Conflict in the US between Britney Spears and the New York Post after the latter published a paparazzo picture of the former drinking out of a miniature bottle in the street with the headline "Boozer Britney: Daylight Bottle Blonde". However Ms Spears claims the bottle in question contained the herbal supplement ginseng, which she chased with a can of Red Bull, and the liquor store clerk who sold the bottle to the singer has backed up her story. To that end Spears is now threatening to sue the paper if they don't print a full retraction and apology.
Describing the story as "totally fabricated, fictional and defamatory", Spears' lawyer Martin Singer told reporters yesterday: "Prior to publishing the article, the New York Post could have easily ascertained the truth that Ms. Spears did not purchase any alcohol, but instead purchased ginseng from the store".
However the Post has hit back, in part blaming the agency who supplied the photos, but also shifting responsibility onto Spears' PR people who, they claim, implied the pictures did indeed show the singer drinking alcohol. In a statement the paper said: "We called Spears' rep twice to ask if the story was accurate, and she declined to comment each time. Later Spears' rep said, off the record, that she had seen the pictures and 'they are what they are'. She was given every opportunity to deny it but did not".
No response from Britney's people as yet regarding the Sun, who also ran the pictures with the headline "Britney on the Rocks".