This story is in Star Magazine, so I hope it’s not true or is just exaggerated somehow. Because if it’s true, it’s kind of despicable. The story goes that X-Factor boss Simon Cowell has told judge Demi Lovato, 20, that she needs to lose 20 pounds before the show starts shooting again in the fall. It was announced about a month ago that Demi is coming back, and they’re still looking for two more judges to replace Britney and LA Reid. All sorts of names have been thrown out there including Cheryl Cole (not happening), Jennifer Love Hewitt (really?!), Sharon Osbourne and Nicole Scherzinger. In the meantime, Simon is focusing on what he can control and he thinks that’s Demi. Harsh:
Just two and a half years ago, The X Factor judge Demi Lovato checked herself into rehab for cutting and bulimia – and she only just recently left her sober living facility. But Star has learned that her boss, Simon Cowell, is demanding she lose 20 lbs. before the show’s fall premiere! An insider says that although Simon loves Demi’s feisty attitude, he believes she has ballooned since the season two finale in December – and it’s bugging him. “Simon doesn’t expect Demi to be supermodel skinny, but he does want her to look like she’s in shape,” stated the insider. “He’s set a weight-loss goal of 20 lbs. for Demi and asked her to work hard on it through the spring and summer.” This sounds like an insensitive order to a young woman who has wrestled with body image issues – but the insider insists that Simon “is very supportive of her battles and is going above and beyond to make sure she loses weight in a healthy way.” Which must be reassuring, because it’s not like her job depends on his opinion or anything!
[From Star Magazine, print edition, May 13, 2013]
Demi has been very open about her battle with her body image and eating disorder, and if this is true it’s totally clueless of Simon to even bring it up, not to mention tell Demi to lose weight! Simon needs to sit the f down. He does seem like a clueless a-hole most of the time, though, and we all know he’s harsh. He probably thinks he’s “helping” her. I hope Demi is secure enough at this point to blow it off and/or to tell Simon where to stick it.
There’s another story about Demi in this week’s Enquirer. They claim that Britney Spears isn’t returning Demi’s phone calls and quote a source who claimed “Demi’s hurt that Britney doesn’t want anything to do with her any longer.” According to that version, Britney is upset that she wasn’t invited back on X-Factor so she shut Demi out. I’m not really buying that, but it could be the case. I tend to think that Britney is relieved she’s no longer on X-Factor. At least she doesn’t have Simon monitoring her body constantly.
Demi is shown with Simon in December. She’s also shown performing on 4-1 and 2-14 (with a hurt foot.) Credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet
Does anyone else think Simon Cowell’s face is morphing into Jabba the Hut’s face? It’s weird, right? I feel like we don’t talk about this enough: Simon is doing some really weird and gross things with his face these days, and it is not cute at all. Maybe we end up with the face we deserve, though. Because Simon is now trying to “manage” Britney Spears’s departure from The X-Factor like it’s something brand new, and like he was the one to “fire” her. Take a trip down memory lane with me – wasn’t it ALWAYS just going to be one year for Britney? Wasn’t that what her management team wanted? Just one year, and Simon wanted more, and he didn’t get more and now that her contract is up, he’s all “Yeah, I fired her!” Bulls—t.
Looks like Britney Spears’ X Factor gig will be a one-and-done kind of deal. As the new issue of Us Weekly reveals, the “Hold It Against Me” singer is on her way out as a judge for Fox’s hit reality competition, which wrapped its second season on Dec. 20.
“Britney will get the boot,” an insider tells Hot Stuff of the pop star, who joined the show in May, along with fellow newcomer Demi Lovato. “Producers wanted her for the long haul, but it isn’t working.”
One reason? Spears’ $15 million contract, which sources say the low-energy mentor hasn’t earned.
“They paid all that for her to say ‘amazing’ and offer half-claps,” a second insider tells Us
Adds a third source of show co-creator Simon Cowell, who is leading the charge to axe the performer: “He wanted crazy Britney, but he got boring Britney.”
