overheard Lutfi's call to Ahnold's former flack, tells the New York Daily News. "She wants the governor to look into why she... read more
  • Britney Spears' Managerial Shake-up, Continued | Today's News: Our Take | 2/12/2008
    New information on Britney Spears' legal affairs reveals, in part, why her conservators have taken recent steps to kick her managers — that would be her hired manager, Howard Grossman, and self-described manager, Sam Lutfi — to the curb. On Friday, Spears' conservators were granted permission to fire Grossman, who, TMZ reports, apparently broke some ground rules, including giving the star access to money and credit cards and offering to have a Mercedes delivered. As for Sam Lutfi,... read more
  • Britney's Conservators Can Show Manager the Door | Today's News: Our Take | 2/9/2008
    In the wake of another hearing on Britney Spears' affairs, there's another behind-the-scenes shake-up in the works. At a Thursday hearing, the presiding commish granted Spears' conservators — her father, Jamie, and lawyer Andrew Wallet — the right to fire her manager (the real one), Howard Grossman.Commissioner Reva Goetz required that Grossman turn over "all documents, records and assets relating to Britney Spears" to the conservators. And while Grossman has not yet officially been... read more
  • Top 10 Shocking Scandals: From Anna Nicole to Heath — How Readers Reacted | TV Guide Interviews & Features | 2/8/2008
    It has been a busy week. Britney Spears was released from a psychiatric hospital. We finally got some answers from Heath Ledger's toxicology report. And today, Feb. 8, as it happens, is the anniversary of Anna Nicole Smith's death. Throughout this tumultuous year, our users? opinions have often been as provocative as the news itself, so now we?re turning the spotlight on them. Here?s our list of some of the best user comments from the most shocking scandals of the last 12 months: 1. Anna ... read more
  • Britney's Folks "Disappointed" She's Out: "We Believe Her Life Is at Risk" | Today's News: Our Take | 2/7/2008
    Britney Spears on Wednesday high-tailed it out of the UCLA Medical Center's psych ward, quickly set up camp at the Beverly Hills Hotel and (by some accounts) hooked back up with increasingly oily paparazzo Adnan, leaving her parents to do everything they can to keep her off the Anna Nicole track and salvage her young life. "As parents of an adult child in the [throes] of a mental-health crisis, we were extremely disappointed... to learn that over the recommendation of her treating psychiatrist,... read more
  • Britney Spears Released, Lutfi Enlists Image Help | Today's News: Our Take | 2/6/2008
    Britney Spears today left the UCLA psych ward, where she had been receiving treatment for the past week. The pop star slipped out quietly with the aid of private security officers, in stark contrast to the near-motorcade that accompanied her to the hospital last week. In the meantime, a legal turf war has developed regarding control of Spears' finances and estate, and a restraining order was established against Sam Lutfi, Brit's manager. Lutfi, however, isn't taking things lying down. It seems... read more
  • Brit's Dad Defends Actions, Manager Accused of Drugging Britney | Today's News: Our Take | 2/5/2008
    A statement from lawyers for Britney's father, Jamie Spears, sheds new light on the behind-the-scenes discussion among the parties involved.The written document obtained by TMZ defends Mr. Spears from claims by Britney's divorce lawyers that his conservatorship was "nothing more than a hostile takeover of... [Britney] for improper purposes." In response, Mr. Spears' lawyer asserts that his client was looking "for the least ugly way to save this young woman's life, bring her back to her babies,... read more
  • Britney's Dad Retains Control; She Lacks Full Comprehension of Legalities | Today's News: Our Take | 2/4/2008
    Britney Spears' ongoing struggle with her health continues to evolve as legal matters are attended to and the presiding commissioner has laid down the law:• At a Monday hearing to discuss the management of Spears' financial affairs during her treatment, her father's temporary co-control with lawyer Andrew Wallet was extended to Feb. 14.In addition, the court's commissioner dismissed Andrew Streisand from representing Britney and appointed a doctor to evaluate the star's ability to make... read more
  • Britney's Dad Granted Control, Lutfi Kicked to Curb | Today's News: Our Take | 2/2/2008
    Britney Spears' father Jamie was granted legal coconservatorship of his daughter Feb. 1, following an emergency court hearing.The commissioner who made the ruling, which is pending another hearing on Feb. 4, gave Jamie Spears the ability, among other things, to restrict and limit visitors to his daughter, to employ security guards to protect her — not to mention temporary control of her finances. Within the scope of his authority to secure the property, Mr. Spears was also granted the... read more
  • "Exhausted" Grey's Star Checked into Britney's Ward | Today's News: Our Take | 1/31/2008
    Justin Chambers — aka Dr. Alex Karev on Grey's Anatomy — checked himself into UCLA Medical's psych ward on Monday, TMZ reports. Although Chambers checked himself out on Wednesday, his rep said that he was "exhausted and suffers from a sleeping disorder. He went in voluntarily to get some help." The actor, who is a dad to five, was in the same ward where Britney Spears is now staying. Just one day before Chambers went to the hospital, he did red-carpet interviews with TV Guide at... read more
  • Britney Hospitalized Yet Again | Today's Top Videos | 1/31/2008
    What’s that—twice in a month now? Early this morning, the pop wreck was taken by ambulance (and escorted by what appeared to be the entire LAPD) and admitted to the UCLA Medical Center where she will be held on a 72-hour hold for a mental evaluation. Hopefully she won’t cut out early this time and actually gets the help she needs!Your take: Do you think she's finally hit rock bottom and will get the help she needs? Or do you just not care anymore? read more
  • Britney Hospitalized for Emergency Mental Evaluation; "Greatly Disabled" | Today's News: Our Take | 1/31/2008
    Having checked in to the UCLA Medical Center's psych ward early Thursday morning, Britney Spears may have been classified as "greatly disabled," a term that can imply involuntary commitment to the hospital, TMZ reports. Escorted by more than a dozen Los Angeles police officers and a pair of LAPD 'copters, Spears was committed at 1 am Thursday morning, not long after reports surfaced that a psychiatrist declared the beleaguered pop star a danger to herself and others. After being transported by... read more
  • Manager Says Britney's Mental Problems Are Treatable | Today's News: Our Take | 1/28/2008
    Britney Spears' manager and public ally, Sam Lufti, let the ladies of The View know that his client's seemingly increasing mental problems are "treatable."During Monday's show, View cohost Barbara Walters said that, according to Lufti, Britney is (finally!) getting psychiatric treatment. And while word on the street (the one that Ba-Wa lives on, anyway), is that, while Brit's still having mood swings and a tough time sleeping, she's getting family support, professional support and overall, is... read more
  • Britney Update: Visitation Still Denied | Today's News: Our Take | 1/23/2008
    It's officially official, again: Britney Spears will still not be able to visit her two young sons, despite an emergency hearing today in which she tried to regain rights to see them. Brit made a quick courthouse appearance, People reports, but left before the proceedings began.Previously in Spears' ongoing custody saga, the 26-year-old star lost visitation rights after her standoff with police and overnight hospitalization several weeks ago. At a custody hearing last week, Spears left the... read more
