Britney Spears was photographed wearing a bikini on the beach in Costa Rica, where she’s staying at the home of her former neighbor Mel Gibson. She was seen riding an ATV, frolicking in the surf, and smoking a cigarette. The suspicious stomach that’s caused so much speculation was in full view, and from some angles she really does look pregnant with her third child. If that’s the case, at least she could stop smoking.

The Sun quotes a “spokesperson” as saying “I want to make completely clear that Britney is not pregnant. There’s not going to be a statement – she’s just not.” Are you sure about that?

Thanks to Splash News for these photos from yesterday.

Holy weird. Britney Spears and Mel Gibson are vacationing together. Seems like an odd pairing, right? Well not so much, when you think about it. Britney and Mel both have substance abuse issues. Mel is known for his deep spirituality – he even built his own church - and Britney wore a red Kabbalah bracelet for several months. So they have a lot more in common than you’d think.

Entertainment Tonight can confirm that Britney Spears and Mel Gibson are currently en route to Costa Rica on vacation together. Their plane departed at 9:05 AM this morning.

ET spotted them leaving on a private plane to the Central American state early this morning. Sources tell ET that Mel is taking Britney and her father Jamie for a mini vacation at his home is Costa Rica.

According to the terms of her custody Britney’s children cannot leave the country without special approval, so they are not joining her on the trip.

While the pop star and the actor may appear to be an unlikely duo, they used to live in the same Malibu community and were spotted having dinner together at Studio City’s Romanov restaurant in March.

[From the Huffington Post]

The Daily News says that Gibson wanted to take Britney and her dad Jamie on a “mini-vacay to get away from it all.” I’m hoping this will actually involve some sort of exorcism or something. Couldn’t really hurt.

Let’s not forget that Britney is widely rumored to be pregnant for a third time. Mel Gibson is an old school Catholic who doesn’t believe in the changes brought about by the Vatican II. Something tells me if he finds out Britney Spears is pregnant again, he’s going to finally believe it’s a sign from God that birth control is cool with him.

Aside from the possibility of a pregnant getaway, it’s hard to guess what in the world Mel Gibson wants to do with Britney Spears and her dad on an island. But like Entertainment Tonight pointed out, they used to be neighbors and have been spotted having dinner together a few times. Supposedly Gibson has taken a fatherly interest in Britney, and unlike a lot of celebs who kept telling the press they wanted to help her, Gibson might actually be trying to. So I’m going to assume it’s something nice. And not creepy.

Britney after her last rear-ending incident last month, thanks to WENN
Britney Spears was involved in yet another minor car accident in which she rear-ended a car. Her last rear-ending incident (snicker) was just a month ago, and she was said to have been trying to apply makeup while she was driving in stop and go traffic, not paying attention and bumping into the car in front of her.

This time she was also said to have been distracted and to have “tapped” a Ford Explorer driven by a woman in front of her. Britney’s bodyguard gave the driver of the other car a business card, and then she followed Britney back to her house. People Magazine speculates that they went to Britney’s place “to avoid press attention.” Britney’s accident last month was well documented by the paparazzi that surround her like flies, so it was a good idea to get away from the cameras this time. Britney may not be driving much better but at least she’s making decent choices afterwards. If only she would have made the choice to let her bodyguard drive, to have paid better attention, or to have hired a driver, she could have avoided this situation in the first place. It still seems like progress to me, though. Considering everything she’s been through this is just a blip.

Britney Spears’ visitation schedule was expanded last week after she made a court appearance and was able to show the judge that she was ready to spend more time with her boys. Kevin Federline’s attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan, recently said that the relationship between his client and Britney is improved and that they’re getting along better. He was optimistic but guarded in the way he described Britney and Kevin’s relationship, and People quotes him as saying “there will be some contact … there’d be some ability to exchange a camaraderie that is necessary and a function of co-parenting together.”

Was Kaplan just giving a general non-committal answer to a question or was he saying in lawyer-speak that Britney and K-Fed are knocking boots again?

Star Magazine claims that the exes are having phone sex late at night, which would be a follow up to their earlier probably-fake story that K-Fed and Britney shared a kiss during a meeting about their boys.

“[Britney and Kevin] have phone sex often - at least once a week,” says an insider. And while [it] often begins with innocent conversations about matters like their sons… or plans for the future, “The one thing these two have in common is their need for sex, and after they get going, there are no holds barred.”