Spears’ firing would be the latest in a long line of departures over the show’s short lifespan. In the space of just two seasons, the series has lost or let go of Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger, Cheryl Cole and — most recently — L.A. Reid, who announced his decision to leave earlier this month.
Spears is likely next on the chopping block, but Cowell, 53, hasn’t always had it out for her. During a conference call in October, he told reporters that she had been “a lot better than everybody thought…She’s very engaged…She has been, I think, a very, very good judge.”
Alas, their professional relationship seems to have soured some, as has the singer’s personal relationship with fiance Jason Trawick. Sources tell Us that the mom to Preston, 7, and Jayden, 6, has been increasingly butting heads with her beau.
“They are pulling away from each other,” a pal explains to Us. “Unless things change, they will split for good.”
For the last time, SHE WASN’T FIRED. Her contract expired and no one wanted to negotiate a new contract for another year. The wording does matter, damn it. And yes, she wasn’t magic-crazy Brit-Brit. She was subdued and prone to walking off whenever she felt weird or uncomfortable, which is how she has learned to cope. I really hate the way her management team, The X-Factor producers and Simon in particular have used Britney throughout the past year, and how they’re still using her now.
Anyway, who will replace Britney? Demi Lovato is going too, right? So Simon is going to need a bunch of new people. I wonder if Paula Abdul will get a call? Oh, in all seriousness, you know who I was thinking about, someone who would do well as a reality show judge? Shania Twain. For real. She would be a great judge. Ooo… I totally wrote that before I even saw that Shania has allegedly made Simon’s shortlist. I can’t believe Simon and I are on the same page.
Here are some photos from Demi Lovato at the iHeartRadio festival last month, which we didn’t cover (other than Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus) because, well, you know. Still, this is Demi looking sort of fierce at the festival, and her bod and face look pretty great, but — and I’m not nearly as anti-bang as Kaiser — I think we can univerally declare that this is a very severe (and definition) case of “bangs trauma.” Or can we? These look some pretty awful bangs to me. Not Jessica Biel awful, mind you. But bad enough to call out. As for Demi herself, she just gave an interview to Us Weekly about her adventures (thus far) as an “X-Factor” judge, her upcoming album, and (of course) more about bullying. Here are some excerpts:
Life as a blonde: “It’s crazy! I never ever thought that I would go blond, but I’m having fun with it. As for the bangs, I just feel like myself again. It reminds me of being 15 again — when I was doing Camp Rock. I don’t know how long I’ll keep them, but for the meantime it just makes me feel like myself.”
On Simon Cowell: “I love messing with him. He’s really funny and I have a lot of fun working with him. But someone has to put him in his place. I mean — you can’t come to the United States from England and make fun of all of us! I have to stand up for my country.”
More on bullying: “I’ve talked a lot about my past experiences. Most of my issues stemmed from the trauma of being bullied when I was 12 years old. I’ve also known people who have taken their lives because of bullying. It’s something I never want to see happen again. So if I can put an end to it, I’m going to do anything I can to stop it.”
On nail-album promotion: “I don’t like nail art. I used to be obsessed — I’d have a cupcake on one finger and leopard on the other. These days I’m a pretty simple girl when it comes to nails. I either wear clear polish, black or dark red — that’s it.” So we won’t see her next album cover painted on her index finger? “I leave that to Katy Perry.”
On her upcoming 4th album: “I’m bringing the sound of real music back. I think Adele does a great job — they are catchy pop songs, but it’s real music and there are instruments. I want to bring a lot of that back. There’s going to be some fun, light-hearted songs with kind of a throwback sound. But I say one thing and then I spend like a month in the studio and it ends up being totally different, so I don’t know.”
On maintaining a healthy lifestyle: “I make time. I’m a really dedicated person. And I know that if I work really, really hard now, I can get to the place that I want to be in my career so that maybe in a couple years — or whenever I make it to that level — I can take a break. Travel the world. Spend a ton of time with my family. Maybe start a family. Years and years down the road.”
