Merv Griffin Was Gay?

Here is a story from Yahoo! OMG

Merv Griffin was gay.

Why should that be so uncomfortable to read? Why is it so difficult to write? Why are we still so jittery even about raising the issue in purportedly liberal-minded Hollywood, in 2007?

Griffin, who died of prostate cancer Sunday at 82, stayed in the closet throughout his life. Perhaps he figured it was preferable to remain the object of gossip rather than live openly as "one of them."

But how tremendously sad it is that a man of Merv's renown, of his gregarious nature and social dexterity, would feel compelled to endure such a stealthy double life even as the gay community's clout, and its levels of acceptance and equality, rose steadily from the ashes of ignorance.

What a powerful message Griffin might have sent had he squired his male companions around town rather than Eva Gabor, his longtime good friend and platonic public pal. Imagine the amount of good Merv could have done as a well-respected, hugely successful, beloved and uncloseted gay man in embodying a positive image.

I had more than a passing acquaintance with him, having worked on "The Merv Griffin Show" as a talent coordinator/segment producer in 1985-86 as the show was winding down. Around the office, Merv's being gay was understood but rarely discussed (and certainly never with him). We knew nothing of his relationships because he guarded his privacy fiercely, and we didn't pry.

Merv's secret gay life was widely known throughout showbiz culture, if not the wider America. It gained traction in 1991 when he was targeted in a pair of lawsuits: by "Dance Fever" host Denny Terrio, alleging sexual harassment; and by assistant Brent Plott seeking $200 million in palimony. Both ultimately were dismissed.

Over the past 16 years of his life, however, Griffin deflected the sexuality questions with a quip, determining that his private life remained nobody's business. He certainly didn't owe us an explanation, but maybe he owed it to himself to remove the suffocating veil he'd been forced to hide behind throughout his adult life. Then again, Merv carved his niche in the entertainment world at a time when being gay wasn't OK, when disclosure was unthinkable and the allegation alone could deep-six one's career.

If you're Griffin, why would you think a judgmental culture would be any more tolerant as you grew into middle and old age? Even in the capital of entertainment -- in a business where homosexuality isn't exactly a rare phenomenon -- it's still spoken of in hushed tones or, more often, not at all. And Merv's brush with tabloid scandal no doubt only drove him further into the closet.

While it would seem everything has changed today, little actually has. You can count on the fingers of one hand, or at most two, the number of high-powered stars, executives and public figures who have come out. Those who don't can't really be faulted, as rarely do honesty and full disclosure prove a boon to one's showbiz livelihood.

Nonetheless, the elephant that was his sexual orientation never really stopped following Griffin from room to room. He could duck it for a while, but it would always find him. It's disheartening that Merv had to die to shake it for good.

Heather Mills Justice

A photographer convicted of assaulting Heather Mills was sentenced Thursday to 140 hours of community service.

Jay Kaycappa, 32, was one of a group of photographers who pursued Mills, the estranged wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney, as she cycled through Brighton, in southern England, in July 2006.

Mills, 39, has said she ducked into an underground passage to avoid the paparazzi. She testified that Kaycappa cornered her and grabbed her shoulder to swing her around and take her picture.

A British court convicted Kaycappa in July. He was also convicted of assaulting Mills' friend Mark Payne the following evening.

The photographer's lawyer said he would appeal.

Mills and McCartney, 65, are in divorce proceedings. They have a 3-year-old daughter, Beatrice.

Posh Fashion Tips

In what Victoria Beckham would undoubtedly consider "major," a style guide penned by her own hand is being published for American readers!

Publishing house HarperEntertainment has acquired Victoria's book, "THAT EXTRA HALF AN INCH: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between."

The book, titled as a tongue-in-cheek nod to Victoria's love of high heels, is described as a "perfect handbag-size style guide for women" -- a revealing and practical look at fashion, beauty and personal style.

"I've always been a girl's girl," Beckham said in a statement. "And I know from experience that making the very best of your self is something any woman can do. I was never the six-foot-tall pin-up…I've always been the girl-next-door who got lucky. I've come a long way in the last ten years, but this book isn't my attempt to tell you what or what not to do. It's just to share some of what I've learned."

