While Britney Spears may have plenty to be upset about, her recent sob session with actress friend Tara Reid wasn't due to breaking up with boyfriend and 'NSYNC singer Justin Timberlake, because the split didn't happen — despite widespread reports from the BBC, the New York Post and various British tabloids.

Spears emphatically denied the reports to MTV Italy on Monday (March 11th), saying, "No, that's not true. Me and Justin did not split up."

The breakup rumors appear to have spread rapidly in Europe based on a comment Spears made at a press conference she gave in Cologne, Germany, on Friday. In town to promote her big-screen debut, "Crossroads" — called "Not A Girl" in Germany — she told reporters that she and Timberlake hardly get to see each other due to their hectic schedules and "work commitments." Not an uncommon complaint, but it sparked more speculation than usual, since Spears had been spotted having a public cry at Les Deux Café in Hollywood with Reid earlier that week.

More reports surfaced that Spears had been seen crying at other Hollywood hot spots, such as the Standard, and that she had stopped wearing a diamond friendship ring Timberlake had given her last summer. Tabloids fed the rumors, quoting unnamed sources said to be close to the couple, who claimed that they were unhappy with all the inquiries into their private life and that each was jealous of the other's screen kisses and love scenes. For Timberlake, that would be his liplock with the brunette in the "Gone" video. 

In the February issue of Cosmopolitan, Spears said Timberlake's video kiss "devastated" her: "You could have just taken a knife and stabbed me. ... I stormed into the bathroom. I was like, 'Don't talk to me for a second. I need a moment, please.' It was just too much for me." Likewise, Timberlake was said to be miffed at Spears' kissing scenes with French model Bryce Durand in her Herb Ritts-directed video, "Don't Let Me Be the Last to Know," and with actor Anson Mount in "Crossroads." 

Spears said that despite initial pangs of jealousy, they each realize that whatever happens on screen is no reflection of their relationship. "That's a part of what we do," Spears told The Associated Press. "And I accept that ... it's just acting."

They are being sold on the internet to raise money for Aids charities in Austria.

Bidding started at as little as one euro, and will run until March 21.

The auction is being conducted by the internet auction house OneTwoSold.

Fashion gurus Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix as well as Shaggy and DJ Otzi have also joined the fundraising project.

The highest internet bidders for the Easter eggs will be invited to attend the final auction gala at the Vienna auction house Dorotheum on March 22.

Ninety eggs in all will go under the hammer, painted by more than 60 stars. 

The auction has been organised by Gery Keszler, director of the Austrian Organisation Aids Life, and all money raised will go towards the Life Ball which will take place on May 19.

He said: "Last time I looked you could get your hands on a Britney egg for £21 and a Shaggy egg for £12, but I expect the price to have risen a lot by the time the auction ends. There is still plenty of time to get a bid in."

It had been rumoured Britney ended her two-year relationship with the NSync star last week. 

But a Jive Records spokeswoman told Ananova the reports aren't true as far as she knows.

It is thought the rumour began after Britney's recent press conference in Germany, to promote her new film Crossroads.

The singer told reporters she never gets to see Justin because of work commitments.

Jive says it will be releasing an official statement later today.

Britney and Justin first met on Disney TV show The Mickey Mouse Club in 1993.

Earlier this year, Britney said she intended to marry Justin and have his children.

1.The Time Machine, $22.5 million 
2.We Were Soldiers, $14.4 million 
3.All About the Benjamins, $10.1 million 
4.40 Days and 40 Nights, $7.1 million 
5.John Q., $6 million 
6.Return to Neverland, $4.7 million 
7.Dragonfly, $4.1 million 
8.A Beautiful Mind, $3.9 million 
9.Big Fat Liar, $3.4 million 
10.The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, $2.6 million 
11.Crossroads, $2.4 million
 

"I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" on the single charts:
Austria #16
Germany #23
Switzerland #23
Netherlands #31 (debut)

"Britney" on the album charts:
Argentina #7
Canada #19
France #23
Austria #25
Belgium #30
Finland #32
Switzerland #34
Sweden #39
UK #46
Ireland #46
Netherlands #49

"Overprotected" on the single charts:
Argentina #11
World #13
Italy #15
Sweden #15
Denmark #20
France #21
Belgium #22
Ireland #25
Czechia #34
UK #38
Netherlands #49

Please keep in mind this is just a rumor as of yet and we are reporting news that we found and not breaking the news.
 

Residents staged their protest at around 4am in downtown Los Angeles, hurling bucket-loads at the 21-year-old singer as she performed in the street below.

Fled for cover

The star fled for cover in a nearby trailer and filming was abandoned shortly afterwards, the paper reports.

One resident reportedly said: "Sure, I opened the window and yelled shut-up - but I would never have done such a vile thing."

But the resident added: "We kept hearing the same song over and over but what made it worse were two 100ft spotlights. They lit up our apartment like it was daytime.

Started screaming

"Lots of people in the block opened their windows and started screaming at her.

"Britney certainly didn't deserve the bucket treatment. She's a brilliant singer ... but perhaps not when you're trying to get to sleep". 

Jamie Lynn is Britney's younger sister and is just 11 years old.

According to their mother, Jamie Lynn has been talking to some American TV networks about launching her career.

"Jamie Lynn and I flew to Los Angeles to visit Britney, and to meet with a network" Lynne Spears writes on the official Britney website.

"The network called last week about Jamie Lynn doing some work in television. Jamie Lynn is ecstatic. Britney and I are too, but we want a situation where she can still be a kid and have fun". 