Give a girl one season hosting a musical competition show, and she knows everything there is to know about “real music,” right? I kid, really. While I am glad that Demi gets along well with both Simon Cowell and (according to a prior interview) Britney Spears on the set of “The X Factor,” but I’m concerned that Simon may have created a bit of monster here. Maybe Demi will prove us all wrong? We shall see…
Last night was the big premiere of the X-Factor US season two, featuring new judges Britney Spears and Demi Lovato. I’m not a big fan of reality competition shows, although I’ve watched American Idol in the past. X-Factor is different from similar shows and has a kind of gritty realness to it. The emotion seems right on the surface, and they really ratchet up the drama. The backstage scenes make you feel like you’re overhearing conversations instead of listening to a contestant try to impress an interviewer. For instance we got to see two sisters, Kaci and Kaylee, gossiping and mean-girling other contestants with comments like “you look better than she does,” and “she has a run in her stocking.” When Kaci went on stage and failed miserably, there was real satisfaction in it for the at-home audience.
In another scene, a contestant with experience touring in a boy band tried to give advice backstage to his competition, three teenage boys in a band. The boys were receptive, but later told the cameras that they write their own music and play their own instruments and don’t consider themselves a “boy band.” When the veteran failed miserably and the three teens killed it, we got to share in their triumph.
As for how the judges did, I have to say that Demi was my favorite. She was warm, honest and genuine and held her own in some mild spats with Simon. Toward the end of this episode, when the group was in their third location of Providence, Rhode Island, a 19 year-old girl came onstage and told Demi that she looked up to her and was grateful for her anti-bullying campaign. The girl, Jillian Jenson, was the victim of bullying throughout school and explained that she often cried herself to sleep. As she belted out a song everyone was amazed at what a talented, powerful singer she was. Even Simon was moved and got a tear in her eye. Jillian and Demi hugged afterwards as Jillian sobbed.
Britney definitely held her own, I have to say. We’ve heard that she had problems on set and walked off the first day, but none of that was shown. Instead, we got to see her be incredibly blunt and to-the-point with many singers. Even when Britney was giving praise it could come across as harsh. She doesn’t mince words. There were flashes of crazy Britney when we saw her mocking Simon’s accent backstage, but she’s a tough cookie, she came across as in control and she seems fine overall. She was nervous during her introductory segment in which she spoke just to the camera, but other than that I got a very good impression of her. I think this is going to be her comeback.
Oh and there was a scene where a guy auditioned in San Francisco who had sung a duet with Britney 10 years ago. TMZ reported on this audition when it happened. The guy was a mess and was crying before he performed. All the judges told him that his voice wasn’t strong enough and that he couldn’t get through, and Britney very firmly told him “No.” She didn’t seem to cry or fret much about it, or maybe it was edited that way. She’s comfortable judging talent and she’s just as bitchy as Simon. I’m going to watch this show again for sure, I just hope they cut future episodes to one hour because it’s hard to spare two, even after you fast forward through the commercials.
I have to give a shout out to TV Fanatic for their review also. They have a very nice overview of all the contestants last night, good and bad, as well as their thoughts on the judges. They agree with me on Britney and Demi. Oh and I liked L.A. Reid! I didn’t watch last season so I wasn’t familiar with him, and he brings a real industry perspective and comes across like such a professional. Simon is Simon, and is always making rude comparisons. At one point he was incredibly rude to a 14 year-old boy. I wish he would consider who he’s talking to before he opens his mouth.
Photo credit: Fox Television, FameFlynet and WENN.com
The big premiere of X Factor starring Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, L.A. Reid and of course Simon Cowell as judges, is tonight. As part of the build up, Simon has strategically been releasing stories about Britney, because he knows that people are just waiting for her to stir up controversy and/or mess up somehow. Last week, Simon admitted to TMZ that the stories about Britney walking off the X Factor set on her first day were true. This is in contrast to denials made at the time. Simon told TMZ that they tried to smooth the story over with the press, but that it did happen and that Britney had a panic attack. Britney also told Elle Magazine, which she covers this October, that she suffered panic attacks on her first day on set. She said she was “extremely nervous. Like, I was having panic attack after panic attack.”