Typically, Britney makes the first move by calling Kevin. Bit he initiates the titillating chatter, playing on the pop star’s soft spot for sex. “She often contacts Kevin on Monday nights, usually because she’s recovering from a lonely weekend and feeling insecure,” adds the insider.

“He’s used to getting the calls and knows just how to get the sultry talk started.”

[From Star Magazine, print edition, May 19, 2008]

Star claims that Kevin wants to have sex with Britney but that she’s holding back and sticking to phone sex because she’s afraid of what might happen if she falls for K-Fed again.

Federline has probably moved on in his life and isn’t likely to be interested in Britney anymore, but he’s also the type of guy who would easily go back to an ex. It seems like he’s more than just friends with his ex, Shar Jackson, and you can see him being unable to pass up a free refill. If Britney and Kevin do get back together you can bet that a lot more tabloids than Star will be talking about it.

I’ll hand it to those British journalists, they sure are tricky. Newly engaged, newly album released, and possibly newly knocked-up Ashlee Simpson was asked by a reporter what she thought “You’ve had one too many Britney Spears” means. Yes that’s right, in the U.K., having a “Britney Spears” is actually slang now. Instead of playing dumb – one of the few things the Simpson sisters are naturally good at – Ashlee went ahead and guessed - with unflattering results.

Whether it was a Freudian slip or not, the newly engaged songstress definitely let her opinion of the recovering mother of two be known during a visit across the pond this week… “In an interview the other day, they asked me what I thought, ‘You’ve had one too many Britney Spears’ means,” Ashlee says. “I was like, ‘What?’ And they said it means you’ve had one too many beers.”

Without missing a beat, “I was like, ‘Oh, you’ve had one too many trashy girls!” But the redheaded 23-year-old, falling into a fit of giggles, expressed remorse over the comment afterwards. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that!” Ashlee says. “It was really bad. I felt horrible.”

[From OK! Magazine]

I’m not sure if I’d call the Simpson sisters all-out trashy, but I really don’t think Ashlee is in any position to criticize. She’s not the bottom of the barrel or anything, but she’s not exactly classy either. Let’s not forget her short-lived reality show on MTV, where she burped, farted, was generally inept at all tasks, proving to the world how uncouth she was. Ashlee has yet to be a parent, but she might be dumb enough to make a few Britney-esq mistakes.

In other Britney news, she showed up for the finale of MTV’s Rock the Cradle, a reality show that stars the offspring of famous singers. Her longtime on/off manager Larry Rudolph is a judge on the show, and apparently Brit came out as a show of support to him. She sat backstage and didn’t draw a whole lot of attention according to Rudolph. If Brit’s getting to the point where she’s supporting people instead of the other way around, that’s a pretty big step. Who knows, maybe someday people will forget that she was ever trashy.

Here’s Britney leaving the trendy restaurant Sur after a business meeting yesterday, and leaving a Bally Total Fitness on Wednesday. Images thanks to WENN.

Britney Spears showed up to court today, didn’t freak out, looked relatively normal and healthy, and managed to stay for all of the court proceedings. She was accompanied by her lawyer Blair Berk and both of her parents. Though the details are a little vague, it appears that Britney has won some “expanded” visitation rights with her sons. According to Us Weekly, she will have three days of supervised visitation each week. The Huffington Post picked up an article from the Associated Press that’s headlined, “Britney Spears Granted Overnight Visits With Her Kids,” – however the article itself never mentions any overnights, so we’re not sure if that’s accurate.

Britney Spears’ visitation rights to sons Sean Preston and Jayden James were expanded Tuesday following a custody hearing with ex-husband Kevin Federline. There was no change in custody, Federline’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan said at a press conference, but he said her time with her boys will be “more than it has been.” He would not elaborate. Spears will get three days supervised visitation a week and visitation on Mother’s Day, TMZ.com reported.

“The court made orders today, they were orders that the parties were able to mostly agree to,” Kaplan said. “It represent a cautious step moving forward.” Kaplan said the court was “pleased with the progress that seems to be occurring” with Spears daily. He called the court’s ruling “a step in the right direction. The children are doing great — that’s the key,” Kaplan said. “That’s what all of this is about.”

Court spokesman Allan Parachini also read a statement from Britney’s parents, Jamie and Lynne. “We are so pleased with Britney’s progress, and we are very appreciative of the court’s recognition of this progress,” they said in their statement.