Victoria rose to international fame as a member of UK pop group "The Spice Girls," in which she was appropriately nicknamed "Posh." The classy Victoria went on to marry soccer superstar David Beckham, but it's her cutting-edge style and entrepreneurial endeavors that have cemented her place as a fashion icon.

Victoria has been celebrated not only for her modeling career, but for her own fashion designs. Along with a collection for Rock and Republic, Victoria launched her own successful line of clothes and accessories called dVb Style, as well as her own fragrances. Just this year, Glamour magazine awarded her double honors as "Woman of the Year" and "Entrepreneur of the Year!"

Already a best-seller in the UK, "THAT EXTRA HALF AN INCH" will now bring its style hints to American readers, with Victoria's tips on everything from effective shopping, to finding the right accessories, to making the most of the clothes you already have.

The book will be available in stores later this year.

Leonardo DiCaprio Gets Waxed!

Does Leonardo DiCaprio have a new lady in his life?

No, he just has a devoted fan who couldn't resist planting a smooch on his brand new wax figure!

And who can blame her, really? The figure is so lifelike, it could fool anyone.

Leonardo is the latest Hollywood superstar to get the wax treatment from the artists at Madame Tussauds.

Unveiled yesterday in Central London, the wax Leo joins the ranks of other famous figures, including recent additions Prince Charles, "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, and David & Victoria Beckham.

With locations in London, New York, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Hong Kong and Shanghai, you can rub waxy elbows with a veritable army of A-listers -- for an admission fee, of course.

And for those who don't mind shelling out the big bucks (and waiting four months), Madame Tussauds can even custom-make your very own figure.

Talk about a conversation piece!

Could Joel Madden Propose?

Could Joel Madden be ready to propose to his expecting girlfriend, Nicole Richie?

Speculation has run wild for months over whether Madden and Nicole would tie the knot, with anticipation reaching a fever pitch since Nicole confirmed her pregnancy earlier this month.

Regis Philbin broached the subject this morning when he welcomed Madden and his band, Good Charlotte, to ABC's "Live with Regis and Kelly."

"You're going to present her, maybe, with - did I hear the right thing, or should I not even talk about this?" Regis said to Joel.

When Madden replied with an "uh, what?," Regis quickly got to the point.

"A little ring, or something," he prodded.

"I was hoping it would be a surprise," laughed Madden, "but uh..."

But nothing! Joel didn't finish the sentence.

Regis, with a quick "ah dammit," turned straight to Joel's identical twin brother, Benji, and said, "What's new with you, big boy?"

Madden's and Richie's lips have been sealed about when (and if) they intend to marry, but could Joel have hinted at something real when Regis put him on the spot?

Only time will tell. For now, Madden is all about preparing for his child with Nicole, who is currently 4 1/2 months into her term.

"Yeah, we're expecting a baby," he said this morning, to cheers from the audience. "I did it."

He told Regis and Kelly that he's been reading up on the subject, with books such as "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "The Expectant Father" and "Baby Signs."

Nicole was sentenced last month to four days in jail and three years probation stemming from a December DUI arrest, and must complete her sentence by September 28. While rumors have surfaced that the couple plan to tie the knot before she serves her sentence, that has not been confirmed.

One thing that is for certain? Nicole's joy over being an expecting mother:

As she told ABC's Diane Sawyer earlier this month, "I'm so excited about my baby's life and this is just...it's so much bigger than me."

Hip Hop Cash Kings List

Hip-hop star Jay-Z's talent for extending beyond rap to the executive worlds of music, fashion and other businesses has earned him the top spot on Forbes magazine's "Hip-Hop Cash Kings" list.

Forbes on Thursday said Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, raked in $34 million in 2006, the year he released a comeback album "Kingdom Come."

But the boyfriend of pop singer Beyonce earned much of that income as chief executive of New York-based Def Jam Recordings, owner of a sports bar franchise and holder of endorsements deals with Budweiser, Hewlett-Packard and General Motors, Forbes said.

