The 20-year-old pop singer faced the British media at a news conference to promote ``Crossroads,'' her coming-of-age road trip movie, which opened in the United States last month. Journalists were warned beforehand that Spears would ignore questions about taboo topics, such as her love life.

But when a reporter asked whether she was involved in an ``intense relationship,'' Spears replied: ``No, I would not say I was in an intense relationship with anyone at the moment.''

Later, she told ITV television that she felt entitled to protect her privacy.

``People talk about my private life. That goes with what I do. You have to accept that,'' she said. ``But if they ask about it, I say it's none of your business.''

Tabloids in Britain and the United States have reported that she and Timberlake have parted ways, and the cover of the April 1 issue of US Weekly magazine trumpets: ``Britney & Justin: It's Over.'' But Spears recently told MTV that she and Timberlake were still together.

Spears and the 21-year-old boy band member have been pop music's power couple for the past two years, and have known each other since the mid-1990s, when they were cast members on the Disney Channel's ``Mickey Mouse Club.'' At age 12, each was the other's first kiss; lately, they've shared a house in the Hollywood Hills.

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Spears said she's aware of the constant scrutiny the relationship has been under.

``I've heard so many things about him, he's heard so many things about me _ it's a part of what we do,'' she said. ``That goes along with being a celebrity, and that's how we look at it. We don't take it to heart or take it seriously. We laugh at it, to be honest with you.''

Up to 2,500 people, mostly young girls, gathered for a glimpse of the 20-year-old star who was sporting a backless, halter-neck silver sequined dress. 

Spears was immediately ushered inside the Odeon for the screening of "Crossroads," a coming-of-age film written specifically for the diva who ranks as pop's most famous virgin. 

Spears, who has rarely been out of the headlines in recent weeks over her relationship with N'Sync's Justin Timberlake, is currently in Britain promoting her new single -- "I'm a Girl, not yet a Woman." 

The big question among critics will be the success of the movie -- will it prove as big a box office turkey as fellow songstress Mariah Carey's  "Glitter?" 

Spears, faced with endless questions over the film's fate, said: "I don't know how my movie is going to do. I'll see how it does and if it is a big flop, I'll know what NOT to do next time." 

The film is about three friends who confront what she calls "issues that teenagers really deal with" -- unwanted pregnancy, implied date rape, first time sex, miscarriage, love, a runaway mother and, of course, finding yourself. 

Monday: Stop The Car! - Lucy, MiMi and Kit take control over Ben's car while he is sleeping. 
Not A Girl - Lucy and Ben sit down in front of the piano to share their love of music and poetry while Britney sings a bit from "I'm Not A Girl..." 

Tuesday: Get His Keys - MiMi and Kit "vote" for Lucy to take Ben's keys while he is sleeping so they will get to their destination faster. 

Come With Me - MiMi tells Kit and Lucy about the adventure she wants to take and invites them to come along. 

Wednesday: Can't Listen To That - Lucy, MiMi and Kit beg Ben for 5 minutes of their type of music and Ben just can't stand it! 

If It Makes You Happy - Lucy, MiMi, Kit and Ben enjoy music on the radio while taking their roadtrip. 

Thursday: Faulty Bed - Lucy, MiMi, Kit and Ben pick their hotel and Kit refuses to stay there. 
He Killed A Guy - The girls discuss Ben's past in jail. 

Friday: Oops!... I Did It Again Live - Check out Britney as she performs Oops!... live in an exclusive video clip. (Not from HBO Special) 

Saturday: (You Drive Me) Crazy Live - Check out Britney perform Crazy from the Dream Within A Dream tour! (Not from HBO Special) 

Sunday: Overprotected Live - Watch Britney give an amazing performance of Overprotected. (Not from HBO Special) 

Be sure to also swing by the Audio section for an exclusive clip of Britney's new remix of Overprotected. The new remix was done by the musical genius Rodney Jerkins. What are you waiting for? Head on over to www.britney-spears.com to register for your chance to win this exclusive, one-of-a-kind prize and see exclusive clips of Crossroads that you won't find on any other website!

Why bother? There's no confusion now when fans say "Britney". So what's the point, Miss Spears? 

The sixth-grader has been signed up by the Nickelodeon network for her own children's show. Jamie Lynn Spears is already a movie star - of sorts.

She played the young Britney in big sister's big-screen debut, Crossroads. 

