Good thing there’s still some time before Britney Spears’ new tour, “The Circus Starring Britney Spears,” kicks off in New Orleans. Planning for her first arena tour in five years (her brief return to touring in 2007 was just a mini-tour for the House of Blues) is off to a rumored slow start because Spears’ work ethic isn’t quite up to par.
“She missed some early dance practices and wasn’t dedicated about turning up at meetings,” a Spears source told Us Weekly.
Choreographer Wade Robson was reportedly at the center of Spears’ lack of cooperation. The source told the magazine, “She didn’t want him to see that she’s not as good as she used to be.”
Nonetheless, the show will go on. Robson’s no longer attached to the tour (Robson’s camp claims his short stint was planned all along, although there are rumors that tension between the two contributed to his departure), and Spears has hired a new dance team and is psyched for a fresh start. “A lot of people are being very positive about her comeback,” said a second source. “She’s more optimistic.”
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To help ensure that Spears stays on the straight and narrow, dancers who were hired to go on the two-month tour with her were all drug-tested, according to several different Spears sources.
Benicio del Toro talks suicide, relationships
Celebrities’ saccharine interviews pegged to film releases can get tiring, so when someone, such as “Che” star Benicio del Toro, says something a little off topic, it’s hard not to take notice.
Video: Benicio Del Toro on playing 'Che' Del Toro told Rolling Stone in the issue that hits stands Friday that he’s pondered suicide. “Have I ever been suicidal? Not long enough. Not long enough,” he told the magazine. “But there has been the question, to be or not to be? Hey, I’ve thought about it. Would I go through with it? No. But feeling alone, feeling like a failure, feeling like there’s no one out there. I’ve had those feelings, though they don’t last.”
Del Toro also dished on his personal life, and again, was quite honest. “I’m selfish about my time. Are you willing to just not have me around and not checking in every day? When you’re in a relationship, you can’t just go one way, and I’ve had moments of being able to accept that responsibility, but I always have an expiration date on it. It’s tough: My longest relationship? Oh, probably one and a half years.”
Rihanna agrees to cover up for Malaysians
Slideshow: Celebrity Sightings You’ve got to hand it to Malaysia — they certainly can enforce a dress code. When Rihanna performs in the country Feb. 13, she’ll be forgoing her usual skimpy attire for more conservative dress that adheres to government guidelines that stipulate a female performer must be covered from the top of her chest, including her shoulders, to her knees.
In the past, Gwen Stefani has endured “major sacrifice” and showed less skin during her show in Malaysia, and Avril Lavigne and the Pussycat Dolls have also faced protest over their attire when performing in the country.
Can’t blame Lance Bass for trying to keep the hope alive: The former ‘N Syncer told Billboard that he hopes “somewhere down the road” there will be a reunion.
And in another reunion that might actually be really fun, Sigourney Weaver said a “Ghostbusters” sequel might really be happening. She told Marc Caro of the Chicago Tribune that “I hear it’s a real thing … I hear that Bill (Murray’s) going to do it.”
Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com.
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