HOLLYWOOD - Ever since Britney Spears told reporters in Cologne, Germany, last week that she and boyfriend Justin Timberlake hardly get to see each other because of their hectic schedules, rumors spread that the happy pop duo has parted ways.Now, London's The Sun is reporting that Spears, 20, canceled out of a Top of the Pops appearance because she is suffering from exhaustion.
The pop princess left thousands of fans disappointed when she also canceled her Paris concert, where she was to perform after the premiere of Crossroads. According to the tabloid, Spears left the film in a waiting limo before the end credits even rolled.
Despite reports that Timberlake was seen all over Los Angeles with a mysterious brunette, embracing outside a restaurant and later dirty-dancing at Hollywood nightclub A.D., Spears has adamantly denied rumors that the two have split.
Spears, on the other hand, is rumored to have turned to hers and 'N Sync's teen choreographer Wade Robson for comfort. Robson, you may recall, was the one who was questioned in 1994 because he said he'd slept in the same bed with Michael Jackson (although he told authorities that nothing bad had happened).
The plot thickened when Spears was spotted having a public cry at Les Deux Café in Hollywood earlier this week with actress Tara Reid. Reports also surfaced that Spears has stopped wearing a diamond friendship ring given to her by Timberlake.
A columnist for The Sun said: "She has grown up--but as the outfits have got smaller, so have the record sales.
"She was once seen as the new Madonna, but industry skeptics feel she could be heading for burnout and be muttered in the same breath as '80s teen stars Tiffany and Debbie Gibson."
Spears, however, seems to have a backup plan. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, the singer, who made Mr. Blackwell's worst-dressed list two years in a row, said she is not ruling out the world of fashion.
"Maybe when I become not passionate about what I do, and when my steam is going down, then I will definitely take a year off maybe to go to school or...open up a clothing store or something."