As part of the big build up to the X-Factor, The Daily Beast has a new profile of Britney’s fiance, Jason Trawick. It’s a well written piece that paints Trawick as a very decent, hardworking guy on one hand but also the architect of Britney’s comeback, and her guardian, on the other. Author Ramin Setoodeh dances around the subject of whether Britney is being manipulated by Trawick. Here are some relevant parts:
Trawick, 40, is often credited with performing a kind of Houdini act on Britney, 30. After her meltdown, which included losing custody of her kids, rehab, hitting paparazzi with her car, being institutionalized, and countless other crazy moments (like the disastrous performance of “Gimme More” at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards), he—in tandem with her father, Jamie Spears—seemingly helped Britney reappear on planet Earth, at least looking normal. He accomplished this turnaround first as the agent who signed her to William Morris Endeavor Entertainment in 2008. In 2009, their relationship turned romantic. In 2011, Trawick quit his job to focus solely on Britney—and last December, they got engaged.
It’s hard to tell who benefits from this relationship more. Spears is one of the most successful acts in the history of pop music. She’s worth an estimated $200 million and her seven albums have sold more than 100 million copies. But in 2007, after the sad series of bizarre personal episodes, Britney’s career hit a wall. (Through her publicist, Spears declined to comment. Trawick offered to look at questions over email, but never responded.) She returned in her 2009 Circus comeback tour, during which Britney stood glassy-eyed in sold-out arenas, lip-syncing her old hits. Some people noticed the new Spears looked vacant, but it didn’t matter. The tour, an exercise in voyeurism, grossed more than $131 million.
Since 2008, Spears’s dad Jamie has been the sole conservator of her estate. In April a court appointed Trawick as the co-conservator, a situation that arises when a court decides a person “can’t adequately provide food, clothing, and shelter” for herself, says Meg Lodise, a partner at a Los Angeles law firm specializing in conservatorships. In other words, Britney has all the rights of a child.
Nevertheless, she’s poised to debut as a judge on The X Factor this week, and sources say that Trawick was key in convincing her to accept a $15 million, one-year contract to join the Simon Cowell singing Olympics. During audition rounds, gossip sites were salivating at reports that Spears frequently had to abandon her judge’s perch for a break—it became part of the hype of the show—and, according to one TV source, Trawick was always waiting in the wings. To prove that she’s normal, he’s booked her first magazine covers and talk-show appearances in a while.
The Britney press tour kicked off with a story in Elle magazine—Elle released images and interview snippets last week. Trawick appears in one of the photos; they cuddle as he holds a guitar. He also let it slip to the writer that Spears pursued him, not the other way around. “OK, that’s enough information, sweetie,” Spears said, interrupting the story. A few days later, a source told Radar Online that Trawick was lying and that he “had feelings for Britney for a very, very long time.”…
Shy or not, Spears gravitated to Trawick’s outgoing personality, and she started to rely on him more and more. He’s not the typical Ari Gold agent, with the greasy handshake and temper tantrums. According to one close former colleague, Trawick is so easy going, he never even raises his voice. Trawick grew up on Long Island, with dreams of becoming a professional hockey player. When those didn’t pan out, he moved to Hollywood and worked his way up from the agency mailroom. He had a reputation for inserting himself into meetings, but because of his nonthreatening demeanor, nobody objected. Once he became a full-fledged agent, he started handling crossover talent, such as singers who were big enough to big actors and vice versa. His roster included Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff, Paris Hilton, and country star Dwight Yoakam…
Trawick’s former work colleagues liked him, too. But looking back, they noticed a drastic physical transformation once he started dating Spears. The Daily Mail reported he lost 50 pounds by cutting carbs from his diet. He traded his bulky plaid shirts for fitted suits. He always brought a heavy-duty hockey duffel with him to work, but he hit the gym more often and toned down. “If he was working out, he wanted her to join him,” says a source. In an effort to be healthier, he and Spears both vowed to quit smoking together. (He failed.). And nearly everyone I interviewed stressed how good a parental figure he’s been to her sons—Sean Preston, who turns 7 this week, and Jayden James, whose sixth birthday is Wednesday. On Halloween, he’d order their costumes online and he was constantly buying them toys, like Spider-Man and GI Joe action figures.
