People: Spears is taking another stab at it
Britney Spears is putting fans on notice: Be prepared for her hot career comeback.
“The last couple of years have been quite a ride for me, the media has criticized my every move and printed a skewed perception of who I really am as a human being,” the 25-year-old pop star said Friday on her Web site.
“I look forward to coming back this year bigger and better than ever,” she wrote, adding that she plans to tour and release a new album.
“I noticed today that one of my biggest fansites is shutting down soon and I want you all to know that I do understand all the reasons that went behind making that decision, and I am sad to see it closing.
“If I were you I’d be unhappy too if I had to read what I’ve been reading every day.”
Spears, the divorcing mother of two young sons, has drawn disapproval from fans for her recent underwear-challenged antics with party girls Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.
“Trust me, I get it,” she wrote. “I know I’ve been far from perfect.”
New retreads: John and Jessica?
With her divorce from Nick Lachey finalized, Jessica Simpson is making time these days with rocker John Mayer.
The pair spent New Year’s weekend in New York, where observers said they “seemed almost like a married couple.”
He won’t back down
Tom Petty says he’s not retiring, despite a Rolling Stone article that suggested otherwise.
The veteran rocker says last year was one of the most rewarding of his career. He earned two Grammy nominations for his latest album, “Highway Companion,” and his 30th anniversary tour was a sellout.
“You never know how things are going to turn out, and I didn’t see this (past) year coming,” Petty says. “But maybe (the) next year will be even better.”
A new last day
Celine Dion‘s Las Vegas concert extravaganza will close Dec. 15 after a nearly five-year run.
The Grammy winner launched “A New Day” in March 2003. It will be filmed later this month for a TV special and DVD.
Producers say nearly 2.5 million people have seen the Caesars Palace show since it opened in the Colosseum, a $95 million theater built and designed for the production.
Chip on his shoulder?
Former “CHiPs” star Erik Estrada got into an expletive-laced shouting match with a man who called him Emilio Estevez during the filming of a reality television series.
Estrada, who was sworn in as a reserve police officer in Muncie, Ind., last month for CBS’ “Armed & Famous,” was riding in an ambulance with the man, who had been stabbed in the leg during a domestic dispute.
Says Muncie Police Chief Joe Winkle: “With any new officer we would tell them, ‘Hey, that’s not how we conduct ourselves, don’t get caught up in the moment, we’re the ones who are professionals.’ That’s what we did with Erik and I think he truly understood that.”
The birthday bunch
Country singer Earl Scruggs is 83. Actress Bonnie Franklin is 63. Actor-comedian Rowan Atkinson (“Mr. Bean”) is 52. Director John Singleton is 39. “The Early Show” co-host Julie Chen is 37. Actor Danny Pintauro (“Who’s the Boss”) is 31.