  • Britney Bits: The Movie's Off, Obituary Is On | Today's News: Our Take | 1/18/2008
    This past 24 hours, in Britneyland....• Spears has lost a potential role in the film Memoirs of a Medicated Child. As a studio rep tells TV's Extra, "Even with an accepted $3 million offer on the table and negotiations being finalized, producers decided to can Brit." Spears is being replaced by Peter Falk's niece, Samantha.• Reflecting on his intrusion in the Spears spectacle earlier this month, Dr. Phil asks himself on his Monday talker, "Was it helpful to the situation? Regrettably... read more
  • Britney's Pregnancy Rumor All a Gag | Today's News: Our Take | 1/16/2008
    Britney Spears and beau Adnan Ghalib's romp through the pregnancy-test aisle at Rite-Aid was all a gag by the fun-loving couple, Access Hollywood reports. It's been just two days since Brit was denied visitation of her sons, but already there are laughs to be had with her BF, not to mention wedding rumors — and it's only Wednesday.Apparently Ghalib, whose own company FinalPixx released the pregnancy-test photos, is really enjoying his dual role in the spotlight — and behind it.... read more
  • Is Britney Planning a Green (Card) Wedding? | Today's News: Our Take | 1/15/2008
    Is Britney trying to send us a message, stepping out these days in her old wedding dress? A source close to Kevin Federline tells PageSix.com that Spears has given her ex a heads-up that she may tie the knot anew soon, and that her recent getaway to Mexico was so that photo beau Adnan Ghalib could get a quickie divorce from his wife. Another source says any such wedding would purely be a "business" arrangement — "They've never even hooked up" is the claim — so that Ghalib can get a... read more
  • Britney Spears Still Barred from Visitation | Today's News: Our Take | 1/14/2008
    After today's hearing on Britney Spears' custody options, the commissioner announced that she would not have her visitation rights restored, TMZ reports. The case will be reevaluated at the next hearing, on Feb. 19.The decision came on the heels of a day in which Britney's presence was just as significant as the lack thereof. Following a conspicuous absence during the morning's proceedings at Los Angeles Superior Court, she later made a brief cameo outside the venue. Spears did not testify... read more
  • Simon Says About Britney: "It's Never Too Late for a Comeback" | Today's News: Our Take | 1/9/2008
    Even the nastiest judge on American Idol isn't taking any shots at Britney Spears nowadays. Rather, despite the songstress' inarguable downward spiral, he thinks she could possibly turn things around. "It's never too late for a comeback," Simon Cowell told reporters during a Wednesday conference call, "especially because I think she's the most-searched artist on the Web right now." How would Cowell help get Spears back on track? "If I could sit down with her," he says, "I would remind her about... read more
  • Report: Britney's Father Tried to Commit Her; Plus: Naked Pics Hit Tabloid | Today's News: Our Take | 1/9/2008
    OK, maybe not all parental units were asleep at the wheel. Both of Britney Spears' folks — but primarily her pop, Jamie — for months have been trying to get her committed to a mental hospital for bipolar disorder, TMZ reports. Brit, though, refused, and continues to fend off any bid to have her formally diagnosed with the condition.Meanwhile, X17Online hears that the pap agency for whom Britney's latest boy toy, Adnan, toils, has sold an Australian magazine dibs on "semi-nude" photos... read more
  • Dr. Phil to Britney: "Turn to the People that Love You" | Today's News: Our Take | 1/8/2008
    I'd like to think that Dr. Phil has Britney's best interests at heart, but dag, if that were the case, wouldn't he try to help her privately rather than publicly? In a message on ETOnline.com, the doc tells Spears, "You can make this OK. Your family loves you. You may not always agree with what they say, with what they do, but they've loved you when you weren't lovable. Turn to the people that love you and listen."As for the scolding he has received from the public for appearing to prey on... read more
  • Dr. Phil Scraps Spears Show, Citing "Intense" Situation | Today's News: Our Take | 1/7/2008
    Dr. Phil abruptly brought his bandwagon ride to an end on Monday, announcing that the Britney Spears-centric episode of his talk show that he planned to tape today and air Tuesday has been scrapped. "We had planned to tape a Dr. Phil Now show... focusing not on the tabloid side of Britney’s latest problems, but instead on the very serious issues surrounding this case," the TV personality explains on his website. "Because the Spears situation is too intense at this time, and out of... read more
  • Brit-gate '08 | Today's Top Videos | 1/7/2008
    Dr. Phil to the RescueAfter what clearly was a nervous breakdown, officially losing custody of her boys, and her becoming even more of a spectacle around the world, do you really think Brit was up for a visit from Oprah's favorite shrink? Probably not so much. But as the daytime host explained this morning on The Early Show, he wasn't trying to get in on the media storm, he instead went to see Britney at the hospital "at the request of her family." But word on the street now is that she wasn't... read more
  • Britney Gets Her Kicks from Champagne But Not Opportunistic Dr. Phil | Today's News: Our Take | 1/7/2008
    Britney Spears on Sunday marked what would have been the conclusion of her 72-hour hospital lockdown — that is, had she not checked out early Saturday — by swigging bubbly and snuggling with paparazzo pal Adnan Ghalib, People reports. What, is Dr. Phil not a good drinking buddy? Actually, reports of how the TV shrink counseled Britney at Cedars-Sinai and then "escorted" her from the hospital have since been scrutinized, with some accounts saying the doc was not welcome at all by... read more
  • Dr. Phil: Britney Is "In Dire Need of Medical, Psychological Intervention" | Today's News: Our Take | 1/5/2008
    Having escorted Britney Spears out of Cedars-Sinai on Saturday morning via an underground tunnel, Dr. Phil has weighed in on the broken-down pop star. "My meeting with Britney and some of her family members this morning in her room at Cedars leaves me convinced more than ever that she is in dire need of both medical and psychological intervention," Dr. Phil tells ET Online. "She was released moments before my arrival and was packing when I entered the room. We visited for about an hour before I... read more
  • Britney Exits Hospital via Tunnel Day After K-Fed Gets Sole Custody of Kids | Today's News: Our Take | 1/5/2008
    UPDATE: Escorted by Dr. Phil, Britney on Saturday morning left Cedars-Sinai via an underground tunnel, ET Online reports, and is/was on her way home to Beverly Hills. Sources tell Us, however, that Spears U-turned upon spying mobs of paparazzi on her street.The judge handling the custody dispute between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline on Friday afternoon granted her ex-husband sole legal and physical custody of their two tykes, Jayden James and Sean Preston, TMZ reports, with Britney's... read more
  • Update: Hospitalized Britney in 72-hour Lockdown Following Custody Standoff | Today's News: Our Take | 1/4/2008
    What started out as a typically self-destructive day for Britney Spears escalated into a heated standoff at her home involving police, EMTs and media helicopters hovering over the scene. Hours later, Spears — strapped to a gurney but smiling — was taken to L.A.'s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (watch ambulance video here, courtesy CelebTV.com).Earlier on Thursday, Spears showed up for the court-ordered deposition she had shrugged off multiple times before — albeit two hours late.... read more