In March, Jay-Z, 36, sold his Rocawear fashion label for $204 million -- a sum that will again place him high up in the music world's earnings for 2007.

Coming in at No. 2 was rapper 50 Cent, a.k.a Curtis Jackson. He earned $32 million from his music and businesses such as a record label, video games and a line of books, the survey said.

Diddy -- real name Sean Combs -- came in third. He owns the Sean John clothing label and a cologne that he licensed to Estee Lauder. He also is an MTV television producer. Timbaland, whose real name is Timothy Mosley, was No. 4 with earnings of $21 million from collaborations and running Mosley Music Group.

Dr. Dre, a.k.a. Andre Young, grabbed fifth place with $20 million from ventures that include running Aftermath Entertainment, followed by Eminem at No. 6, who brought in $18 million, and Snoop Dogg at No. 7, who earned $17 million.

Forbes associate editor Lea Goldman said the hip-hop stars are "masters at branding and cross-promotion" so that "they're still making a killing as the rest of the music industry suffers."

"They get that it's not just about selling albums, but about selling a lifestyle," she said. "So they've plowed their earnings into media empires that include their own record labels, clothing lines, restaurants and bars."

Grammy award winner Kanye West was No. 8 with $17 million followed by Pharrell Williams, who has his own sneaker and clothing lines, and Scott Storch, a former keyboardist with the Roots turned hip-hop and pop writer and producer. Both also earned $17 million.

Tom Cruise Film Company

United Artists, the film company run by actor Tom Cruise and Chief Executive Paula Wagner, said on Thursday it raised $500 million through Merrill Lynch to fund 15 to 18 movies over the next five years.

Wagner called the financing "a milestone event" for United Artists, which was revived last year by Cruise, Wagner and their studio partner, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.

"It leaves us perfectly poised to realize our vision of making movies that are both important and commercial," Wagner said in a statement.

Financial details were not disclosed.

One of Hollywood's biggest box office draws, Cruise has starred in blockbusters like "Mission: Impossible" and Oscar contenders such as "Jerry Maguire."

But last year, Cruise's long-time studio partner Paramount Pictures cut its ties to Cruise and Wagner following the release of "Mission: Impossible III" -- an international hit with $264 million at overseas box offices, but only a modest success with $134 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales.

Cruise and Wagner went to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where they partnered with the studio behind the James Bond movies to revive United Artists.

Separately, a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer spokesman refuted a published report that Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank had withdrawn from underwriting $1 billion in financing for MGM.

MGM's Jeff Pryor said the studio never had a firm deal with Goldman Sachs or Deutsche Bank, so there was never a commitment from which to withdraw.

"We are confident we will come to (a financing package for MGM), but we are not in any hurry to do a slate deal," Pryor said. "Slate" is used to describe a group of upcoming films.

Pryor added that MGM's priority was completing the United Artists funding, which demonstrated "that even in tough market conditions, good product will always prevail."

United Artists said it expects to release four to six films a year. First up is Drama "Lions for Lambs," directed by Robert Redford and set for a November release. Beyond that, World War II thriller "Valkyrie" will hit theaters in the summer of 2008.

MGM is owned by a consortium of companies including private equity firms Texas Pacific Group and Providence Equity Partners, Sony Corp and Comcast Corp.

Psycho Britney Does It Again

Another day, another bit of bizarre Britney behavior. The cover of the September issue of Allure magazine features Britney Spears posed provocatively in jeans and dark brown wig, her bare breasts covered by her arms. There are two similar shots inside the mag. She very cooperatively posed for the shots in April.

When it came to sitting for the interview she had also agreed to, that became a much different matter.

"Britney showed up for Allure's cover shoot on time and ready to work," editor-in-chief Linda Wells wrote in an a letter for the issue, on newsstands Tuesday.

"She was entirely unself-conscious: She took off her wig and then stripped down to the waist, for no apparent reason, before sitting for hair and makeup," Wells said. "She was agreeable and cooperative on the shoot and left at the end of the day, followed by a trail of paparazzi."

As for the interview that was to follow, the 25-year-old Spears missed four appointments with Allure interviewer Judith Newman, Wells said.

