It’s official… Britney Spears will go on tour — for a price. We’ve learned Jamie Spears and K-Fed have now both signed the document we told you about last week, which clears the path for Brit taking her kids on the road for her upcoming concert tour. What, you ask, is in it for Federline?? How bout $5,000 a week. As we first reported, the way the deal goes is Jayden James and Sean Preston will follow Britney to three hubs — New Jersey, New Orleans and Los Angeles. Britney will commute back and forth from each hub during the tour. She’s also renting houses in New Jersey and New Orleans for Kevin if he wants to come along for the ride. But K-Fed gets the $5,000 a week, whether he shows up or not. But wait, there’s more. We’ve learned the deal Jamie and K-Fed signed memorializes the custody arrangement they’ve all been following since last year. Britney gets the kids 3 days and nights a week, according to the new agreement, which will remain in effect after the tour is over. We’re also told many weeks, Britney has the kids more than Kevin. So in effect it’s 50/50 custody. Score another victory for Brit’s lawyer, Laura Wasser, who sealed the deal.

While I don’t think this new arrangement is exactly 50/50 custody in the technical sense per se, the time the children spend with each parent is split about 50% so … semantics aside, it looks as if Britney has finally won back as much custody of her children as she’s ever had. This is great news. Money talks, I knew all along that for the right prince, K-Fed would stop fighting and give in. It’s a shame that Britney has to pay her children’s father to be with her kids but, at least she gets the time with them that she’s always wanted. This is really great news.

In other Britney (possibly amazing) news, BreatheHeavy.com is reporting that Britney’s current assistant Brett Miller is about to be fired and that Britney’s old, beloved assistant Felicia Culotta has been rehired to replace her! This info is just too good to be believed — but after the jump, read all about it …

BreatheHeavy.com can exclusively reveal that Britney’s EX-assistant Brett Miller was FIRED. Or is about to be anyway! “Brett is on her way out. Britney always felt Brett was shady,” said the source, “and wanted someone who had her best interests at heart.” Replacing Brett will be Britney’s old assistant, Felicia Culotta, who has officially been REHIRED and has already begun working … Am told Brett is still technically employed, but IS on the way out, and yes Fe IS still signed on.

OMG, I really hope that this information does pan out. Felicia was the best assistant that Britney ever had and I’m sure is the right person to help keep Britney on the right track. Last I heard, tho, Felicia was working with the Jonas Brothers … so either she is no longer working with them OR she has left them for Brit Brit. I’m not sure that I totally believe this information just yet … but it’s something nice to hope for. Irregardless if Britney and Felicia are reunited, I am over the moon that Brit has won back custody of her children. As I’ve said before, 2009 looks like it’s gonna be a great year for our dear Britney.

UPDATE: BritneySpears.com is now CONFIRMING that Felicia Culotta has been hired by Britney Spears:

Felicia Culotta, Britney’s assistant from 1998-2007 and long-time friend of the Spears family, is returning to work with Britney. Culotta says, “Britney has always held a special place in my heart, and over the course of the last year I have seen her work harder than she ever has in her entire life. Sadly, I am really going to miss the Jonas boys, but I felt I had to be a part of this exciting time in Britney’s career. I love Britney and missed her dearly.” Welcome back Fe!

Best.News.Ever. I can’t wait to see the first photos of Britney with Felicia … Loves it!!!

[Source, Source, thanks Kerry]

Britney Spears’s Circus topped the charts – with a lot of hard work – and now she’s promising to do the same in her upcoming world tour. In an exclusive rehearsal photo posted to Spears’s Web site, Britney claps to the beat in simple, comfortable dance gear. Jamie King, who choreographed her 2000 tour, is back on duty, and the singer, 27, looks svelte and toned in a tank top showing off her arms, and even the mom-of-two’s tummy! The arena tour, her first in five years, kicks off in New Orleans March 3 with special guests The Pussycat Dolls.