[From Us Weekly]

All the media outlets reported that Britney, her parents, K-Fed, and all the lawyers smiled and gave positive reactions upon leaving the courthouse. Some noted that Britney seemed upset during a break in the court proceedings halfway through the day, and was seen holding her mother’s hand. Say whatever you want about her parents’ behavior raising her – they have definitely been there for her in the past few months. It’s scary to think where Britney might be right now if her father hadn’t stepped up as her conservator. It would have been nice if they’d done a better job earlier on, but at least they’re here now, and it seems like she really appreciates that.

It sounds as if everything is going well for Britney, and the court recognized all the positive changes she’s made. According to TMZ, her goal is to have a 50/50 custody split by August. If Britney keeps up the good work, that seems very attainable.

Here’s Britney arriving to court today. Images thanks to Splash.

I’ve been reserving judgment, and too scared of turning blue to actually hold my breath, but TMZ is reporting that the weaved wonder, Britney Spears, has actually shown up to her custody hearing this afternoon - on time and without the Brown Boots of Mental Illness. TMZ has the blow by blow report, and sources say that Brit and her slimeball ex, K-Fed, may be close to hammering out a mutual custody agreement out of court.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have just entered the courtroom and their case is about to begin.

Brit walked in with her hands clasped in front of her, looking down. Someone told her she looked good and Brit just smiled back. According to all accounts, “Brit looks good.”

Kevin and Britney were both sworn into court. A motion to close the court was granted — so everyone was kicked out. FYI — Elliot Mintz, K-Fed’s attorney’s rep, got the boot too.

The Commish has taken a recess and Brit is out in the hall looking very upset. Our spy says that while Britney isn’t actually crying in the hallway — it looks like she might have been crying inside the closed courtroom.

Mom and Pop Spears are still in the courtroom with Brit’s attorney, as is K-Fed and all his people.

Stay tuned …

UPDATE 10:28 AM PT — Brit is back in the courtroom.

UPDATE 10:38 AM PT — Britney is back out of the courtroom, smiling and holding hands with Blair Berk.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline (along with all their respective parties) are back in the courtroom after spending close to an hour in a private meeting room.

Brit walked into the courtroom hand-in-hand with her mom Lynne.

Could an amicable compromise be on the horizon?

[Compilated from multiple reports on TMZ]

Whatever happens today, Britney should feel good about the following: 1) She showed up at court, on time, appropriately dressed, and without holding a Fanta and a pack of cigarettes. 2) Thanks to her mom and lawyer, she was able to keep her composure on the stand- which may be a first. 3) The photos and court drawings actually make her look pretty good.

I find it more than a little interesting that this is the first post-Lutfi era court appearance, and Brit shows up with no problems. Jump to your own conclusion- I know I have.

Britney is shown outside the gym on 5/5/08, thanks to WENN.

Britney Spears finally got to see her very pregnant 17-year-old sister Jamie Lynn when she flew to her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana to attend Jaime Lynn’s baby shower. Britney left Los Angeles via private jet on Friday, and spent most of Saturday afternoon with her mom and little sis. According to Life & Style, Britney, 26, had to butter up her father Jamie to get him to let her attend.

Britney Spears is heading home today for a big reunion with her younger sister, Jamie Lynn, an insider tells Life & Style exclusively. The occasion? Jamie Lynn’s baby shower!

Britney is leaving LA today to arrive in Kentwood, La., in time for tomorrow’s baby shower at mom Lynne Spears’ house, Serenity. Britney was last seen in Kentwood in November 2006. “The shower’s on Saturday at Lynne’s house,” the insider tells Life & Style.

“At first, Jamie [Brit’s dad and also her guardian these days] didn’t think it was a good idea for Brit to go. He thought it might create chaos in Kentwood, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to put Jamie Lynn — or Britney — in the middle of that.

“Britney can’t travel without Jamie’s permission, so she worked really hard to talk him into it; it was so important for her to be there for her little sister. He finally gave in, knowing it’d be good for Brit and Jamie Lynn to finally see each other.”

[From Life & Style]

E! News that Britney is staying at Lynn’s home, and the place was flooded with security and police officers. TMZ has pictures of Britney at the baby shower, hanging out on the porch of her mom’s house smoking a cigarette - but luckily pregnant Jamie Lynn is nowhere in sight. They’re that lovely “from above” type photograph that means TMZ either had a helicopter or some photographers hanging from trees. All for a former pop star’s sister’s baby shower.