  • Britney Dodges Deposition (Again); Lawyers Ask to Drop "Impossible" Client | Today's News: Our Take | 1/3/2008
    Trope and Trope, the third law firm to represent Britney Spears in her custody battle versus Kevin Federline, has asked to be taken off the case, citing the "impossible" nature of their self-destructive client who on Wednesday, once again, failed to show for her deposition. In court papers filed this afternoon, the firm claims, "There has been a breakdown in communications between [Britney] and Trope and Trope making further representation of her interests impossible." Has Trope cured itself of... read more
  • Jamie Lynn Speaks! | Today's Top Videos | 12/26/2007
    Pregnant Jamie Lynn Speaks OutIt may be poor form to be poking fun at the situation with Jamie Lynn and the entire Spears family for that matter, but we couldn’t resist sharing this video spoofing both gossip site TMZ and Jamie Lynn’s age (honestly, we just couldn’t get over this kid in those ridiculous sun glasses!). Look out Will Ferrell, looks like we may have a new Pearl on our hands! For more great videos, check out our Online Video Guide now! read more
  • Britney's Fall from Grace, the Ricker, More News Briefs | Today's News: Our Take | 12/20/2007
    E! True Hollywood Story: Britney Spears' Fall from Grace premieres Dec. 29 at 6 pm/ET.... A new TV-movie adaptation of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth stars Ricky Schroder and premieres Jan. 27 on the ION Television Network.... Nick News presents Kids Pick the President: The Kids' Primary, the first of three election-year specials, to air Jan. 13 at 9 pm/ET.... Fox's New Year's Eve Live special has added So You Think You Can Dance champ Sabra Johnson as a performer. read more
  • Jamie Lynn's Pregnancy Gives Birth to Rumors | Today's News: Our Take | 12/20/2007
    Now that nearly all of the facts about 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears' pregnancy have come forth — she's due around Mother's Day, and Nickelodeon seems committed to airing Zoey 101 — it was inevitable that rumors started surfacing. Some of the buzz:• Spears was paid $1 million by OK! for her story. (The tab got a bargain, if you ask me.) • Though Spears has ID'd Casey Aldridge as the child's father, the New York Daily News hears she had been seeing rapper Lil' Romeo.•... read more
  • Jamie Lynn Spears Pregnant at 16! | Today's Top Videos | 12/19/2007
    Jamie Lynn Spears Gets Knocked UpChances are you’ve probably heard the news by now that Brit’s 16-year-old sis has announced a pregnancy. But what you may not have heard was how the Nickelodeon starlet had to muster up the courage and break the news to Mamma Spears. Lynne didn’t take the news very well at first and was shocked — she thought Jamie Lynn was her conscientious “16-year old baby.” And as a little side note, we’d like to share that Lynne... read more
  • Britney-Federline Custody Squabble Goes on Hiatus | Today's News: Our Take | 12/18/2007
    Wow, it really is going to be a quiet winter. Following a 90-minute, behind-closed-doors hearing, a court commissioner made no changes to the custody arrangements between Britney Spears and ex-husband Kevin Federline. According to the AP, he then proceeded to push back the next hearing in the matter from January to February. As it stands now, Federline retains temporary custody because of Britney's train-wreck nature repeated defiance of court orders. read more
  • Britney's New Music Video | Today's Top Videos | 12/17/2007
    "OMG, That Britney’s Shameless!"Looks like the Britster’s been pretty busy at work lately (though perhaps she should be focusing on getting her trainwreck of a life together — but that’s a whole ‘nother post). In her latest video, “Piece of Me,” off her Blackout album, the pop-tart takes on the media and the paparazzi for making a spectacle of her life (no mention of how easy she makes it for us). The good news is the lip-syncing seems to be on. Bad news: her... read more
  • Britney "Not Well Enough" to Mentor Idols, Says Exec | Today's News: Our Take | 12/14/2007
    It is rather sad when you screw up your career to the degree that you can't score a gig as an American Idol mentor. "I would have had Britney Spears [on the show] last year for sure, when I thought she was trying to get it all back together again," Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe told reporters on a Thursday conference call. But as we have all since seen, Spears' "efforts" were in vain. "Britney at this moment... I don't think is well enough to do anything," said Lythgoe, "and I think she... read more
  • Britney's New Video! Plus, Hills' Heidi Says, "Touch Me" | Today's News: Our Take | 12/14/2007
    A snippet of the next video from Britney Spears — for "Piece of Me" — is spreading 'round the Internet, and can be found at such sites as YouTube. Gee, the message is so subtle! I'm going to need CliffsNotes.Speaking of breathless blondes, The Hills' Heidi Montag has unofficially launched her career as a songstress, now that her first single, "Touch Me," has been "leaked" to PerezHilton.com. Assuming your Web filter allows access, the tune can be sampled here.What's your take? Is... read more
  • Paris, Britney Among Time's Most Shamed of the Year | Today's News: Our Take | 12/13/2007
    Forget the Golden Globe nominations, I have the list you really want: Time's Top 10 Awkward Moments of 2007! Among the political embarrassments, you'll find Paris Hilton at No. 2 (wailing for her mother as she's hauled off to prison); Alec Baldwin at No. 3 ( for calling his daughter a thoughtless pig); David Hasselhoff at No. 4 (soused in the shower); Britney at No. 6 (for her Night of the Living Dead routine at the VMAs); Rosie O'Donnell vs. Elisabeth Hasselbeck at No. 7; Fox at No. 8 for... read more
  • Britney Calls in Sick for Custody Deposition, plus, Spears as Virgin Mary?! | Today's News: Our Take | 12/12/2007
    Britney Spears failed to appear for a Wednesday deposition in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, instead calling in sick. "Approximately 10 minutes after her counsel appeared, they were notified that because of an illness or medical condition, Ms. Spears would not appear today and consequently the deposition is not going forward," K-Fed's attorney said afterwar. What ails Brit? A source tells TMZ "the anxiety" of being under such scrutiny "is making her sick. It's just too... read more
  • Britney: The Unauthorized Bio Released | Today's News: Our Take | 12/5/2007
    According to 300 pages of court docs unsealed yesterday, child welfare investigators are looking into "multiple child abuse and neglect" allegations in the Twitney/Fed-Ex battle. Allegations were against Mama Mia, not the Father of the Year, it pretty much goes without saying. No details were included, and there was no motion to change the current visitation schedule. — Ben Katner read more
  • Threatened by Younger Singer, Britney Spears Falls to "Pieces" | Today's News: Our Take | 12/4/2007
    According to the New York Post, the human disaster area was all set to blow off her video shoot for the song "Pieces of Me"... until her label, Jive Records, told her, in essence, "Show up, don't show up... whatever. We have Samantha Jade on standby, and we'll just make her clip instead." Says a source, "They were going to recalibrate [the already prepped production] for Samantha, because it was too expensive to just scrap. Britney finally showed up when she realized a new, younger, hotter girl... read more
  • Britney "Refuses to Get Screwed" by Jann Wenner | Today's News: Our Take | 12/3/2007
    Britney Spears — who over the weekend reportedly celebrated her 26th birthday with drinks, dancing and Paris Hilton — has pulled out of a cover shoot for Rolling Stone out of fear that publisher Jann Wenner would pull a Nick Lachey on her. (Last year, Jessica Simpson's ex posed for RS only to have the shoot instead used for sister mag Us.) "[The cover story] was going to be a good platform for her music to be taken seriously... but she refused to get screwed by Wenner," a source tells... read more