Britney also played with her hair during a scene in recent Pepsi commercials and Jamie Lynn has accompanied her sister to various music award events. 

"The world had better watch out when she comes, because she is crazy," Britney said of Jamie Lynn. 

Mum Lynne has written about Jamie Lynn's budding career on Britney's website. 

"Jamie Lynn and I flew to Los Angeles to visit Britney and to meet with the network," Lynne Spears wrote. 

"The network called last week about Jamie Lynn doing some work in television. Jamie Lynn is ecstatic. Britney and I are, too." 

Mrs Spears said Jamie Lynn, who lives with her in Louisiana, would have to keep her grades up if she wanted to be an entertainer.

Spears, 20, and 'N Syncsinger Timberlake, 21, have been at the center of a media frenzy in recent weeks amid reports that their fairy-tale coupling had been undone by their busy schedules. The pop idols have known each other since 1993 when they were preteen cast mates on television's "The Mickey Mouse Club." 

In a four-page cover story declaring "Britney & Justin: It's Over," the latest issue of US Weekly magazine quoted an unidentified source close to the couple as saying, "They're done." 

Timberlake, currently on tour with 'N Sync, reportedly called Spears from the road earlier this month to end their relationship, US Weekly said. It quoted sources as saying the couple had started bickering constantly in the preceding months, while Spears was apparently dismayed to see paparazzi shots of Timberlake hugging a mystery brunette in Los Angeles. 

Both have since been spotted in clubs dancing with other people, while Spears reportedly drowned her sorrows in several Los Angeles nightspots, and canceled appearances in Europe where she has been promoting her new film, "Crossroads." 

But the couple's publicist, Lisa Kasteler, broke her virtual media silence on Thursday to issue a statement responding to the "rumors running rampant" about the couple. 

"To set it straight, both of them are very busy and focusing on their careers. They love each other very much and have not broken up. The demands on their time have naturally created a significant time apart which could be misconstrued as a more permanent situation. As for sightings in clubs, they are both young and love to dance." 

With 'N Sync on tour in North America until April 28, and with Spears set to start her own two-month tour on May 24, both can look forward to more significant time apart. 

"I'm Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman" on the single charts:
Netherlands #9
Austria #12
Italy #17
Germany #21
Switzerland #23
Belgium #30

"Britney" on the album charts:
Argentina #13
Canada #23
Austria #23
Belgium #33
Sweden #34
Switzerland #34
France #38
Italy #43
UK #45
Ireland #51
Netherlands #51

"Overprotected" on the single charts:
Argentina #15
France #25
Czechia #27
Sweden #29
Italy #32
Canada #33
Belgium #36
Ireland #46
UK #50

Britney left a candle burning in front of an air vent while she went shopping with a friend.

When they returned, a wall was on fire and Britney had to call the fire brigade.

Britney's mum, Lynne, said: "Britney went to New York for four days. She and Jenny, her friend, shopped every day. One of those nights, they all came in to a real mess.

"Brit left a candle burning. The wall caught fire and the fire department had to put it out."

Lynne says Britney has previously set fire to the bathroom in the family home after leaving a candle burning, reports The Sun.

"Brit has really learned a lesson this time," said her mum.

BILLBOARD 200 HISTORY: Britney
week (19) ending 03.23.02 #28
week (18) ending 03.16.02 #26
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)
 

Ruben Garay used to run the world's biggest unofficial Britney fansite, WorldOfBritney.com.

He says he was branded a stalker after criticising Britney for not caring about her fans in a posting on his website.

Britney was surrounded by extra security guards while publicising her movie Crossroads in Stockholm earlier this week.

It was claimed she was at risk from an "over-aggressive" stalker, the Daily Record reports.

But Garay has dismissed allegations that he is a threat to her safety, and says he is still on holiday in the US. 

He told WorldOfBritney.com: "It seems as if Britney's people are extremely mad that I closed down the site and have decided to blacken my name and brand me with some kind of a freak stalker status, fabricating rumours and telling the press things that aren't true.

"I would never ever want to hurt Britney like these people are claiming I was planning to do, I still respect her as a human being."

The UK press has been working overtime this month claiming Spears and Timberlake were no more, with some newspapers carrying 'suggestive' photographs of the 'NSYNC singer with another girl.

However, the statement insists they "have not broken up".

It reads: "To set it straight, both of them are very busy and focusing on their careers.

