I’m sure it would be a big relief for all concerned if it were.  News is that an agreement was reached for Kevin to have legal custody but with increasing visitation for Brit:

Britney Spears has agreed to allow ex-husband Kevin Federline to retain legal custody of their two children in return for gradually increased visitation, sources close to the troubled pop star said Friday.

By the end of the year, the sources said, Federline and Spears will split custody of 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James evenly.

During Friday’s hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, Federline also asked for and was granted increased child support as well as $250,000 for legal fees, the sources said.

When I first saw this, I thought, uhoh…but it seems that it could be the best thing for all concerned.  This way, the two parents can stop the legal wrangling and get down to the business of raising those two little boys.  Britney continues to improve and if she continues on her current course of medication and work I see nothing but good things for her, both personally and career-wise.  She isn’t out of the woods just yet, or her father would not still be conservator, but it’s obvious that she’s made huge strides in the right direction.  Who would have thought a year ago that we’d be here?  Just goes to show that it just takes the right sort of help.

But according to the Mirror, things aren’t roses and chocolates in Brit’s life just yet.  She’s working on some songs for a new album, and one of the songs includes this line:

Hey Mama, I know it’s my cash you seek.

Now, a lot of sites are interpreting this as a dig at Lynne Spears, and quite frankly I wouldn’t be surprised if it was.  I’m just wondering if “mama” isn’t a generic term, like people used to say, “Hey, mama,” to a woman.  But then again, if it is directed at Lynne, she’d deserve it.

I’ll repeat my oft-given advice to celebs and real people alike:  Never record what you don’t want other people to know about.

The rumor mill is smokin’ hot today with the fears that Britney Spears, hot on the upswing after a few years lost and trying to find her way, has reconciled with pap boyfriend Adnan Ghilab (or, as he’s affectionately known around here, Anon Brazilianwax) because, for one reason, she fears him releasing a tape made of the two of them playing a little mattress tag:

Britney, 26, and the Birmingham-raised paparazzo, 36, have barely been seen together since the troubled singer was hospitalised for psychiatric treatment on January 31. [...]

Adnan is said to have been recently spotted driving into the gated community in the Hollywood Hills where the singer is living with her father.

But sources claim the two haven’t got back together for purely romantic reasons - Britney is apparently terrified Adnan has an explicit video of her during the couple’s brief trip to Mexico in January.

‘Britney’s really scared that Adnan has a sex tape,’ an insider tells MailOnline.

‘She wants to get it out of his hands.’

The love match will be met with strong disapproval by Spears’ father, who is still her legal custodian following a legal order earlier this year.

‘Britney’s father can’t stand Adnan,’ added the source.

‘He thinks he’s seedy, with ulterior motives.’

Seedy would be one of the words I’d use to describe him, yes.

It seems that Anon has been trying to sell his version of something or another for quite some time now:

Indeed, MailOnline understands that Ghalib offered to sell a kiss-and-tell style interview about life with Spears a British Sunday tabloid after the pair initially split.

But the tabloid thought there were discrepancies in his interview.

And while I can imagine daddy Jamie getting hot under the collar about it as a father, there are more reasons for him to want to throw Anon out on the street (remember, Jamie is the conservator over Brit and her estate):

But here’s the deal. Daddy Jamie’s job is to be controlling — that’s what a conservator does. And, sources tell us, Jamie’s concern over his daughter seeing Adnan is not just his opinion — the doctors who are treating Brit have told him it would be a bad thing for Brit to hook up with the dude.

Can I just state the obvious, here?  BRITNEY, NO, DO NOT WANT!!!

I’m truly saddened by this news, if it is true.  Britney has been making huge strides in the right direction, winning back more custody of her kids (though obviously still too impaired to get full custody back, she recently received permission for overnights with her boys), she’s reportedly been working on some new music, she’s had two successful guest shots on How I Met Your Mother (with possibly more to come), her medication is obviously working, her finances are in order, she’s not going out every night flashing her nethers and buying lipsticks at Rite-Aid at 3 AM…things have been going well for Brit.  She’s even been linked romantically to her agent Jason Trawick.

So why get involved with Anon again, if indeed she is?  Is she just that attracted to bad boys?  Or is she truly scared that he’s going to release a sex tape of the two of them if she doesn’t?  If it’s her decision to go back with him to try and get the tape from being released, that’s obviously bad judgement…if he’s blackmailing her into it, saying, “If you don’t come back with me I’ll release it,” that’s disgusting (and illegal).  And don’t forget…the conservatorship is up for review this month.