  • Britney X-asperates X-rated Store Clerk; Plus, Baby Talk | Today's News: Our Take | 11/29/2007
    I couldn't make this stuff up, people. According to Us, just before 1 am on Nov. 18, Britney Spears threw a hissy fit at Hustler's West Hollywood boutique when staffers told her she couldn't try on a selection of risqué undies. (Shouldn't they have been applauding her interest in wearing drawers in the first place?) In response, the singer, who was described as being out of it, dropped trou in front of more than a dozen other shoppers, and squeezed into a pair of boy shorts. "The employees... read more
  • Has Britney's Secret "Sex Room" Been Unlocked? | Today's News: Our Take | 11/28/2007
    A too-juicy-not-to-share story in The Star posits that Britney Spears has a double-locked secret "fantasy room" on the second floor of her Mulholland Drive manse. Inside, the tabloid claims, are ticklers, whips, an assortment of spanking paddles and a closet full of kinky costumes — including a Catholic schoolgirl outfit, a maid's uniform and a Cinderella dress. "Britney is sexually obsessed," says a source, stopping short of adding, "The sky is blue." Elsewhere in Britworld:• TV's... read more
  • Britney's Attorney: Justice System Is, Like, Pickin' On Spears | Today's News: Our Take | 11/27/2007
    Yes, according to Us, Little Miss "Oops... I Did It Again" Spears' lawyer, Michael Flanagan, thinks it isn't fair that the L.A. city attorney wants her given 24 months of probation for driving without a license. Even if her wrist-slap stemming from a hit-and-run is reduced to just one year, he adds, "No misdemeanor violation is satisfactory to me." I'm sure lots of people who can't afford their own chauffeurs feel the same way. In other Britnews, TMZ reports that her and Fed-Ex's reps have... read more
  • Britney's Dad Is to Blame, Suggests Dr. Drew | Today's News: Our Take | 11/22/2007
    In discussing "our new Michael Jackson," as he calls her, Dr. Drew Pinsky tells Us that the singer is such a freakazoid today because of "how her father treated her. It's the divorce, and it’s the genetics." Translation: Because her pop had a substance-abuse problem, she was always much likelier than a random person to develop one."I've never treated an addict that didn't have a family history of the disease," the doc claims. "You have to inherit it from somewhere." Furthermore, he's 100... read more
  • George Clooney Sticks Up for Half-Witney Spears | Today's News: Our Take | 11/21/2007
    I can see the tabloid headline now: "George Clooney Rides to Britney's Rescue!" But the fact is, the gentleman-slash-heartthrob has gone on the record as sympathizing with the Mother of the Year. "You look at the footage of Britney running the red light [and see] eight guys with cameras at night in the middle of the street," he told Tuesday's ET. "[It's] illegal. It's high-speed chases."In other Britnews: • Kevin Federline's attorney tells Us his client is unfazed by reports that Spears... read more
  • Britney Exposé: "Virginity" Was Pure PR, Lost It at 14 | Today's News: Our Take | 11/20/2007
    A new round-up of Britney Spears' "twisted" childhood secrets puts the "pure" image proffered early in her career in a new and different light. As Spears' former lawyer shares with Us, the "virginity" associated with her up-and-coming pop starlet self was all "PR blitz." In fact, the glossy reports, Spears lost her innocence at age 14, to then-boyfriend Reg Jones (he had me at "Reg"), and despite much public posing was intimate with later-in-life love Justin Timberlake "from the beginning." (A... read more
  • Britney Spears Hopes We'll Stop Paying Attention | Today's News: Our Take | 11/20/2007
    After receiving Friday's court order not to drive her kids anymore, the human headline had her attorney, Anne Kiley, tell Us that she "hopes... by not commenting on court proceedings the media attention in those proceedings will subside." Yeah, um, good luck with that. Kiley added, "Recent aggressive actions by individuals who have followed her and blocked her access, with and without the children, have resulted in her decision to take certain security measures which she hopes will only be... read more
  • Britney: I'm Not Crazy, Y'All, I Just Have Narcolepsy, and Asthma, and.... | Today's News: Our Take | 11/16/2007
    First she suggested that she flunked a court-ordered drug test because of her narcolepsy medication. Then she claimed that she tested positive because of her asthma inhaler. Today, TMZ reports, the Mother of the Year will insist in court that, in fact, her ADD pills were to blame. And if that doesn't work, gosh darn it, it must've been them there Tylenol PMs. Whatever the cause, after La Spears cruised through a red light with the kids in tow, Fed-Ex wants her barred from driving the wee ones.... read more
  • Britney Watch: Inhaler to Blame for Flagged Drug Test? | Today's News: Our Take | 11/14/2007
    Now that amphetamines allegedly have shown up on her recent drug test, Britney Spears plans to argue that a prescription inhaler is in fact to blame for the reading. While TMZ acknowledges that its source for the scoop has twice changed the name of the medication Brit supposedly is taking, it also points out that regardless of the switcheroo, neither of the medications mentioned would have presented a false positive. In other words, the "I did inhale" defense might not stick. — Ben Katner read more
  • Britney Puts (Other People's) Children First | Today's News: Our Take | 11/13/2007
    Blackout poster girl Britney Spears is auctioning off an autographed copy her new album on eBay, with the proceeds going to UNICEF, says Us. I can't be sure, but I presume someone has informed her that UNICEF is not the name of her favorite bartender at Tao. In more traditional Twitney news, Fed-Ex's lawyers are said to be considering subpoenaing TMZ video footage of the train-wreck singer running a red light with her kids in the backseat. (Buckle up, boys!) TMZ also is reporting that a... read more
  • Britney's Judge Gives Her, Baby, One More Chance | Today's News: Our Take | 11/9/2007
    Though Kevin Federline's attorney lobbied for Britney Spears to be stripped of all visitation rights after she ignored eight out of 14 recent phone calls summoning her for mandatory drug testing, the judge in the former couple's custody case is giving the pop tart one last chance to make good on her court-ordered obligation. Going forward, the judge on Thursday said, "There needs to be one number that the testing facility calls that she responds to."According to TMZ, Spears' lawyer had argued... read more
  • Britney's Latest Misadventures in Babysitting | Today's News: Our Take | 11/8/2007
    The ink isn't even dry yet on the order that says Britney Spears can only have three days a week with her kids, and what does she do? She leaves the boys in a parked car with her court-appointed monitor while she buys — I kid you not — chandeliers. Perhaps not surprisingly, Brit's due back in court Thursday, as Fed-Ex's attorneys are slamming her for not responding in a timely fashion when she gets the call to come in for random drug testing. — Ben Katner read more
  • Court Hits Britney, Baby, One More Time | Today's News: Our Take | 11/7/2007
    Noting that the pop tart makes way more than her ex, Kevin "Father of the Year" Federline, and that "the vast majority of the [custody] litigation deals with [her] conduct," L.A. Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon has ordered Britney Spears to pony up $120,000 for K-Fed's legal fees. Snap! — Ben Katner read more
  • Britney's $100K in Mad Money! Her Halloween Hijinks! Disputed CD Ranking! | Today's News: Our Take | 11/2/2007