Woot! She looks damn good, y’all! After the jump, check out a BUNCH more photos from these tour rehearsals …

She’s back! She’s back!! Praise baby Jebus, our dear Britney is back!!! She looks so great … and you can clearly tell that she’s workin’ hard. Ahhhh … I can’t wait to see this show live. I dunno what the hell I’m gonna do when serious tour spoilers start to make their way to the Internets. I doubt I’ll be able to refrain from checking out at least some of the tour spoilers. Wee!! I cannot wait. What do y’all think … aren’t these photos the total bomb?

[Source, Source]

Along with this new photo, Britney’s official website promises that “pictures from tour rehearsal are coming your way” and will be released today. From the looks of just this photo, it appears that tour prep is coming along nicely. It’s so great to see Britney lookin’ like her old self again. I have high hopes that The Circus starring Britney Spears will be a smash hit for her. I can’t wait to see it for myself.

Additionally, BritneySpears.com is providing a seating chart that will show ticket holders where their seats are in relation to the three ring stage on which she will be performing:

Now VIP ticket holders can see where they will be seated. As you may recall, I posted a similar seating chart back in early December … but this one is more clear, better to decipher. Where will YOU be sitting when Britney comes to your town?

[Source, Source]

Here is your first sneak peek at The Circus Starring Britney Spears, taken at tour rehearsal on Monday night. In this gallery, you can see Britney working with contributing choreographer JaQuel Knight as well as Jose, the Womanizer from the European tour. Britney (and her abs — damn!) is wearing Lisa Kline J’aime Drawsting Pants which benefit the Susan G. Komen foundation. Sadly, they don’t make these pants anymore, but there is a lot of cute Pink Ribbon Gear on the Komen Foundation site if you want to get Britney’s look and support Breast Cancer research.

So now we know what has been keepin’ Brit Brit bizzy in recent weeks … except for her emergence earlier this week, Britney has stayed relatively out of sight, most likely, because of all the work she’s been doing on her tour rehearsals. Is anyone really surprised that there is a stripper pole of sorts featured in the staging of her new tour? It hearkens back to the Gimme More music video, no? Seeing these photos is really exciting … and drives home the fact that her new tour starts up in just two months! While I am very anxious to see her live on stage, I really hope she is able to get all the prep done in time for the big tour launch. Will she be ready? I really, really hope so.

[Source]

Check out these awesome pictures of Britney, her mom Lynne and her boys Jayden James and Sean Preston! The photos were taken just before they all headed out to brother Bryan’s Louisiana wedding on New Year’s Eve! We hear Britney had a great time during her holiday stay in her home state and that it was super chill, with lots of working out and spending time with her whole family!

Aww … they all look so purdy! After the jump, check out a few more photos of Britney and the boys from this impromptu photoshoot. Additionally, read all about the latest ruling in Britney’s conservatorship which was just made totally permanent …

It’s official – Britney Spears is no longer in control of herself. Court papers were filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Monday, making a judge’s October ruling (which made the conservatorship over Britney permanent) official. The conservatorship over the pop star legally began on January 5, 2009. The agreement gives permanent control of the pop star’s finances to her father, Jamie Spears, along with attorney Andrew Wallet. While Jamie is sole conservator over Britney’s personal matters. In the papers pertaining to Britney’s financial matters, it states Britney “is substantially unable to manage … her financial resources or to resist fraud or undue influence.” When it comes to control over Britney, herself, the papers state the star “is unable properly to provide for his or her personal needs for physical health, food, clothing, or shelter.” The personal order also gives Jamie Spears “the power to restrict and limit visitors by any means.” When Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Reva Goetz granted Jamie Spears a permanent conservatorship over his daughter on October 28, 2008, a court-appointed attorney for Spears said the singer did not object to the arrangement. Britney was not present in court on Monday, and instead was represented by attorney Sam Ingham.