Let’s remember that Trawick is romantically involved with a woman who has the same legal rights as a child. It sounds like a potentially difficult situation.
We fans and viewers won’t get a glimpse of the real Spears until October. That’s when The X Factor transitions from taped auditions to a live competition, and we see what Spears looks and acts like without the powers of editing. If she self-destructs in front of the world again, X Factor ratings will go through the roof, but at the cost of her own well-being.
So I guess we’ll have to see how Britney does on X-Factor, but at least part of that will be down to editing. Since producers acted like Britney was fine, they may just cut her walk-offs out of the show. It’s hard to tell now that Simon has owned up to it though. That was clever, and I know it will get me to tune in.
As for whether Jason is pulling the strings, maybe he is. Maybe that’s what Britney needs at this time. I don’t know. I just hope that if she feels like he’s controlling her she also feels like she doesn’t have to marry him.
Update: Here’s Britney doing the “Gangnam Style” dance on Ellen:
And here’s another video of Britney and Simon’s interview. She does seem nervous to me.
Here’s Britney at a hand and footprint ceremony at Grauman’s for The X-Factor. She looks happier and much more relaxed than we’ve seen her in some time.
It’s been a few weeks since we’ve heard about Britney having trouble on the set of X-Factor. She seems to have settled into a routine with her new gig, and went on to judge auditions in three other cities without any incidents we heard about. All that changed in Greensboro, North Carolina, where Britney looked “stunned” and stormed off set when a guy auditioned in drag as Britney and sung her hit “Crazy.” (Did you know Melissa Joan Hart was in that video? I barely remember that song.) Two out of the three other judges, Demi and L.A. Reid, followed Britney in what may have been a show of solidarity. Britney came back, told the guy she respected him but that he wasn’t for X-Factor, and then promptly left again. At that point, the crowd booed her. Here’s more:
During The X Factor auditions in Greensboro, North Carolina July 9, Spears was at a loss for words when a contestant dressed in drag performed a cover of her 1999 smash, “(You Drive Me) Crazy.”
Spears, 30, looked visibly bothered as the male contestant, dressed partially as a woman in cat glasses and a bedazzled jean jacket, struggled to sing her pop classic. The Grammy winner eventually left the judges’ table and joined her fiance, Jason Trawick, 40, in the production pit; Demi Lovato, 19, and L.A. Reid, 56, followed Spears off stage, though Simon Cowell, 52, stayed behind to critique the aspiring singer.
“I don’t think she quite understood your tribute,” Cowell told the X Factor hopeful. “You’ve got to be able to sing in tune. There wasn’t a note in tune.”
The teary-eyed singer explained that he “had to fight real hard to get here,” and claimed that because he’s on welfare and can’t afford to pay his phone bill, he nearly missed his X Factor audition call.
Spears eventually returned to the stage, sans Lovato and Reid. With her arms crossed, she leaned into Cowell’s microphone and said, “I really respect the tribute. It was really nice, but I just don’t feel like it’s for X Factor. Sorry, sweetie.”
With that, the Greensboro Coliseum booed the “Criminal” singer as she walked off stage yet again. “Britney just stormed off the set because a guy did a tribute to her,” one attendee tweeted. “She’s such a bitch!”
Maybe Britney was pissed off that they let the guy on and felt like they did it to mock her. I don’t think that her walkoff was a stunt, but surely the whole tribute in drag was. If that guy was doing a Cher song it’s not like he would have made the cut, you know? Simon needs ratings and he’s going to try to get under Britney’s skin if that’s what it takes. Britney could have definitely sucked it up, sat there and handled it better than she did, though.