Even though her life is slowly coming back together, it’s been pretty clear that Britney Spears has done a lot of damage over the last year or so. You know, since the crazy set in. A lot has been made of her money issues, and her extravagant spending. Honestly I didn’t think it could possibly be that bad – I mean she has a lot of dough. And aside from a few nice cars, Britney always looked so trashy and ate so much fast food that I assumed she wasn’t spending a lot of cash on designer clothes and gourmet meals. Turns out you can blow a lot of money on Taco Bell and Mercedes. Like $61 million.

When Britney Spears’ father, Jamie, was named her co-conservator on February 1, he took over her financial affairs. But after going through her books, Jamie must have learned just how much of a toll Britney’s crazy behavior, which started in February 2007 when she shaved her head, has had on her bank account — she’s lost nearly $61 million. “It’s staggering how much money has been used up,” a family friend says.

In addition to the enormous tab for legal bills, rehab and psychiatric care, Britney’s inability to work has cost her a fortune. “By not touring for her last album [Blackout], she lost out on $50 million,” estimates Robert Bianchi, an LA-based CPA who isn’t an accountant for Britney. Jamie hired his own accountants to sort out the money mess and bring an end to the 26-year-old’s excessive spending. “It’s been quite a challenge getting things under control,” the insider says. Luckily, as Britney’s mental health improves, so does her bottom line. “She’s spending about a fifth of what she used to,” the insider adds.

[From In Touch]

That is an insane amount of money. I don’t even know how it’s possible to spend that on useful stuff like a few houses or something. But I doubt Britney has much of anything to show for that $61 million. She does have a home or two, but those are arguably investments, and didn’t cost her anywhere near $61 million. They say all the little stuff adds up – but really, how many Frappuccinos can a girl drink?

Brit’s legal bills are pretty extensive, so it makes sense that that’s probably a significant chunk. Hopefully she’ll continue to get her act in gear and go on tour soon. If she can really pull things together, she can make that money back.

Here’s Britney wearing sweats, on her way to a Bally’s gym in Ventura, California on April 25th. That joker smile always scares the crap out of me. Images thanks to WENN.

The UCLA Medical Centre has been under scrutiny because of confidential details of celebrity treatment being leaked to the media, most notably the medical details of Britney Spears’ breakdown (her psychiatric records were supposedly closed to generally employee access) and Farrah Fawcett’s cancer treatment. Now it seems that at least one employee, Lawanda Jackson, is going to face criminal charges about the incident.

The indictment refers to an unidentified national media outlet, but a source familiar with the matter confirmed that the paper was the National Enquirer.

According to the indictment, Jackson received at least $4,600 from the publication through checks made out to her husband. The agreement lasted from about 2006 until at least May 21, 2007, according to the indictment.

Jackson faces up to 10 years in prison if she is convicted of the charge. Such charges involving the disclosure of medical records are rare.

LA Times

While anyone in the public eye gives up a certain amount of their privacy, it is absolutely wrong to violate someone’s medical records, particularly for the paltry sum of $4,600.

We reported in March that 13 UCLA staff members had been fired, a further six were suspended, and another six doctors had been disciplined for looking at Britney Spears’ files. This was not the first time staff had snooped at records, they looked at Britney’s medical files (psychiatric files are closed to all other areas of the hospital) when she was hospitalized in January for a breakdown, and also when she gave birth to her first son Sean Preston in 2005.

The hospital tried to claim that it was an interest in a ‘particular person’ referring to Britney, but since then it has also been revealed that Farrah Fawcett’s files were looked at, the information sold to the National Enquirer, and this is the case in question today. Lawanda Jackson is the first employee to be charged with leaking information to the media, despite the hospital’s previous statement there was ‘no evidence to suggest that any employee leaked information or sold it’.

The hospital has a PIN number system that shows who is looking at medical records, but doesn’t have a system in place to stop people from looking at the records. While it would be great to be able to trust all of the hospital’s employees, someone like Lawanda Jackson might just sell the information if they need the money badly enough. The LA Times reports she was $37,300 in debt in 2001, when she filed for bankruptcy.

UCLA should make all medical records private, not just a celebrity patient’s information. If you were undergoing an acrimonious divorce, or were involved in a car accident, or any kind of incident that might get you attention from the media, you would not want your personal history up for sale to the highest bidder either.

Photos are of Britney’s breakdown in early January, thanks to Splash.