At one point, Spears put off the chat because she was "delayed by important work in the recording studio," Newman wrote. But, she added, "The paparazzi found her a few hours later at a salon, getting her nails done." .

What do you do when you have no profile to accompany some alluring photographs? Newman wrote a first-person essay about her experience trying to track down Spears.

"Britney has long lost her role-model status," Wells commented. "That dream of a comeback seems to occupy an ever-more-distant speck on the horizon."

Gwen Hoping For Baby

Gwen Stefani says she wants more children but not while she's on tour and not until she's done another No Doubt record. Her 1-year-old son, Kingston, has been traveling with the 37-year-old singer on her "The Sweet Escape" tour.

"I go from the tour bus to the hotel room to the concert venue all while carrying my baby," Stefani tells InStyle in its September issue, on newsstands Friday.

"He's just getting into music. He does the whole head-bouncing thing," she says. "I love him so much. He's the best thing that has ever happened to me."

Kingston is the first child for Stefani and her rocker husband, Gavin Rossdale, 39, who were married in 2002.

"Obviously I'm in a race to have another, but I don't want to do it while on tour," Stefani says. "And I want to do another No Doubt record."

"But I can't wait to get pregnant again," she tells the magazine. "It's so fun and consuming and romantic."

Stefani became a staple in the music world with the 1995 release of No Doubt's "Tragic Kingdom" record. British-born Rossdale, who fronted Bush, made his American debut with the more sober album "Sixteen Stone."

Foxy Brown's Temper Flares

Foxy Brown's temper seems to have gotten her in trouble again. The 27-year-old rapper, who is on probation for attacking two manicurists at a nail salon in 2004, has been charged with assault and possession of a weapon her cell phone for allegedly hitting a neighbor with her BlackBerry.

Earlier this year, she was threatened with jail in a hair salon incident in Florida. Police said Brown threw hair glue at a beauty shop employee.

The latest arrest could lead to her probation being revoked.

"We have filed a violation of probation with the court," said Jack Ryan, a spokesman for the city Department of Probation.

Brown was arrested Tuesday for allegedly assaulting Arlene Raymond, 25, who lives near the rapper in the Prospect Heights section of Brooklyn, on July 30. Police said the two women got into a fight over Brown blasting her car stereo.

Raymond alleged that a few days later, they passed each other on the street and Brown hurled her BlackBerry at her, cutting her lip and knocking a tooth loose.

Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, was released on $50,000 bail after her arraignment Tuesday on charges of felony assault, misdemeanor assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Her manager, Chaz Williams, said the charges were false.

Brown's lawyer, state Sen. John Sampson, didn't immediately respond to requests Thursday for comment.

The rapper was accused of violating probation in the incident at the Florida hair salon. She was threatened with jail, but was restored to probation in good standing in June by a Manhattan judge, who said Brown had kept appointments with her probation officer, passed drug tests and attended required anger management classes.

Hilton Clothing Released

Police and city workers were called in to handle the crowd and a lane of traffic was closed as Paris Hilton unveiled her clothing line Thursday at a trendy boutique.

The heiress, author, singer, perfume designer and reality-TV star unveiled the line at Kitson, a boutique known for its celebrity clientele. The lane was closed for pedestrians' safety, a city spokesman said.

Clad in a gold sequin mini-dress, Hilton, 26, emerged from a black SUV to a throng of fans who spilled into the street. Inside the store, Hilton was all smiles.

"It's a dream come true to have my own clothing line," she said. "It's just Paris style: fun, bright and flashy."

The collection, which Hilton described as "really comfortable" and "really affordable," includes shoes, T-shirts and jeans. Hilton said she spent a year submitting and approving designs.

"It's just from my closet to their closets," she said. Additional pieces will be released next month, she said.

The heiress also discussed other newsy matters in her life: her pregnant pal, Nicole Richie ("She's going to be a great mom," Hilton said), and the pending sale of her Hollywood Hills home.

"I'm going to miss my house because I love it. I really designed it to be my perfect taste," she said. "But too many people know where I live and I'd rather be in a gated community."