Britney, a few truths.  Getting back with Adnan will NOT look good to the judge.  Kevin’s lawyers will pounce all over it to try and show that you are still unfit to get back custody.  IF Adnan does have a sex tape, the best thing you can do is this…fess up.  Come out and say, “Yes, we made a sex tape.  When it was made, I was suffering from mental illness.  I didn’t fully have control of my mind, but I’m under a doctor’s care now and I’m doing much better.  I regret making it, but what’s done is done.  If Adnan wants to release the tape in light of this information, that’s up to him.”  Then go out and hold your head high in the knowledge that you’re putting your life back together while Anon is nothing more than a pitiful anonymous pap, still trying to cash in on his fifteen minutes.  IF he does release it, all it will then do is make him look bad(der).

Brit, you’ve come so far.  Don’t throw it away now.

Britney and Kevin Federline had another date in court, with the result being that Britney gets even more time with her sons:

Popwreck Britney Spears was in high spirits as she left a courtroom today after winning back overnight visits with her two young sons.

Asked if she was happy with the outcome, Spears flashed a big smile to the Daily News.

The judge, Commissioner Scott Gordon, agreed Spears was once again ready to read bedtime stories after the singer appeared in person and answered several questions, TMZ.com reported.

“She was very businesslike,” said court spokesman Allan Parachini. “Any judge is happy when litigants are making progress.”

Well, what else can we say? It’s been ages since I’ve done a Britney story, and that speaks volumes in itself. There for a while, we were doing at least one a day, perhaps two, and the fact that she hasn’t been acting erratic (to say the least) has definitely worked in her favor. While obviously still too impaired to have full custody, this is definitely a step in the right direction. Baby steps, baby steps.

Having her father come on board and take control of her life was one of the best things that could have happened to her, and I sincerely hope she sees that. As long as she continues her current course of therapy and keeps on taking her medication (and not stopping, thinking that she is “well”, which is pretty common with people who deal with bipolar disorder), I see nothing but good things for Brit.

Keep it up!

As Glosslip exclusively reported to you this weekend, award-winning journalist and best-selling author Ian Halperin appeared on Fox’s “Geraldo-At-Large” TV program Sunday night. We watched it, and suffered through the many gratuitous build-ups during the show, only to have to wait until the last 15 minutes to catch the main event. That Geraldo is tricky!

Ian, who has taken on a new persona (and a hat almost as tacky as his neon green disco shirt for his Hollywood Undercover expose) was smart, quick and pointed in his interview with Geraldo. Halperin posed as a member of the pack of paparazzi who stalk mega-star Britney Spears on a regular basis and was able to infiltrate her inner circle during his time undercover, is now revealing intimate details about Spears’ two suicide attempts and illicit drug use.

But wait, there’s more…

NYT bestselling author Ian Halperin will be appearing this Sunday on Fox between 10:00 - 11:00 to discuss his new Britney Spears biography we reported on last week. Halperin, while writing his Hollywood Undercover book, posed as a member of the paparazzi and joined the ongoing convoy of photographers who stalked and reported Britney’s every move during her most public spiral over the last 18 months.

When I spoke to Ian, I voiced my concern with the perception people seemed to have about the timing of the book and his own involvement in this “Stalking Britney Spears: Under Siege With Britney Spears” experience. We discussed the nature of the book and what his overall assertions would be about the struggling pop-star. Glosslip’s own fabulous writer “k” painstakingly chronicled the excessive media blitz surrounding Britney as she lost custody of her two sons, appeared to slip deeper and deeper into a mental quagmire and was surrounding herself with the most unsavory of characters.

Halperin, who specializes in undercover exposes assured me that while he was privy to many of the public and private foibles of Ms. Spears, in his view, he always saw her as a sympathetic figure who was being horribly taken advantage of by those charged with her care. Fortunately, Britney’s family, led by father Jamie Spears, stepped in and have taken control of Britney’s life, helping steer her back on track. Here’s the exclusive scoop from Halperin about his Geraldo appearance:

I’ll be appearing on Geraldo Sunday night (June 22) on Fox, between 10-11pm. Despite some negativity I wanna make clear how my book is a sympathetic portrayal of Britney. Her handlers and leeches around her are the folks I expose. In fact, most letters I’ve received are more positive than anything else, saying it’s time a book about the whole situation came out. His Highness Ian Halperin is back undercover, this time as a paparazzo. The NY Times bestselling author promises it will be his most compelling book yet. And Glosslip will be there with all the exclusive info.