"They love each other very much and have not broken up. The demands on their time have naturally created a significant time apart, which could be misconstrued as a more permanent situation".

In reference to reports that both have been seen flaunting their freedom in numerous nightclubs across the globe, the statement concludes: "As for spotting in clubs, they are both young and like to dance".

Costa, Goddaughter of Frank Sinatra, will take the opening slot from the tour's kickoff date of May 24th in Las Vegas through June 16th in Houston, according to a spokesperson for Spears. Spears' tour, however, runs through July 22th. 

THE BELLY-BARING SINGER is performing and promoting her new film in Sweden, and a source there says Spears has an army of security looking after her because an overly aggressive Swedish fan is considered a security threat.

 “She was here a year ago to record her new album, and spent her free time shopping, getting her hair cut and tanning,” says a source. “This year it’s completely different. When she arrived . . . she was surrounded by a lot of security. She has her regular bodyguards, plus some extra people. Security people will be posted inside and outside the movie theater.”

The source says Spears’ people are concerned about “a young Swedish man” who is apparently obsessed with the singer. “There are guards patrolling outside the hotel where she’s staying [but] if there are any signs of danger, the party and the film premiere will be cancelled.”

Spears’ publicist didn’t respond to requests for comment.

"To set it straight, both of them are very busy and focusing on their careers," read the statement, which was issued Wednesday (March 20th). "They love each other very much and have not broken up. The demands on their time have naturally created a significant time apart, which could be misconstrued as a more permanent situation."

Spears herself shot down the breakup rumors in an interview with MTV Italy over a week ago, but the rumor mill has continued to churn.

Reports pop up almost daily in the New York tabloids with eyewitness accounts of the two dancing with prospective new significant others. Even Us Weekly is giving the story credence, putting the headline "It's Over" on the cover of the magazine's issue out this Friday (March 22th). Citing unnamed friends who claim to be close to 'NSYNC, Us Weekly reports that the power-pop couple are quite combative, breaking up often only to make up later, "but not this time. They're done."

"As for spottings in clubs, [we] are both young and like to dance," Spears and Timberlake said via their statement.

One of the reports that purported to prove that Timberlake was courting new prospects was also debunked: Though the New York Post ran a photo depicting Timberlake lunching with another woman, she turned out to be his agent, Shani Rosenzweig. 

Jamie Lynn had a wonderful spring break. She had friends over, shopped, went to a dance, and shot a Clorox commercial on Thursday and Friday with two of her best friends. The girls had a really good time doing the commercial together. The setting was in a beautiful old New Orleans home. The girls’ hair and make-up were done in the guesthouse next door. We mothers could not believe all three girls got the commercial together. The director said they liked their chemistry as a threesome. Actually, they never lost their energy throughout the whole shoot. Although, it left all three of them exhausted when it was over. 

We mothers had a great time browsing the little shops in the old part of New Orleans. I had never been in this part of the city before. It was really interesting looking through the antique stores. I bought a framed charcoal that was dated back to 1865. It made me think of my mother. There were all kinds of little shops. We felt like we’d gone back in time. 

Britney went to New York for four days. She and Jenny, her friend, stayed with Bryan. Brit and Jenny enjoyed spending time together, since they had not seen each other in a while. They shopped every day! Bryan and Lauren took them out on the town a few times too. One of those nights, they all came in to a real mess! Brit had left a candle burning in front of an air vent. The wall caught on fire, and the fire department had to come to put it out. 

This is the second time this has happened. Brit left a candle burning in her bathroom in our Louisiana home. Jamie Lynn jumped around it somehow and caught her bathroom on fire. She has really learned a lesson this time. I love candles too, and I have to remind myself to really be cautious with them. 

In better news, Britney watched the new video she most recently shot. You will love it. It is probably the best yet! I wish I had the date on its debut, but I don’t. I’m sure it is really soon! 

Well, my dogs are tired of waiting for me to take them outside. They are almost bigger than me, so I’d better go. Talk to you soon! 

The pop star is shown demonstrating some never-seen-before ball skills in the new Pepsi advert together with footballers such as Rivaldo, Emmanuel Petit and Edgar Davids.

She has also penned the exclusive backing track for the advert, which will appear on TV in the UK.

In a Pepsi press release, Britney says: "Kicking the football around in Pepsi's ad brought back some great memories for me. It was a lot of fun and really inspired me when writing the single for Pepsi."