Paris Hilton at a Book Store?????

You gotta hand it to Paris Hilton - the girl knows how to create an image. Be it good or bad, she's very much in control of how she looks when in front of the cameras. The former socialite/future humanitarian checked out some architecture books in Malibu this weekend... ooh, does this mean she has more interests than just shopping? Does she want to be an architect?? Do we care?! Anyway, she was basically on her phone the whole time so she probably wasn't paying too much attention. Maybe she thought they were Dr. Seuss books! I jest, I jest.

Another Britney Spears Subpoena Served!

Looks like Alli won't have to worry about loneliness when she heads down to the courthouse - according to Us Magazine Daimon Shippen\, Britney's other constant companion, got hit with a subpoena last night! The magazine specifically quotes a source in Kevin Federline's camp as describing Shippen as having "a unique position having worked with Britney for a long time and has incredible knowledge of her parenting skills and comings and goings." Of course, our source says Britney's a big-time hands-on mother - looks like this custody battle's going to be one for the ages!

Poor Daimon - this probably wasn't in the job description!

Mary-Kate Loves Older Men

21-year-old Mary-Kate Olsen is in the new movie, ‘The Wackness,’ with 63-year-old Sir Ben Kingsley
where the two share a steamy scene together. The movie, currently
shooting in New York, is directed by Jonathan Levine and is about a
drug dealer who trades marijuana for therapy sessions with his shrink,
played by Kingsley.

I’m not sure how Mary-Kate fits into the movie, but she reportedly
hooks up with Kingsley in what is described as a “full on make-out
session.”

Just to put this into perspective. When Mary-Kate was 2-years-old on ‘Full House,’ Sir Ben was 44. Nice Visual.

Paris Crushes Fans

Two giddy (and, frankly, too grown) female fans approached the front gate of Paris Hilton's Malibu home yesterday hoping to torment meet the hotel heiress. Even stalkers are hotter at the beach!

Bordering
on harassment -- but settling on just plain annoying -- the duo
proceeded to buzz the intercom repeatedly to ask for Paris. The cunning
Miss Hilton tried to disguise her voice as a maid -- with a
faux-Spanish accent to boot, like fellow celebuwreck Britney Spears did at a drive-thru yesterday! Que pasa locas!

The
plan nearly went off without a hitch -- until one of the fans saw Paris
through the gate! Foiled again! Guess this star wasn't blind to these
fans!

Don Imus Settlement

The Associated Press is reporting that shock jock Don Imus has reached
a settlement with CBS after the broadcaster was fired for making racist
and sexist comments about the Rutgers women's basketball team. Calling
Al Sharpton!

According to an AP source, the settlement keeps CBS
out of court and away from Imus' threatened $120 million breach of
contract lawsuit and a possible "non-disparaging agreement" which would
keep Imus from speaking negatively about his former employer. Shut yo'
mouth!

In addition, WABC is reportedly in talks with the radio star to bring him back to the airwaves.

Ving Rhames Killer Dogs

The bizarre dog attack that killed a caretaker at actor Ving Rhames
home just got weirder. The LA County Coroner tells TMZ that it was most
likely something else, and not the dogs, that killed Jacob
Adams. Ving, for his part, isn't waiting for a the final report. He's
already made up his mind as to what happened.

According to the
Coroner, the abrasions and lacerations on Adams' body caused by the
dogs were "most likely not fatal." Huh? Then just HOW did the guy die?
We're told we won't know that until toxicology test results come out.
Initial reports indicated Adams may have suffered a heart attack, but
that has yet to be confirmed by the Coroner.

Ving, for his part, issued the following statement yesterday:
I
was out of the country when this shocking and terrible tragedy occurred
on my property. Jacob Adams was not just a devoted employee -- he was
also a dear friend. I want to offer my heartfelt condolences to his
family. I am relieved to know that the coroner's report confirmed that
my dogs were not the cause of his death -- and that any wounds found on
his body were superficial. I would appreciate the media's privacy for
me and my family during this difficult time.