I would like to reiterate something, in all my dealings with Halperin, he always been an honest and big-hearted guy. He understands the seedy nature of the entertainment industry and in his own way, is trying to exact change in how people operate. Does he have a flair for the sensational? Yes, but that’s both his charm and his curse. People see this sensationalism as a deception, when it’s merely a tool.

Britney’s emotional and mental breakdown was covered from the outside, with few really knowing what was going on from the inside. Though it’s been a while since we’ve heard the names Sam Lufti and Adnan Ghalib, I for one, am interested to know just how involved they were in her destruction. Perhaps Halperin’s book can shed some light on this mystery.

I guess this is news of some sort, but I can’t seem to figure out why. As is being reported, Jamie Lynn Spears, the little sister of Britney Spears and former star of Nickelodeon’s “Zoey 101″ has given birth to her first child, 6-pound 10-ounce baby girl, Maddie Briann.

Jamie Lynn made headlines when she revealed to tabloids that she was pregnant and keeping her baby, which considering she was 16 at the time, and at the very beginning of her life, this seemed like a tremendously great idea.

Baby-daddy Casey Aldridge, Jamie’s long-time boyfriend and the younger Spears were engaged in March of 2008, but delayed their wedding until after the baby was born.

Let the Ho-Down begin. Congrats you two knuckleheads. Next time, use some damn protection.

Yesterday was quite an adventure. Glosslip received several emails about a piece in the New York Post’s Page Six which revealed a new project by New York Times bestselling author Ian
Halperin.

Meanwhile, Spears is the subject of a tome by investigative reporter Ian Halperin, the author of “Hollywood Undercover: Revealing the Sordid Secrets of Tinseltown” and “Bad and Beautiful: Inside the Dazzling and Deadly World of Supermodels.”

Halperin, who plans to offer “Stalking Britney: Under Siege with Britney Spears” to publishers next week, reveals “details of at least two suicide attempts by the troubled star,” as well as allegations by a drug dealer about her substance abuse.

Glosslip, who has maintained close ties to Ian “His Highness Hollywood” Halperin since our radio interview in January and then again after his ill-fated movie screening in New York (due to Scientology-suspected sabotage), was contacted by major media outlets to help track Halperin. Halperin, who’s been out of the country, also stated he’s been contacted by virtually every tabloid magazine including Us Weekly, Entertainment Tonight and In Style for information, but is keeping the details of the book guarded.

But as one of the only people with exclusive access to Halperin, we were able to speak with him today about the new project, which is tentatively titled “Britney Spears Stalked” and Ian did reveal to Glosslip the general overview of the book.

“It will be a sympathetic portrayal of the rise and fall of Britney Spears. What will make this project unique, is it’s an undercover expose where I posed and stalked her as a member of the paparazzi.”

Halperin told us he conceived and executed the idea while he was working in Los Angeles on his Hollywood Undercover book, wherein he posed as a gay actor seeking to make it in the movie industry. During his adventures for that book, he was able to infiltrate the cultish world of Scientology, the porn industry and the seedy underbelly of Hollywood.

Apparently Halperin’s a master multi-tasker, as he was also able to find time to stalk Britney Spears. Glosslip pressed him for more details about the recovering pop sensation, but Halperin remained mostly tight-lipped, but he did tell us, that while Britney herself is a nice enough person, she was surrounded by users and abusers who were instrumental in her very public downward spiral, which included, according to Ian, a serious substance abuse problem.

Halperin promises us exclusive updates on this project, which will bring to you!

I can buy it:

Britney Spears has denied that she is pregnant with her third child and says that her bloated tummy is simply down to new medication she is taking.

The singer spoke out after pictures after pictures published this week showed the star smoking a cigarette with a suspiciously bloated stomach.

A source close to the family says that Britney has been struggling with her weight ever since she had her second son Jayden James, 20 months, and the medication has not helped.

The pop star has been back in training in preparation for a comeback, spending plenty of time on the treadmill - but despite all the effort, she is failing to regain the svelte figure which made her famous.

Her tummy bulge seems to come and go, and go and come back, so I didn’t think she was, although it certainly did look that way.

I hope the recent rash of speculation and photos don’t make her think about stopping her meds.  A little bit of weight is a small price to pay for good mental health, and Britney looks and is acting healthier than she has in well over a year.