It looks like Britney Spears has the first phase of judging auditions for the X Factor in the can. Apart from frequent breaks and some lingering questions over whether she would be able to do the job, she seems to be competent enough and we haven’t heard any rumors lately to suggest that she’s having a hard time. Everyone was kind of worried about Britney given her history and the fact that her people worked hard to shield her from the media during her two recent tours. You would think that Britney’s new boss and co-judge, Simon Cowell, would be aware of this prior to hiring her for a reported $15 million dollars. You would assume that he would review recent interviews with her (although they’re few and far between) and see that she’s a shy person who isn’t always comfortable speaking off the cuff. Maybe he might glance at some of the many candid photos of her and realize that she still seems kind of fragile. Simon’s recent comments suggest that he was blinded by Britney’s star power, handed her a bag full of money, and then waited to see what would happen. Here’s what he told People:
Simon Cowell says Britney Spears is serious when it comes to finding talent.
“She’s not on the show to be Britney Spears on a TV show,” the X Factor boss, 52, says of the “Till the World Ends” singer, 30. “She’s actually there to prove to the world there’s more to her, and she’s got the ability to do this job really well. She’s taken the role really seriously.”
Part of what Cowell likes most about the pop star – with whom he is “fascinated” – is her down-to-earth nature.
“It’s quite interesting because when someone has done what she’s done as she has with her career, and being such a public person, you kind of think she is going to be very confident, but in real life she’s shy,” he says. “There’s kind of a mystique about her which I think is what kind of attracted me to her in the place.”
As for fellow judge Demi Lovato, 19, Cowell calls her a “total brat,” explaining that she’s “completely fearless, irreverent.”
Adds Cowell, “A lot of people who watch our show are 16, 17, 18 and younger, so we had to have someone I thought on the panel that could reflect that younger audience, and I’ve never done that before, and I wasn’t sure it was going to work.”
So far it’s working, Cowell says, and the new judges are opening his eyes and ears. “Because the two girls are on the panel,” he says, “I’m kind of seeing and hearing this in a totally different way.”
Is this true, did Simon really expect Britney to be confident? He’s a savvy enough businessman, it’s more than possible that he’s playing all this up for ratings. I remember what he said after Susan Boyle couldn’t handle her concert obligations after she shot to fame on British X Factor. He admitted he’d made mistakes with her, but said that he didn’t see how he could have done anything differently since he kept asking Susan if she was OK and she kept saying “yes.” So he doesn’t seem like he’s the most intuitive guy when it comes to interpersonal relationships. Maybe he really does find it fascinating that Britney is shy. To the rest of us, the ones who have paid attention to her for years, we’re kind of fascinated that she’s still doing her thing in the spotlight.
Britney went to Maui with her two boys and her fiance, Jason Trawick, over the weekend. These are some photos of them at the airport in Hawaii on Saturday with a burly bodyguard-looking guy. (She’s also shown in that red bandage dress at auditions in Rhode Island on 6-26-12.) I know she’s just getting off a flight, but the way she does her makeup and hair kind of contributes to the idea that she’s still having issues. Someone needs to teach her how to apply her eye makeup so it doesn’t look like she’s been rubbing her eyes with her hands all day. She doesn’t look bad here comparatively I guess.
This is a tough story to jump into, because as Kaiser eloquently pointed out in a recent story, Britney Spears currently (and possibly always will) lives in a legal and financial limbo where she inexplicably remains under a conservatorship that is jointly managed by her father, Jamie Spears, and her fiancé, Jason Trawick.
Regardless of the implications of a conservatorship on Britney’s abilities to work and perform in a professional environment, she’s been signed up to her new “X Factor” gig by Simon Cowell, who knew damn well that he’d be getting a ratings boost by casting Britney. Simon doesn’t care about Britney’s well being — he only cares about money. Already, there have been indications that Britney might not be able to do the job. Now a story in this week’s Star has Simon all worked up because Jason is a constant, stabilizing presence on set while Britney works, and now Simon can’t get the on-camera catastrophe that he (allegedly) desires. It further follows that Simon is whispering little hints in Britney’s ear to dump Jason. Is this story true? I wouldn’t put it past Simon to give it an enthusiastic try:
Simon Cowell had no illusions when he hired the emotionally fragile Britney Spears to be a judge on his hit talent competition, “The X Factor”: He wanted her zany antics to create big-time buzz!