Paris Hilton Media Blackout

Paris Hilton is angry about her recent media blackout. Since shortly after her
release from prison, several international news agencies have refused to carry
stories about the socialite for at least one month.

From a club in Las
Vegas, Hilton offered the following statement: "I have the wind blow my dress up
and show everyone my pink panties, and no one sees or hears about it. Everyone
in the country saw Britney's and that American Idol girl's panties."

"I
bend over and my breast falls out of my top and no snaps a picture. Claire Danes
does it, and she becomes front page news (even when her new movie bombs at the
box office)."

"I try acting stupid like Jessica Simpson and say that a
trollop is a small scoop of whipped cream and a skank is a male skunk, and
everyone ignores me."

"I've tried getting out of limos without my
panties. I've tried barbequing my dog Tinkerbell. I've driven the wrong way on
one way streets. I've spit on cops and gotten busted for DWI all over again. I
even threw another temper tantrum outside of a court house and no one
cares!"

"What do I have to do to be a media darling again? Why are you
people just ignoring me and treating me like an average, ordinary, white trash
skank?"

A.P. U.P.I. Reuters, CNN, ESPN, USA Today, ABC, NBC, CBS,
Foxnews, the BBC, the CBC, and Telemundo all declined comment and refused to run
her diatribe.

Now, since you had to really search to find this Paris
Hilton story, are you proud of yourself?

Britney Spears Exclusive Interview on X17

X17 has spoken exclusively with a source we've
witnessed to be very close to Britney -- we grabbed him as he left
Winston's Friday night with Brit and Alli (he snuck out the back door,
but X17 was there!). "Jeff" as he called himself (not Jeff Kwatinetz
who was rumored to be Brit's new manager), has been close to Britney
and/or Britney's family since before all of her recent troubles began.
And here’s what he told us ...

“Britney does NOT do drugs!,” says "Jeff" who tells
us he’s strictly against any type of drug use and against anyone
involved in any type of drug use. She might enjoy a drink or two when
she goes out but that’s it. And the lollipops? -- "They're Tootsie Roll
pops, not suckers laced with drugs or whatever Kevin's camp is claiming
-- I've never even heard of that!" She doesn't even go out on nights
when she has the kids and she becomes very sad immediately after they
leave. Her world revolves around her children -- 98% of her energy is
spent on her children and at this point her career takes a distant
second.



Britney never hated Kevin. He was "hardly even present
during most of their marriage" but for the sake of being with her
children 24/7, "Jeff" says, she would have considered staying with him.
However, in order to be a happier mom, she felt it would be best to
part ways with him. Jeff says: “Staying with a liar just to make life
easier for your children -- if that's not pure devotion for your kids,
then what is?? Britney can get any guy she wants, it's just hard to
weed out the good ones from the bad ones"



Britney is NOT worried about Kevin's battle for custody
of Sean and Jayden because she knows no one around her has evidence or
proof of her doing anything negative that would make her an unfit
mother because she has been nothing but a responsible, loving mom.
According to Jeff: "Anyone close to Britney knows that she's an angel
when it comes to being a mom and a friend."



Everyday life for Britney with her kids consists of 23.9 hours/day
focused on the boys, "mom, mom, mom constantly," NO soda in their
bottles -- in fact hardly any soda in the house, claims "Jeff." Britney
spends all day playing with the boys while they're there and allows no
strangers in the house and conducts very little work-related business
when they're around. “Her kids are everything to her, there's no doubt
about it,” he says.



The negative? -- our source says, "You mean besides
the fact she's never made me those potatoes au gratin like she
promised? -- haha!" There's nothing normal about her life right now."
With the media focused on her like they are and the constant legal
battles arising from her family, Britney is anxious over the constant
pressure and threats. “She's a young girl, who's finally attempting to
be totally independent and that's just something that the people around
her -- business people -- do not want to see happen. When someone gets
fired, they immediately decide to hop on board with all the haters.
However you never see them report anything negative when they're
employed, they just run to the tabloids and try to sell their bogus
stories after she's canned them. Any celebrity of her magnitude will
tell you how hard it is to have your life scrutinized every second of
the day, however she remains as polite as possible to the press. She
doesn’t feel as if she needs to defend herself in the media and I
agree. Just don't get in the way of her kids; she is a mother and she
is very protective of her sons, as she should be.”