That's the gist of Spears' new video, for a remix of "Overprotected," which was shot last weekend in Los Angeles, according to its director Chris Applebaum (American Hi-Fi, Willa Ford). The clip furthers her "I'm Not a Girl" crusade to shirk her adolescent image, as she and five friends outsmart her bodyguard with the old "you're wanted elsewhere" trick and sneak out of a hotel and into an underground dance club.

Spears envisioned the treatment herself, said Applebaum, who also remarked that her stamina and patience through the marathon shoot, which wrapped 5 a.m. Monday morning after 23 consecutive hours of filming, was impressive. The director, who has dozens of videos under his belt, added that the shoot went so smoothly, the most derailing obstacle was less-than-scrumptious catering.

The clip opens with the pop princess and her friends in a hotel room, where a tabloid reporter on television criticizes her for the sexy, revealing outfits she's often seen wearing publicly. At that point Spears, determined to be self-sufficient and unaffected by media comments, leads her pals out of the hotel and toward the dance club. But before they arrive, they're caught in an alley by a flash shower. As they make their entrance, they're dripping wet, an image which makes for more sensationalist fodder for the tabloid reporter. Some girls just can't win.

Producer Rodney Jerkins is responsible for reworking the Britney track . The song, which he described as having an old-school-type rhythm, will begin to surface at radio April 1, according to Jive Records. 

Here's what Britney's blurb said:

"Britney's the ultimate entertainer. She's a sometimes-shocking, always-sexy work-in-progress, changing her looks, fashion, and music so it's always cutting-edge. Since making her schoolgirl debut in "...Baby One More Time," we've seen her strip down to a body stocking (2000 VMA's), belly dance with a snake (2001 VMA's), and act like a goof (with Justin in her Diary episode). Just when everyone else starts to follow her lead, she's on to something else to shake things up. What would the channel be without her? Boring. What Madonna was to MTV's first 20 years, Britney is to its future."
 
 

Britney worked with Brian Freidman on choreography for her new video that premieres soon. It’s going to be one of her best yet. Brit and Brian F. talked on the telephone non-stop about the concept. After about the fifteenth call, I think they decided on the final idea. Sometimes I think Britney must dream about these things, because she wakes up talking about the way this or that should go. 

Jamie Lynn and I flew to Los Angeles to visit Britney, and to meet with a network. The network called last week about Jamie Lynn doing some work in television. Jamie Lynn is ecstatic. Britney and I are too, but we want a situation where she can still be a kid and have fun. Jamie Lynn also has to keep her grades up if she plans to start the entertainment business. I found her and Crystal playing with the SmartFlash cards you can buy on Britney’s Web site instead of studying today. She and Crystal love them. 

Britney has another vacation soon. She still hasn’t even seen her new place in Florida. She has seen plenty of pictures and a video, but not the real thing. We always plan to do things, and at the last minute change our minds. Hopefully, she will get a chance to see it on her next vacation. A trip to Florida would be great after the cold weather we are having here in Louisiana. 

Britney is reading script after script for her next movie. There is one we especially love. I read the book a couple of years ago. The part seems to be perfect for her. She knows she will get the part if it’s meant to be. Personally, I also think Brit could do a romantic comedy. 

Brit just called from Los Angeles to tell me she and Rob (her bodyguard) are sporting around in some new vehicle and loving it. She has a day off, which she always enjoys. She had just eaten some Chinese and was about to go shopping. 

Britney is going overseas soon. I don’t like it when she is so far away. When she was a little girl, I thought going a hundred miles was far. Today, I’m happy to have her in a neighboring state! Just knowing we will have another vacation soon placates me. 

Talk to you soon!  

BILLBOARD 200 HISTORY: Britney
week (17) ending 03.09.02 #25
week (16) ending 03.02.02 #9
week (15) ending 02.23.02 #14
week (14) ending 02.16.02 #17
week (13) ending 02.09.02 #25
week (12) ending 02.02.02 #22
week (11) ending 01.26.02 #21
week (10) ending 01.19.02 #20
week (09) ending 01.12.02 #14
week (08) ending 01.05.02 #12
week (07) ending 12.29.01 #4
week (06) ending 12.22.01 #3
week (05) ending 12.15.01 #4
week (04) ending 12.08.01 #5
week (03) ending 12.01.01 #3
week (02) ending 11.24.01 #2
week (01) ending 11.17.01 #1 (debut)
 

Enya, Shaggy and Andrea Bocelli will also perform at the awards ceremony in Monte Carlo.

All the artists are among the list of nominees for the awards, which also includes Robbie Williams, Linkin Park, Michael Jackson and Dido.

The World Music Awards honour the best selling acts of the past year.

The World Music Awards will be hosted by Shaggy, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mark McGrath, and celebrities presenting awards include Naomi Campbell, Rachel Hunter and Michael Bolton.

Other nominees are:

World's best selling male artist - Shaggy, Enrique Iglesias, Michael Jackson, Robbie Williams

World's best selling female artist - Enya, Dido, Britney Spears, Alicia Keys

World's best selling artist or group - Destiny's Child, Shaggy, Dido, Enya, Linkin Park

World's best selling pop group - Destiny's Child, NSync, Backstreet Boys

World's best selling rock artist - Lenny Kravitz, Sting, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan

World's best selling pop male artist - Michael Jackson, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Robbie Williams

World's best selling pop female artist - Dido, Britney Spears, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez

The World Music Awards Legend Award will be presented to Gloria Gaynor at the ceremony at the Monte Carlo Sporting Club.