    As you and I brown-bag lunch and wear that shirt for an eleventh straight season, let's look at how Britney makes a dent in her $738,000 monthly income. As detailed in court papers, it breaks down like this:Mortgage: $50,000Utilities: $10,000Child care: $6,000Clothes: $16,000Entertainment: $102,000Daily mentions in Matt's blog: pricelessKevin Federline, meanwhile, nets $20,000-a-month in spousal support (only for two more weeks, though, yo) and $15K for child care. He himself whiles away $5,000... read more
  • Britney Phones It In, Lashes Out at "Cruel World" | Today's News: Our Take | 11/1/2007
    When La Spears called Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show yesterday to plug her new album, she insisted that it didn't bother her that a lot of folks think there are hobos who would make better parents than her. "It's sad how people... how cruel our world can be," she drawled. "But at the end of the day, you gotta know in your heart that you are doing the best that you can." Bless him, Seacrest then asked the obvious follow-up: Um, are you doing your best with your sons? "Oh god, yeah, yeah,"... read more
  • Britney Bashed in Court as a "Rarely Engaged" Mom; Record Label Rants, Too | Today's News: Our Take | 10/31/2007
    The parenting coach who has been shadowing Britney Spears during her child visitations has thoroughly chided the pop tart's maternal skills as so much Momsense. "During all three of my visits, Ms. Spears rarely engaged with the children in either conversation or play," the court-appointed observer says in docs revealed on Tuesday. "Her choices are dependent more upon what she wants to do at any given time rather than what would be more enjoyable for the children."The parenting coach also (but... read more
  • Oh, Lord! Britney Spears Crosses the Line with Scandalous Album Pics | Today's News: Our Take | 10/30/2007
    Didn't Madonna already pull this stunt with her "Like a Prayer" video? Twitney Spears has outraged Catholic leaders with photos from her new CD, Blackout (in stores today). In one shot, in a typical state of semi-undress, the pop wreck is sitting on a priest's lap. In another, she's looking all come-hither while leaning against a church confessional. Other than concerns from religious leaders, however, the reviews for the disc have been pretty excellent. Meanwhile, as they wait to to learn... read more
  • Britney Has a Really #&*%ing Bad Day in Court | Today's News: Our Take | 10/27/2007
    Britney Spears by many accounts emerged tremendously upset on Friday from the latest hearing in her custody case against ex-husband Kevin Federline. According to TMZ, for one, the report from the parenting coach who has been working with and counseling Spears may have been disclosed at the hearing, and thus was the cause of Britney's emotional reaction.What sort of emotional reaction, you ask? When a reporter for TV's Extra asked Spears how she was doing, Britney snapped back, "Eat it, lick it,... read more
  • Britney Lashes Out at "Old Fart" Judge, Later Loses Child Visitation Rights | Today's News: Our Take | 10/18/2007
    "Why Should I Be Sad," described as "one of the most personal songs" off Britney Spears' forthcoming album Blackout, is said to illustrate how betrayed she feels by ex-husband Kevin Federline, with lyrics such as "Vegas... only brought the playa out of you." "The song is definitely about... when they were married," a source tells People. "Britney entertains the idea that she stayed home taking care of the kids while Kevin was out partying. The track... will be very revealing." Us, meanwhile, is... read more
  • Britney Booked for Hit-and-run; Lawyer Hopes for Deal | Today's News: Our Take | 10/16/2007
    Britney Spears on Monday night was booked on two charges — hit-and-run causing property damage and driving without a valid California driver's license — stemming from her Aug. 6 fender-bender in a San Fernando Valley parking lot. Spears was reportedly smiling, "cooperative" and poured into a short black dress as she was fingerprinted and photographed, then released an hour later. (She also sported sunglasses, allegedly due to a bout of "pink eye," which only means one thing: "I'm... read more
  • Ay, Papi! | Ugly Betty | 10/12/2007
    Episode Recap: "Betty's Wait Problem"I didn't think that the gunshot we heard would be directed at Ignacio. Hector, the son of Rosa's first husband (whom Ignacio didn't murder, it turns out) listened to what Ignacio had to say. Loved the comedic twist of Ramiro's vengeance: He missed his wife, yes, but missed his cook's (Ignacio's) flan as well. Looks like Wilhelmina made good on her promise to Betty.But she did keep lying, this time by grooming Alexis to be her new puppet/BFF. With an... read more
  • Britney's "Respectful" Court Visit Pays Off! Plus, Comeback Tour Ahead? | Today's News: Our Take | 10/11/2007
    Britney Spears, who last week blew off a custody-hearing appearance, on Thursday opted for a different strategy and showed up. The popstress was sworn in to testify in her bid to be granted increased visitation with her and ex-husband Kevin Federline's two sons. Details of Spears' testimony are unknown, but a court rep tells People her tone was "soft and respectful."Though she left the courthouse "visibly upset" (says TMZ), Spears had been granted one overnight visit with her kids per week,... read more
  • Britney Fights for Expanded Visitation; Plus, CD Forced into Early Release | Today's News: Our Take | 10/10/2007
    Britney Spears' lawyer on Wednesday filed a motion seeking expanded visitation with her kids, a move that was promptly critiqued by Team Federline as premature, seeing as the original custody shift is barely a week old. "I don't see any emergency or any new facts [in the case]," K-Fed's lawyer tells the AP. "We are going to oppose this." Meanwhile, some better-ish news for Spears: As unauthorized (and in some cases incomplete) samplings of her new stylings surface on the Internet, the producers... read more
  • Britney Reunites with Her Kids and... Oops, Mama Has a Phone Call! | Today's News: Our Take | 10/9/2007
    Britney Spears, whose first scheduled visit with her kids was scrapped due to any number of alleged and suitably flaky reasons, on Monday finally got some face time with Jayden and Sean (and the court-mandated monitor). But according to TMZ.com, Spears — poured into a "super-short pink minidress" — spent the quality time yapping on her cell as she walked around her Malibu manse with the little ones. TMZ also has a story claiming that Spears has applied to be a bartender at Santa... read more
  • Family Guy, Britney Exposéd and More Short Cuts | Today's News: Our Take | 10/8/2007
    Fox's Family Guy celebrates 100 episodes with a half-hour tribute airing Nov. 4 at 8:30 pm/ET. The actual milestone episode, "Stewie Kills Lois," follows.... MyNetworkTV's Celebrity Exposé focuses on Britney Spears and her recent headline-making antics tonight at 8 pm.... Tyler Perry discusses his new movie on Court TV's Star Jones Tuesday at 3 pm.... Hostel: Director's Cut arrives on DVD and hi-def Blu-ray Oct. 23. Hey, whatever gets me some more Barbara Nedeljakova. read more
  • Fed-up Judge to Britney: Take Drug Tests... Or Else! | Today's News: Our Take | 10/5/2007
    Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon has given Britney Spears a stern warning and reiterated the drug testing and therapy plan she must submit to, or else lose the supervised visitations with her kids. "A missed test, refusal to submit to a test or failure to respond to the testing agency's call... shall be deemed a failed test," Gordon says in court papers released Thursday. The judge also spelled out that Brit must complete "at least three individual counseling sessions" and "at... read more
  • Aniston's Friendly Face Is Magazines' Best Seller | Today's News: Our Take | 10/4/2007