On Britney's family -- our source says, "They have
issues of their own that they need to work on. They need to quit
blaming Britney.” He's totally "turned off by Britney's family at the
moment" He's also somewhat disappointed in her mom for being so naive
and trusting the people that Britney fired rather than trusting her own
daughter. It was due to the influence of Larry Rudolph on her family
that Britney was forced in to rehab and while she was there, according
to "Jeff." He also claims Promises staff administered medication on
Britney despite a record of constantly clean drug tests that showed no
traces of anything in her body. He says Promises quickly backed off
from the accusations of drug and alcohol abuse and then claimed
postpartum depression after the drug results were clean, but either way
... Britney was FORCED to stay in rehab because her family, her manager
and officials at Promises were all threatening to take away her
children unless she completed the treatment program. “I think Lynne
does love her daughter, however I also believe Britney's anger towards
her is justified. But come on, all moms and daughters have their
arguments. Britney is just upset right now, her family needs to just be
there when she's ready to call upon them."



So why'd Britney shave her head? -- Kevin taunted
Britney that even his smoking of marijuana in her presence (Jeff showed
us a pic of Kevin on his phone of Kev with a joint in his hands,
partying with his friends) would leave traces of the drug that could be
picked up by drug testing when they lived together and he threatened to
use that against her in a custody battle. After Britney shaved her
head, she begged her mom and Kevin to test the hair from the salon
however no one went to claim it. Instead, Larry and her family staged
an intervention in a hotel room with the same interventionist that put
Britney's father Jamie in rehab and also worked with her brother.
Britney begged for them to give her a drug test but eventually felt
there was no other option but to enter a treatment program to prove to
her family that she was clean and to protect herself from any unfounded
accusations in a potential custody battle. Britney met with attorneys
over a month ago regarding legal action against Promises. "I think she
certainly has a case against the rehab center, I feel what they did to
her was not only cruel and embarrassing it added more ammunition aiding
Kevin's eagerness for custody over her finances, whoops I mean
children."



"Jeff" raised the question -- why would Kevin file a civil case if he were truly worried about his kids'
welfare when they're with Britney? He could have just called Child
Protective Services and gotten any urgent claims handled that way,
however his dispute now is clearly for financial gain. Britney isn't
hiding anything. And why didn't he fight for full custody of his kids
with Shar Jackson if he loves his kids so much?"



Our source says "Britney is the most generous person you could meet
-- too generous" and that she doesn't focus on money at all. She has
supported her family financially for years and feels that they
shouldn't be so quick to judge her at times. Britney does have a good
relationship with her sister Jamie Lynne. Despite the current rocky
family emotions "Jeff" does feel that a reconciliation sometime in the
future is possible because he says, “Britney is all about family. I
just believe at the moment, she’s angry, she feels betrayed and she has
every right to feel this way. Deep down, that entire family does love
one another and it's just a matter of time before they're all together
again."



Britney and the press -- “Britney is very clever.
She's a seasoned celebrity veteran, if anyone knows how the press spins
stories, its Britney. Get it straight people, Britney doesn't go out
when her kids are home!! Come on, she has shared custody there is half
the week when she's not with her kids! The press needs to quit being so
ignorant at times. If you had 50 cameras and cameramen hovering around
you, inches away from you at all times, pushing and shoving, wardrobe
malfunctions are bound to happen.”



Britney's love life? -- "Jeff" says “Britney's like a
little girl at times" and is "shy around guys. She's young and single
and would love to find the right man; how can anyone blame her for
that. I think she forgets sometimes that she’s a mega-star, someone who
changed the face of music, an historical icon that still has a lot to
learn and a lot more still to offer."



Whew! This is the interview every magazine is trying to get, but you have it here, exclusively on X17online.com !
"Jeff" has turned down countless offers rumored to be over $500,000 to
tell this story but decided to speak directly to X17 outside the club
(after a little prodding!). He wasn’t interested in money, just in
setting the record straight.