MAIN Art & ... Pop Culture Pop Music Britney Spears

Britney Jean Spears was born on December 2, 1981 in Kentwood, Louisiana.

The current Princess of Pop began her performing career in local productions and church choirs before going on to appear in commercials and off-Broadway plays.

At the age of 11, young Britney joined a 1990's revival of The Mickey Mouse Club TV show, appearing with future teen-pop stars Christina Aguilera, J.C. Chasez, and Justin Timberlake.

As a result, Jive Records gave her a record contract in 1994, and keen to promote her Mickey Mouse Club image, began producing such early hits as the sweetly saccarine Soda Pop and Born to Make You Happy.

Spears' perky innocence was short-lived, however, when her racier second album Oops!...I Did It Again entered the album charts at number one and sold 9 million copies.

It seemed good-girl Britney became naughty-girl Britney practically overnight, followed by a series of hits like I'm a Slave 4U accompanied by videos that began to equal and even surpass Madonna in various states of undress.

Her off-stage antics were headline-making, as well, when she broke up with boyfriend Justin Timberlake and then married childhood friend, Jason Alexander, in a Las Vegas wedding that was annulled days later.

Her most well-known onstage scene-stealer was as a presenter at the 2003 MTV Music Video Awards - when she indulged in a makeout session onstage with her idol, Madonna.

The following year, Spears announced her marriage to dancer Kevin Federline and hinted at plans about starting a family.

However, in 2005 Spears was back in high profile with a new video, Do Somethin' and picked up her first Grammy Award for Toxic in the Best Dance Recording category.

Shortly after, however, Spears confirmed tabloid rumors that she was, indeed, pregnant with her first child and later gave birth to a baby boy, Sean Preston, on September 14, 2005.

The Tabloids Scream - Baby No. 2 - Divorce - Sex Tapes & Crotch Shots

However, almost immediately following their joyous birth announcement, rumors began to surface that the couple's strained relationship had led to a trial separation.

Sources point to the stress brought about by the almost $1 million dollars of Spears' money that her husband has spent on outfitting his failed music career. (See kevinfederline.com).

In related reports, DivorceKevin.com has sprung up to bill itself as "the home of the anti-Kevin movement", establishing a competition to guess the correct date of a formal split.

Over the past year, the pop star had been the subject of headlines once again - regarding pregnancy No. 2, with a six-month pregnant Britney splashed across the cover of the August issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine.

Meanwhile, news of the Spears-Federline split were finally confirmed when Spears filed divorce papers on November 7, 2006 in Los Angeles County Superior Court citing “irreconcilable differences." The reported $1 million divorce settlement, with joint custody of their two children, became final in March, 2007.

The 24-year-old singer sought custody of the couple’s two children, Sean Preston, 1, and newborn Jayden James while rumors widely circulated that cash strapped Federline - now known as "Fed-Ex" - was attempting to sell a sex tape that was taken on the couple's honeymoon for a reported $65 million.

Most recently, Britney Spears has regained her "Web celeb" status with a recent spate of crotch shot photos, published following her divorce news and taken with new party gal pal, Paris Hilton.

In February, a very bald Britney was spotted by a local TV station in an L.A. tattoo parlor - the day after she reportedly checked in and out of a Caribbean rehab facility. Spears has now reentered rehab in California, but not before going ballistic on a reporter's van outside a local gas station.

Behind the headlines, the star's personal struggles are believed caused by postpartum depression due to multiple pregnancies occuring over a short period of time. The cause is related to hormonal imbalance, with mild-to-severe symptoms of emotional upheaval or even dangerously psychotic behavior.

Britney Latest : Not ... OK!

Spear's is reportedly about to embark on a $100,000 makeover with plans for liposuction, a tummy tuck and a breast lift to help relaunch her sagging career.

Meanwhile, she has also recently sparked a publishing war involving Vanity Fair, OK! and Allure magazines bidding for her promised tell-all interview.

In July, OK! magazine reported that they had won interview rights with an incoherent Britney, which resulted in an on-record "meltdown" and a "disastrous photo shoot".

Britney Goes Topless

In July, the pop star was the subject of a revealing expose by a college student, 20-something Matt Encinias, who in July reportedly romped around with a topless Britney and entourage at an LA hotel pool party.

According to Encinias, he met his poolmate five hours earlier after turning up to appear as an extra in her new music video.

Yet another topless pool session was photographed showing Spears in a purpoted "Lesbian Love-In" with former personal assistant Shannon Funk which were published by the London tabloid The Sun and in OK! Magazine in August.

"Fed Up" K-Fed Gets Custody

Meanwhile, ex-husband Kevin Federline has finally made his move to win primary custody of the former couple's children, Jayden James and Sean Preston, reportedly citing her recent odd behavior and party girl antics.

In addition to twice-weekly drug tests, an LA judge ordered Spears to spend eight hours per week working with a "parenting coach," who was to observe her interactions with her children.

Britney Returns to MTV

More hot buzz also surrounded the orchestrated comeback of the beleagured pop star as the opening act on this year's MTV Video Music Awards. with a new single, Gimme More which premiered in late August ahead of a new album, Blackout, released in October 2007.

"Gimme More" was her first official single since "Do Somethin' " from her greatest hits album released in 2005.

Britney Spears :: The Official Web Site - All the latest news and tour dates, photos, desktop wallpaper, links to favorite audio clips, an online shop, fan letters and fan club updates.

Britney Spears - britney.com - Jive Records - Her record label pays tribute with a biography, news updates, feature magazine articles, video clips and photo gallery.

Britney Spears - Wikipedia - The complete biography including early childhood career, her rise to fame and recent personal struggles, with photos, audio files, discography, related links & resources.

World of Britney - The monster fan site with a huge cache of orignally produced videos, news updates, photos and newsletter.

The Britney Spears Picture Pages - Watch the young Britney grow up in three full photo galleries, including one-stop browsing for the complete lyrics to all her major hits.

Britney Spears on LAUNCH - News, interviews, video and audio clips, and check out that photo gallery...

Hot Celebrity Wallpaper - Britney Spears - Put her on your desktop available in various resolutions.

Britney Spears Spelling Correction - A report from Google on the thousands of ways her fans look for the star - with the most popular including Brittany, Brittney, Britany and...

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