    America's (if not Brad's) sweetheart makes people want to pick her up and take her home with them. So says a survey by Forbes.com of the faces that best sell magazines. According to an analysis of six celebrity weeklies over a six-month span, putting Jennifer Aniston on the cover boosted sales to the tune of five million total copies. Following Jen in gotta-read-about-it-ness was ex-hubby Pitt (the only gent to make the top 10), while ScarJo, Angelina and Reese Witherspoon rounded out the top... read more
  • MIA Britney Chooses Java Run Over Court Hearing as Family Fears the Worst | Today's News: Our Take | 10/4/2007
    Britney Spears was amazingly (and yet... not) a no-show at Wednesday's custody hearing, instead spending her afternoon hanging with her dog, making a Starbucks run and getting a gas-station fill-up. The judge made it clear that he wants Super Mom on hand for the next hearing on Oct. 26, and nonetheless granted her closely supervised visitations with sons Sean Something and The Other One. Asked to defend his client's absence, Spears' lawyer told reporters outside the Los Angeles courthouse,... read more
  • Britney (Finally) Gets a Cali Driver's License as Custody Case Revs Back Up | Today's News: Our Take | 10/3/2007
    Britney Spears on Tuesday picked up her temporary paper California driver's license, a week and a half after being charged (on Sept. 21) with hit-and-run and driving without a valid license — a legal black eye that snowballed into the pop tart having custody of her two kids handed to ex-husband Kevin Federline. In light of her "make-good" with the license thing, Britney "is hoping the judge will reverse the [change-in-custody] order," her friend Sam Lufti tells Us. A new hearing in the... read more
  • Britney Loses Custody of Kids Because She Just Said No to Drug Counseling | Today's News: Our Take | 10/1/2007
    L.A. County Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon on Monday issued an order giving Kevin Federline "physical custody of the minor children," sons Jayden James and Sean Preston, effective noon Wednesday and "until further order of the court." Spears and Federline had shared custody of the munchkins since the time of their separation. Now, one photo-shoot meltdown, a VMAs implosion and several mini-scandals later, Federline has comparatively smelled like a rose. (Well played, Garkle.)By Tuesday... read more
  • Spears in Tears: Britney Faces Up to a Year in Jail | Today's News: Our Take | 9/24/2007
    Beleaguered popstress Britney Spears on Friday was charged with one count of hit-and-run as well as one count of driving without a valid California drivers license, both of which stem from her Aug. 6 fender bender and carry a maximum sentence of six months in jail. After the charges came down, Us reports, Spears was spied fighting back tears as she arrived at the office of her (third) attorney (in a week). It has since surfaced that Spears, despite living large in L.A. all this time, has never... read more
  • Will Britney Be Matthew Perry's New TV Friend? | Today's News: Our Take | 9/20/2007
    The New York Post's Liz Smith herself admits it's a "long shot," but nonetheless reports that some NBC mucky-mucks believe Britney Spears could be just the ticket to play opposite Matthew Perry in a new sitcom. The tentatively titled Occasional Wife has the Friends alum attached to play a guy who persuades a young, wacky artist to pose as his missus, so as to bolster his career. Assessing Spears' fit for the female lead, one Peacock insider tells Smith, "There's something about her that just... read more
  • Judge to Britney: Gimme More... Urine Samples | Today's News: Our Take | 9/19/2007
    According to court papers obtained by the AP, Britney Spears has been ordered to undergo random drug and alcohol testing twice a week, as the singer negotiates custody with ex-husband Kevin Federline. "Based on the evidence presented, the court finds that there is habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol [by Spears]," the judge says in the documents. Spears must also meet for eight hours a week with a "parenting coach," who will observe and report back to the... read more
  • YouTube's "Leave Britney Alone" Loon Inks TV Deal | Today's News: Our Take | 9/19/2007
    Chris Crocker, the 19-year-old Tennessean and MySpace sensation whose "Leave Britney Alone" video plea rocked YouTube the week after the pop tart's VMA implosion — to the tune of nearly eight million hits — has inked a development deal with reality-TV producer 44 Blue Productions. According to Variety, the plan is to build a "docusoap" around Crocker. "It's pretty much going to be 'the Chris Crocker experience,'" 44 Blue's prez tells the trade. "We consider him a rebel character that... read more
  • Britney Update: Lawyer and Manager Quit, Bodyguard Blabs | Today's News: Our Take | 9/18/2007
    The Britster's former bodyguard, Tony Baretto, is the no-longer-secret witness in her custody battle. The People website says he was ready to testify about the Mother of the Year's penchant for nudity and drug use, and safety issues concerning the kids, but submitted his allegations in written form instead. In other Britnews, Monday's closed-door hearing was the last for her lawyer, Laura Wasser, who insisted that she wasn't bailing on her client and that her replacement Marci Levine would do a... read more
  • Britney: Oops... She'll Do It Again at the Emmys? | Today's News: Our Take | 9/14/2007
    According to Us, Fox is "in negotiations" with La Spears to, ahem, perform at Sunday's Emmy Awards. "The idea," says a source, "is to have her come on and apologize for the VMAs. She's weighing the offer." The offer, they said. She's weighing the offer, not herself. (You guys can be, like, so mean.) Meanwhile, the New York Times is reporting a number of additional reasons why the beautiful disaster tanked so bad at the VMAs. Among them:1) As soon as she hit Vegas, she all but abandoned her... read more
  • American Idol Judges to Britney: Help Us Help You! | Today's News: Our Take | 9/13/2007
    American Idol triumvirate Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul have reached out to Britney Spears, offering to collectively manage the further-fallen popstress' careening career. "We have decided we can bring Britney back," Cowell tells Fox News, stressing, "We are serious. We plan to buy her some underpants, get her bigger shorts to perform in, and get her away from her stupid friends." (Quite the ambitious trifecta, if you ask me.) "MTV ratings are up," notes Cowell, "and all we're... read more
  • Britney Was "Exploited," Claims Peer; Plus, VMAs Draw "More" Viewers | Today's News: Our Take | 9/12/2007
    Kanye West's beef with MTV extends beyond the fact that he was shut out, again, at the Video Music Awards. The outspoken rapper believes the cabler preyed on the potential for a Britney Spears screwup. (Watch the video here.) "Man, they were just trying to get ratings," he opined Tuesday on Sirius' Morning Mash Up. "They knew she wasn't ready and they exploited her." Did Brit's big comeback beget boffo numbers? And how. Sunday's VMAs drew 7.08 million viewers, a 23 percent surge over last... read more
  • Catching Up with the Good (Closer) and the Bad (TMZ) | Roush Dispatch | 9/11/2007
    This week’s crackling finale of TNT's The Closer was a splendid reminder of why Kyra Sedgwick is so deserving of the best-actress Emmy this year (yes, she'll be getting it for last season, but the character was just as strong a year ago). Being on basic cable, it's possible she'll once again by upstaged in what is one of the more crowded categories — her five other nominees include Sally Field (my second pick), Minnie Driver and past winners (in order of preference) Edie Falco,... read more
  • Inside Britney's VMAs Blunder: Reports Blame Rushed Rehearsals, Margaritas | Today's News: Our Take | 9/11/2007