Besides, I don’t think she is one of those women who can slim down to pre-children size.  Somebody like Posh Spice can, perhaps; but then, all she eats is soybeans and seaweed, and look how unhappy she appears all the time.   A few curves in all the right places look good on Brit…if she’ll just stay away from spangly knickers.  If she doesn’t try to dress like she did as a teenage pop star, and makes an attempt to dress more for her body now, she could totally create new trends.  You go, girl!

EDIT:  This is the photo people were talking about.  She does look bloated in it, but I SAID WHEN I POSTED IT that the bloat comes and goes so it must be something besides pregnancy.

Come on, people.  I wrote a postive article about Brit where I said she looked good.  Please learn to read.

Yay!  The good news just keeps on a-comin’ for Britney.  Yesterday, she got the news that she’ll get more time with her sons:

Although an order giving Federline custody of 2-year-old Sean Preston and 1-year-old Jayden James remains in place, attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan said Spears’ time with the children will gradually be extended.

He said that Federline is pleased with the agreement and that he and his attorneys feel that Spears has stabilized in the months after two hospitalizations this year.

“I think that consistency over time with respect to structure and stability is something that would be welcomed by Kevin and, I’m sure, recognized by the court at the appropriate time,” Kaplan said.

“The children are doing great. I think they’re doing really great. That’s the key question, and that’s what all this is about.”

Britney herself showed up at the courthouse and actually stayed this time, talking to the judge and generally not acting like a lunatic (of course, the fact that both Osmarmy bin Loopy and Anon Brazilianwax are completely out of the picture probably helped that tremendously).

And, as Dawn and I predicted would happen, much of the kudos goes to dad Jamie Spears, who has stepped in and put her life in order:

Jamie Spears’ role as conservator has paid off. The pop princess was granted “expanded” visitation rights of her children, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 20 months, at today’s court custody hearing in Los Angeles.

The two parties — Britney’s team and her ex-husband Kevin Federline’s team — were expected to break for lunch, but instead they amicably reached an agreement over custody.

“I’m happy with the results,” K-Fed’s lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan told Star after the decision was reached.

At a press conference held outside of the courthouse, Kaplan said, “The court recognized signs of progress… Since the conservatorship has taken place, a lot of uncertainty is out of play.”

That’s lawyerese for “The leeching sycophants that were taking over her life have been kicked to the curb.”

Like I’ve said before, kicking Brit when she’s down just isn’t cool.  So many people have given her such a hard time, but these are people who either don’t understand mental illness or they don’t care that they’re making a fast buck off someone else’s pain.  I want her to get better and stay that way, because that way I can go back to making fun of her music and her clothes. 

I do hope she stays on this course and realizes just how close she came to losing it all.  And for all of you who said dad Jamie was just in it for the money and he’d bleed her dry and be horrible for her career…oh yeah, we called it way back, so put that in your smipe and poke it.

There’s a progress report hearing today in Britney’s continued legal case:

Though Spears has spent the last several months keeping a relatively low profile – and staying out of trouble – experts say it’s unlikely the pair’s current custody arrangement will change.

“As long as Britney remains under a conservatorship, she has a long way to go before the court views her as a capable mother,” says L.A. family lawyer Scott Weston, who is not involved in the case.

Word is that she might actually show up in person today, which would go a long way in impressing the judge, I would think, especially since her previous record of showing up and staying has been spotty at best.  I know it’s stressful, but sometimes the hardest things for us to do are the best things for us to do.

Brit’s dad Jamie is still in charge of her conservatorship until July 31, unless the court decides to change that at some point beforehand.

I must say that I’ve been hugely impressed by the way things are turning out.  Six months ago, I would have never imagined that we would be here, with nary a panty flash or Osmarmy Bin Loopy in sight.  While Brit may not have been happy with this at the beginning, I certainly hope she now sees that her father coming in and taking charge has been one of the best things that could have happened.  He has shown that he isn’t about the Benjamins, but rather about helping his daughter, and that is the best thing he could have done.

And I do hope that if the court does not decide to give her more visitation today, that she doesn’t get discouraged.  One of the things we all must learn is that when we make mistakes, we must pay for those mistakes, even if we are really sorry for those mistakes.  There must always be a period of punishment.  But the good news is it doesn’t last forever, and there will come a time when Brit will get full visitation back and possibly even custody, provided she can stay on this positive track.  Don’t give up, Brit, because the best things come to those who wait.