Wow, this conservatorship biz is serious. I believe that now that the ruling has been made permanent the only way for it to end would be if Jamie Spears decides to end it or if he dies. Honestly, I’m a bit torn over the lengths of control that this conservatorship has over Britney’s person. On the one hand, I’m glad that her father was able to step in and take control in her time of need but on the other hand, this sort of control is usually reserved for people who are totally incapable of handling their own affairs (ie. someone in a coma). While Britney may have been a total mess a year ago (and may yet not be 100% right now), I think it might be a bit much for this conservatorship to be so far-reaching and permanent. In the end, tho, it has been nothing but positive for Britney’s life so … mebbe it is for the best. In any event, debate about the matter is over — it’s a done deal now.

[Source, Source]

Awww … don’t they all look so cute? Seriously, the pic with Sean Preston and Jayden James wearing “papa’s glasses” just kills me — those little boys are just adorable. After the jump, check out larger size versions of the two individual photos featured in this Xmas card …

What a year Britney has had, huh? At the start of the year, Britney had reached her melting point and had to be forceably removed from her home on a stretcher and admitted into a mental hospital … and at the finish of the year, she is reveling in a new #1 album, a string of successful promo performances and in the arms of her beloved children posing for rosy Xmas photos. She’s deffo come a long way, baby. In 2009, her star will continue to rise as she embarks on a new concert tour that will, hopefully, cement her comeback and show the world that she’s still America’s Pop Princess. Here’s hoping that Brit Brit and sons have themselves a Merry Little Xmas and a very Happy New Year. Hopefully, the best is yet to come.

[Source]

Ahead of her X Factor performance, Britney Spears was on a strict diet to ensure she looked her best – and munching on a tasty burger would have been unthinkable. But yesterday the Womanizer singer was seen heading towards a fast food joint as she spent the afternoon in Japan’s trendy Harajuku on a shopping spree. Spears went to the the Lotteria chain – which has a similar menu to McDonald’s – before hitting the clothes shops. Not only was she being unhealthy in her choice of food, but she was also seen smoking a cigarette to top off the blow-out afternoon. The 27-year-old sported a black and white coat over a green polo neck top and was accompanied by her assistant and security guard. Maybe decided to have a blow-out to celebrate the success of her latest album Circus, which went to number one in the U.S. album charts last week after selling 505,000 copies in its first week of release. And after being released [in the UK], it has become her fastest selling album in the UK to date. In addition to reaching Number One in the U.S., the record entered at the top of the charts in Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico and Switzerland.

Um, yeah … she deffo deserves to pamper and splurge a little, I’d say. But, it wasn’t all vacationing for Britney … she also had some work to do. Here is a pic of Britney performing Womanizer on the hit TV show Hey!Hey!Hey! last night:

Altho it was the same routine she’s been performing on other TV show lately, it sounds like the Japanese audience really enjoyed it. After the jump, check out some video of Britney’s performance on the show …

Aww … they look so cute but also so cold. Here are a few pics that have been posted on Britney’s official website from the Bambi Awards last night:

Gotta love the prayer circle. Looks like the man above (or wherever) was paying attention to her pleas of support ;) After the jump, check out a few pics that were snapped on the set of her Rolling Stone magazine photoshoot …

As you may recall, earlier this week we got our first look at Britney’s RS cover and accompanying photospread … and today we get to check out some photos of the actual shoot itself:

To tell the truth, I think I like these pics even better than some of the actual photos that were published in the mag. There is a sweetness to the candid feel of these photos. We are in full Britney Spears Comeback Mode, y’all. It’s a great place to be!!

[Source, Source]

Her body is bangin’ … these pics are really hot. But they are only a couple of the new promo photos that have made their way to the Internets this week. After the jump, check out a different batch of new promo pics …

These pics have a more mature look to them. The serious face makes her features look more striking. Oh yeah, I much prefer these new promo pics to the ones we’ve been seeing thus far. While I get that the album artwork has to go along with the circus-theme, I wish these photos were the ones that would get featured more heavily.

[Source]