Sources tell Star that series creator and fellow judge Simon banked on Britney acting crazy under the pressure and giving the show a ratings bonanza. But her fiancé, Jason Trawick, is getting in Simon’s way, keeping a 24/7 watch over his lady love to keep her calm and focused.
“Simon definitely feels like the show would be more fun if Jason weren’t there,” the insider confided. “He wouldn’t mind Britney having a big freakout on camera, but Jason is always there!”
A Britney source says Jason is “extremely protective over his newfound treasure — Britney and her money. He’s incredibly controlling.”
But Simon is determined to make Britney, 30, dump 40-year-old Jason, a move that would inevitably lead to Britney openly speaking her mind … and possibly to some strange on-camera behavior, another insider explains.
“Simon is getting in Britney’s ear, trying to plant the seed for her to break up with Jason,” the insider said. “He’s tried to intentionally put her in uncomfortable positions. Then he tries to keep Jason from stepping in, which damages their relationship,” the source continues.
And it’s starting to work. “Britney is already pulling away from Jason,” says the source. “And she’s already showing the telltale signs of an impending breakdown, like biting her nails, not being able to sit still and marching off set.”
Simon, meanwhile, is thrilled at his star judge’s less constrained behavior. “If Britney and Jason broke up, Simon would be through the roof with happiness,” the source says. “He loves nothing more than a loose cannon on live TV.”
[From Star, print edition, July 2, 2012]
What a mess. In all likelihood, neither Simon nor Jason has Britney’s best interests in mind when it comes to this television gig, but I guess I’d have to pick Team Jason over Team Simon any day. Even though it’s pretty sketchy that Jason already has so much control over Britney’s finances before they’re even married, I really do believe that he’s a good influence on her. As in, I think that Jason is the one who ultimately keeps Britney from reprising her past performances as a panty-less wonder. Of course, Britney’s dad is the one who initially reigned her in, but I believe that it’s Jason who makes Britney want to wear undergarments. I think Jason truly makes Britney happy. And if this story is true, then Simon is more of an a-hole than he’s shown himself to be in the past.
Radar has an interesting story that attempts to explain why Britney keeps taking what seem to be abrupt breaks on the set of X-Factor. (She’s taken at least two that we’ve heard of, although Simon Cowell and Britney both deny that there’s any issue.) According to their sources, Britney suffers from ADHD, which makes her unable to concentrate and focus on a task for an extended period of time. Radar’s source is kind of harsh about it, and compares Britney to a ten year-old kid. Supposedly the ADHD meds interfere with other medication she is taking, so she can’t be on both and that’s contributing to the issue. Here’s Radar’s story:
“Britney was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in her teens and used to take medication for it,” a source close to the situation tells RadarOnline.com exclusively. “The medication helped her deal with it, however, she can’t take it now because it interferes with the other medications she takes for her mental health issues. Britney’s current team of doctors strictly prohibit her from taking Adderall or Ritalin, which are commonly given to people with ADHD.
“Simon was made fully aware of Britney’s medical history before the contract was signed, so this certainly isn’t a big surprise that she needs to take breaks during the audition process. Look, Britney basically has the attention span of a 10-year-old at times. It’s not alarming to Simon at all and he is fully supportive of Britney doing whatever she needs to do during filming.”
According to the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Association, about 8 million adults suffer from the disorder and symptoms include overall restlessness, poor sustained attention to tasks and impaired impulse control.
“Britney’s medical team works with her to deal with her disorder without medication and daily vigorous exercise is what often works best for Britney. Her nutrition is closely monitored and so is her caffeine intake, because that can also enhance Britney’s inability to focus. Simon knew what he was dealing with before he ever signed her to join the show and it’s not shocking to him. Of course, it’s rather disconcerting for people that see her do it for the first time but it’s truly nothing to be alarmed at. In fact, Simon would have been surprised if she hadn’t taken breaks during judging last week, this means she is involved and engaged in the process,” the insider says.
I wanted to ask something to our readers with ADHD about coffee, since this article mentions it. I had a boyfriend in college with ADHD and he said that coffee actually helped him focus, which would make sense because the typical ADHD drugs are stimulants. I guess it depends on the person, but does coffee help you? I googled it and found that there are cases where moms give coffee to their kids with ADHD.