    What's the real story behind Britney's unfortunate "Oops!" at Sunday's VMAs? (Watch video here.) As sources weigh in, a recurring theme suggests that a last-minute change in plans — perhaps not at all helped by frozen margaritas — led to the pop tart's onstage bewilderment. TV's Extra, for one, hears that a more elaborate number orchestrated by illusionist Criss Angel was pared down just before the show got under way. It would not have been an entirely insurmountable hurdle if Spears... read more
  • Listless Britney, Offstage Fight Highlight MTV's VMAs | Today's News: Our Take | 9/10/2007
    The phone conversation went something like this, I imagine:Spears: It's Britney, bitch.Choreographer: You know, I have had it with your attitude. Figure out your own VMA dance moves! Britney Spears launched her comeback on Sunday night by opening the Video Music Awards with a lip-synched performance of "Gimme More" that can only be described as disappointing. (See video here.) I lied; it can also be described as ill-prepared, awkward to watch and unfortunate. "It definitely could have been a... read more
  • Ask Matt | 9/10/2007
    I am really hoping that Disney will do the right thing and pay the High School Musical cast what they are worth so they will all sign on for HSM3. My 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter absolutely love both movies, and we would all be sad if Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens sit out over money disputes. They seem like very level-headed kids, considering the whirlwind surrounding them right now. Didn't Disney make these movies for very little money? If so, who is profiting from the merchandising?... read more
  • It's Britney, Bi--h: VMAs Confirm Spears as Opening Act | Today's News: Our Take | 9/6/2007
    This just in from the TV of M:"After weeks of mind-blowing media speculation, MTV confirms that Britney Spears will be opening the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Celebrating her long-awaited comeback to her fans, Spears will be performing live her new song 'Gimme More' from her highly anticipated album due out Nov. 13. The star-studded awards show will air live Sunday at 9 pm/ET."Immediately following Spears' performance, fans can download two ringtones available exclusively through MTV Mobile... read more
  • "Gimme More," Britney Coos in Just-released Single | Today's News: Our Take | 8/31/2007
    Is the improbable comeback on track? Sidelining "subpoena this" and "custody battle that" talk for at least several minutes, Britney Spears on Thursday night premiered the first single off her new album at Z-100's website. "Gimme More" (which I gave a listen to in between reading stories to the moppets) kicks off with the pop tart snarling [Earmuffs!], "It's Britney, bitch," before launching into her famous breathy vocals and a techno, dance-friendly and very catchy beat.Spears' new album, says... read more
  • Zac Efron: The New David Cassidy? | A Beautiful Fraud | 8/22/2007
    It's really really hard for me to even fake the slightest bit of interest in High School Musical 2 and its unprecedented success. As TV Guide Channel's Nikki Boyer put it so succinctly the other night on Watch This!, if the record-breaking numbers prove anything, it's simply that kids love crap. But like a lot of people, I was struck by the recent cover of Rolling Stone and the magazine's positioning of HSM2's squeaky-clean "hunk" Zac Efron as "America's Latest Heart Throb." I realize a lot has... read more
  • Britney Back with Justin? She Just Won't Duet | Today's News: Our Take | 8/22/2007
    Britney Spears bailed at the last minute on mixing a duet with red-hot former flame Justin Timberlake, robbing herself of a showstopping opener for the upcoming VMAs. Timbaland, who was producing the unlikely duet, "set aside a week out of his crazy schedule to do this and then, just before she was supposed to fly out, Britney abruptly canceled," a source tells the New York Post's Page Six. "It's crazy. She's looking for a comeback, and this would have not only been a huge hit, but something... read more
  • Britney Spears' Rehab Stint Scrutinized by K-Fed | Today's News: Our Take | 8/20/2007
    The latest and potentially most fruit-bearing subpoena served by Kevin Federline's lawyers in his brewing custody battle with ex-wife Britney Spears was served to the administrator of the Promises rehab center where Brit retreated to and supposedly got set straight following that whole head-shaving, umbrella-wielding meltdown. Though doctors and nurses who treated Spears are protected by doctor-patient confidentiality, it is believed that such insulation does not extend to the facility's... read more
  • Britney, Paris and Lindsay?! Celeb Apprentice Woos Unholy Trinity | Today's News: Our Take | 8/20/2007
    The edition of The Apprentice that most of us had already written off could shape up to be must-see TV if Donald Trump can close deals with the tabloids' unholy trinity. The Hair tells the New York Post's Page Six, "We're negotiating right now" to have Britney Spears on the series' upcoming celebrity edition, and that Paris Hilton "wants to be on, and we're thinking about it, but I don't know if we're going to do it." And getting a call from the Donald this week will be Lindsay Lohan, whom he... read more
  • Britney Plots a "Surprise" Comeback as Bisexual Buzz Dogs Her Custody Bid | Today's News: Our Take | 8/15/2007
    Provided she can get her act together — literally and figuratively — in time for the Sept. 9 kudoscast, Britney Spears is planning a surprise performance at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, hopefully signaling her "comeback," the New York Daily News reports. Just don't expect more girl-on-girl action... at least not on the stage. Adding fuel to the fire as ex-husband Kevin Federline wages a custody battle, a new story in OK! posits that Spears has been having a torrid affair with... read more
  • Britney's Flunky Speared by Subpoena: "Kevin Is Very Serious About Custody" | Today's News: Our Take | 8/13/2007
    Britney Spears' assistant and cousin, Alli Sims, was subpoenaed on Sunday to make a statement "in connection with the Britney Spears/Kevin Federline issue," K-Fed's attorney tells the Associated Press. Sims was flagged as a person "believed to have relevant information," says the lawyer, who declined to discuss the specifics at hand. Subpoenaing Sims was not a matter to be taken lightly. According to the New York Daily News, Federline's peeps retained "security expert" Aaron Cohen (formerly of... read more
  • Britney's Ex Is K-Fed Up, Files for More Custody | Today's News: Our Take | 8/9/2007
    We've all said it here, but let's say it again: Who'd have thought Kevin Federline would one day be swooping in with a cape and a Superdaddy emblem on his chest? According to TMZ and the assorted glossies, Britney's ex has had it up to his fedora with her increasingly bizarre and not-conducive-to-proper-motherhood antics, and as such has filed for an increase in custody of the couple's kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James (or as Brit calls them, "Whatshisname and that one that cries a lot,... read more
  • Britney's Latest Antics: Fender-bender, Boy Toy and a Photo-shoot Stand-in | Today's News: Our Take | 8/8/2007
    Britney Spears' latest (and simply sad) antics include a fender-bender, when on Monday her Mercedes dinged a parked station wagon in Los Angeles (embarrassing if only because of the slim odds of colliding into the one station wagon still in existence in L.A.). The pop tart then shrugged off the incident by shouting to the paparazzi, "I'm a brainiac!" The New York Post's Page Six also hears that because Spears flaked out on a photo shoot for her new fragrance, stylist Kylie Cavaco was grabbed to... read more
  • Britney and Lindsay Parodied in Song | Today's News: Our Take | 8/3/2007
