Britney wants her kids to stay out of showbiz

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

For the first time in two years, Britney Spears has given a cogent, lucid interview, one without behind-the-scenes or in-front-of-the-camera drama. From the living room of her house in Los Angeles, Spears talked to OK! magazine about her work (she’s recording a new album), being on hand when sister Jamie Lynn gave birth, and her sons’ future.

In what might be a revealing answer about her own childhood, Spears said that she doesn’t necessarily want her sons, Jayden and Preston, to pursue a career in the entertainment business. “I’d rather not,” Spears told OK!. “But but I’d love them unconditionally if they wanted to. I’d just as soon they have a more normal childhood.”

Spears’ father and conservator Jamie was also present for the interview. He’s proven to be press shy and reserved, but he took the opportunity to reveal the dynamic between Kevin Federline and the Spears family.

He says that in terms of custody, “Kevin is all for everything. He wants her to have 50/50 custody. He wants them to raise these kids together. Kevin’s heart is right.”

Jamie Spears also reveals that his relationship with Britney has improved, but at the end of the day she’s still capable of being manipulative to get her way. “It’s wonderful. (The relationship) is new for both of us. She sometimes calls me 50 times a day and asks me things that light my life up. But like all daughters, she is very manipulative and cunning. So she gets what she wants a lot.”

Christian Bale and wife expecting?
The latest in the revolving door of celebrity couples expecting babies: Christian Bale and his wife Sandra “Sibi” Blazic. A source spotted Blazic, whom Bale met when he was filming “Little Women,” perusing nursery items in Los Angeles, and then she bought an ivory-colored changing pad from the plainmary.com company.

“People buy items for friends all the time,” says a Bale source. “Doesn’t mean you should read into it.”

Barbara Walters, Cindy Adams, and one too many Ambien
With “The View” on hiatus, it’s necessary to capitalize on any available news about the ladies of America’s breakfast table. Today’s installment comes via Barbara Walters’ old friend and New York Post columnist Cindy Adams.

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Adams writes in her column that she and her friend of “100 years” (that’s practically literal in this instance) kicked off their European cruise with an Ambien apiece on their flight to their port of embarkation.

Ever the den mother, Walters took one pill; Adams popped a second when she awoke with three hours left in the flight. Walters then “hand-fed” a croissant to a zonked-out Adams, “hauled” Adams’ carry-on bag to a car, got her on the ship, and put her to bed fully clothed. That’s what friends are for.

Ed McMahon, another lawsuit
My support of Ed McMahon has been unwavering, but I’m beginning to wonder if I’m just playing Anne Hathaway to an older Raffaello Follieri. The former “Tonight Show” sidekick is now being sued by a Huntington Beach, Calif., lender who wants to recover a $250,000 loan it says McMahon failed to pay back, along with interest and legal costs.

Slideshow   Celebrity sightings Chrissie Hynde is a long way from Ohio, friends and family remember Ed McMahon, Kiefer Sutherland takes a New York stroll and more. more photos

To recap: McMahon was sued in July by his former lawyers for $275,167 over payment of a legal bill, and he’d already defaulted on $4.8 million in mortgages.

In a June interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” McMahon was asked what happened. “If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens,” he said. “A couple of divorces thrown in, a few things like that.”

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