Meanwhile US Weekly adds a little more to this story in their print edition this week. They claim that Britney is talking up the contestants so much that she’s giving them false hope. They make it sound like she’s less of a Paula Abdul encouraging type and more of an indiscriminate flatterer. They quote a source who claims Britney “always said nice things, even telling one mediocre singer he could be ‘bigger than Justin Bieber.’ Simon was shocked!”
They go on to say “I don’t know how she’s going to handle the live shows,” which is pretty much what all the Internet chatter has focused on lately.
As I’ve mentioned before, Britney pulled off two grueling world tours in the past few years since her incident(s). I think she’s capable of doing this gig, but we’ll have to see how well she can bring it, and what kind of judge she is. Whatever happens, X Factor has received a ton of buzz for Britney. Simon knows that people are going to watch just to scrutinize her. It’s happening already and the show hasn’t even aired. That’s no small part of the reason why she was worth $15 million a year to them. So, do you think Simon is setting up these stories for publicity? I wouldn’t be surprised.
We’ve heard the announcement that Britney Spears will be joining the American version of “X Factor,” and there were rumors that Demi Lovato was in talks to also become a judge. Last night both stars joined Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid at the Fox Upfronts to make the official announcement. Spears and Lovato will be replacing first season judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger. TMZ has video of the upfronts, with both Britney and Demi making brief prepared remarks on stage. Britney’s voice falters a little bit and she looks scared to be there. It’s kind of hard to watch, and I’m hoping that Simon and the other higher-ups at X Factor make sure that she’s comfortable and supported while she’s on the show. She’s only done her own press very rarely and it may take her some time to get accustomed to being on television. Here’s more, thanks to the Detroit Free Press:
It’s official: Britney Spears and Demi Lovato will be judges when the second season of the U.S. edition of “The X Factor” debuts this fall.
“I’m a huge fan of the show and now I get to be a part of the action,” Spears said during Fox’s upfront presentations to advertisers in New York City.
While details of the two stars’ new contracts weren’t revealed, reports over the last few weeks suggested Spears would be signing a $15-million deal.
Spears and Lovato will sit alongside Simon Cowell, the show’s creator, and music executive L.A. Reid. The two pop stars replace former judges Paula Abdul and Nicole Scherzinger, who, along with host Steve Jones, were fired by Cowell following the conclusion of the singing competition’s first season.
“I’m absolutely delighted Britney and Demi are joining us,” Cowell said. “Britney remains one of the biggest stars in the world; she’s talented, fascinating — and I believe she knows exactly how to spot ‘The X Factor.’
“Demi’s had an amazing career in music, TV and film for someone her age. She’s young, confident and enthusiastic,” the outspoken TV personality said. “I think it’s really important that she speaks to our younger audience.”
As opposed to Britney, Demi looked and acted much more confident on stage. Demi has done plenty of interviews recently and I don’t doubt that she’ll be able to handle herself on X Factor. As Bedhead mentioned, Demi may have problems going in front of the camera and dealing with the criticism and scrutiny that go along with that. She’s mentioned that she feels “fragile… in front of the camera” when she’s acting. How is she going to feel as a judge on an unscripted show?
I’ll be honest, I’m worried about Britney. She’s a shy person and it’s going to take some coaxing and the right environment to help her out of her shell. Is Cowell capable of creating that environment?
Here are photos from the Fox Upfronts, as well as a Twitpic of Britney in the white dress she wore to make the announcement. (More photos of her in that dress are here.) It wasn’t flattering on her. She needs to move away from the tight short numbers she sported at the beginning of her career. This eggplant-colored v-neck dress is somewhat better.
Also, I’m not a fan of Demi’s bleached hair. She switches upher haircolor often, so it’s possible she’ll change it again soon. I actually like Demi’s bright patterned dress, even with that weird trailing piece at the front. It’s contemporary and it works on her.
TMZ just reported that Demi’s X Factor salary is in the low seven figures. Britney received a reported $15 million for just this single season.