    Which is hard, because, of course, technically, Spears and Lohan are already singers who are parodies. The Swedish group I'm from Barcelona has released a single called "Britney" that asks, quite reasonably, "Why did we care if good old Britney wants to shave her head?" And the Morning Zoo at 98.5 FM in Vegas has turned Shop Boyz hit "Party Like a RockStar" into "Party Like a Lohan," with digs like "a pocket full of blow and a point one two." read more
  • Free at Last, Fed-ex Comes Out Swinging: I'll Put the Kids First | Today's News: Our Take | 8/2/2007
    Redeemed by Britney Spears' outrageous behavior, onetime punch line Kevin Federline is continuing his back-door bid for sainthood by saying through his lawyer that when kids Sean and Jayden are with him, "he is going to shield [them] from unwanted media attention. You will not find a picture of Kevin parading with the children out in a public place." In all fairness, I don't think we've ever seen a photo of Britney "parading" with the young'uns, either. Toting them to Vegas, yes. Driving with... read more
  • Woman on the Verge: Britney Threatens to Kill Paparazzo | Today's News: Our Take | 8/1/2007
    You just know this isn't going to end well. During a routine encounter with the paps in Vegas on Tuesday, Wynn hotel security turned away the shutterbugs, at which point the retired singer's own bodyguard jumped one of the photographers. He now faces up to six months in prison. For her part, Brit hurled a baby bottle at the cameraman and yelled, "I am going to kill you!" No, this isn't going to end well at all. And in unfortunately related news, sources tell Us magazine that — shocking... read more
  • Great Scot! It's a Craig Ferguson Q&A! | TV Guide Interviews & Features | 8/1/2007
    With a comedic campaign for honorary U.S. citizenship and his increasingly inspired monologue, CBS' The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (weeknights at 12:35 am/ET) has really hit its stride. We spoke to the show's Glasgow-born host about what it's like working the night shift. TV Guide: At nearly 15 minutes, your monologue is practically a stand-up gig.Craig Ferguson: That's what we do ? 10, 15 minutes of new stand-up every show. I have eight or nine writers, and we decide what subject ... read more
  • Her Divorce Final, Britney Washes Fed-Ex Right Outta Her Weave | Today's News: Our Take | 7/31/2007
    They said it wouldn't last, and when they're right, boy are they ever right. After two years of tabloid headlines — er, togetherness — Britney Spears and Kevin Federline's divorce came through yesterday. And as the ink dried, the hotmess' attorney filed papers to keep details of the custody arrangement under wraps to insure that the info couldn't be used by kidnappers. Because if the young-'uns wound up not in Brit's "care," that would be a bad thing? In other relationship news,... read more
  • Next Stop on Britney's Crackup Tour: Vegas... with the Kids! | Today's News: Our Take | 7/27/2007
    Well, this makes sense. In her ongoing campaign to outcrazy Lindsay Lohan and worry her family to death, Britney Spears has made another brilliant move: She's taken her kids and headed to Vegas, People.com reports. The fact that neither she nor FedEx are allowed to take the young-'uns out of California without informing the other doesn't seem to have been factored into what I can only imagine was a thoroughly contemplated decision. Once there, the retired singer quickly made her presence known... read more
  • Britney Spears Is a Toxic Babysitter, Says Poll | Today's News: Our Take | 7/26/2007
    Some of the findings of a "pop culture" poll conducted of nearly 5,000 people by Parade.com:• Britney Spears is your nightmare babysitter, with 77 percent dreading the thought of the pop tart minding their own tots. Conversely, Katie Holmes and Reese Witherspoon are deemed supermoms.• Britney's rep is the most tarnished (says 40 percent of respondents), with Lindsay, Rosie and Paris tying for second.• Jennifer Aniston (yeah?) and Jessica Alba (oh yeah!) boast the best bikini... read more
  • Britney Spears Is Not OK, OK! Will Show | Today's News: Our Take | 7/24/2007
    After much deliberation, OK! Magazine has decided to use observations from its "disastrous" photo shoot with Britney Spears to illustrate just how far off the straight and narrow the beleaguered pop tart still is, even after a rendezvous with rehab. During the shoot, sources tell TMZ, Spears experienced "nothing less than a meltdown" and appeared "completely out of it," ultimately producing photos that could "kill her career" if published. Spears reportedly trashed severl big-bucks pieces of... read more
  • Britney Spears' "Umbrella Defense" Doesn't Hold Water | Today's News: Our Take | 7/5/2007
    Remember a couple of rehab visits ago, when Britney Spears was caught on film wailing on an innocent car with an umbrella after having a run-in with K-Fed? Apparently she was getting all Method on us. In an apology hand-delivered to the website X17, Spears now "explains" that she was merely "preparing for a possible movie role where the husband doesn't play his part, so [he and the wife] swap places. I guess I got a little carried away with my role!"Spears adds that, amazingly, she did not land... read more
  • Britney's Divorce: Why K-Fed Isn't Signing the Papers | Today's News: Our Take | 6/29/2007
    Kevin Federline is hesitating to put his John Hancock on his and Britney's final divorce papers, out of concern for how his estranged missus' penchant for partying, though currently quelled, might affect their kids if it resurfaces. While the couple since March have shared custody of their two sons, a source tells People that K-Fed "wants to make sure that the divorce document makes it simple enough for Kevin to downsize Britney's access to her kids the next time her behavior troubles him." (In... read more
  • Britney's Latest Hits, Moore vs Braff, and More | Today's News: Our Take | 6/21/2007
    Is Britney Spears poised to rehab her career? An insider "not affiliated with Spears or her label," the New York Post specifies, says there are "four definite hits" on the fallen pop tart's in-the-works album, adding, "It's amazing".... In other musical notes, Page Six also hears that "Looking Forward to Looking Back," a track on Mandy Moore's new Wild Hope CD, takes digs at ex-beau/Scrubs star Zach Braff (who most recently — and he's a hard one to keep up with! — has been spied up in... read more
  • Dear Diary: Britney's Deepest Thoughts Revealed | Today's News: Our Take | 5/30/2007
    Wait, these are her deepest thoughts? Wait, Britney thinks?! Sorta. On her website, she's reaching out to fans to "explain some of the things that I have been faced with recently," she writes. Among them: • Her post-breakup party spree: "I realized how much energy and love I had put into my past relationship when it was gone because I genuinely did not know what to do with myself.... I was so lost," says La Spears. Not that she sees anything wrong with her behavior. "I think it is actually... read more
  • Britney Spears: Fans' Prayers "Have Truly Helped Me" | Today's News: Our Take | 5/16/2007
    In a missive to fans posted at her official website, Britney Spears writes: "The reason for this letter is to let everyone know that their prayers have truly helped me. I am so blessed that you care enough about me to be concerned, and will continue to live in this brighter state with all of you by my side during this trying time. We are all the lights of the world and we all need to continually inspire others and look to the higher power. You are all in my prayers.Godspeed.Love, Britney"At... read more
  • Britney Returns to Stage Under Sweet Pseudonym | Today's News: Our Take | 5/2/2007
    The marquee promised "The M&Ms," but the performer on stage at the San Diego House of Blues — sporting a brown wig, sparkly pink bra top, belly ring, sh-sh-short white skirt and go-go boots — was a confection of a whole other k