Skip navigation

Britney admits her father saved her life

Plus: Jessica thought she’d never sing again; divorce works for Kate Hudson

By Ree Hines
msnbc.com contributor
updated 10:03 p.m. ET Sept. 3, 2008

Now that she’s put her dark days behind her, Britney Spears feels better than she has in years and she says she owes it all to one person: her dad.

In an interview with the Daily Star, the singer praised her conservator-father Jamie for his efforts and self-sacrifice.

“My father saved my life,” Britney explained. “I probably wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

Story continues below ↓
advertisement | your ad here

The pop star confessed she hasn’t always been the perfect daughter, but said her dad “basically gave up his job and his life to look after me at a time when I wasn’t even sure I wanted to go on living.”

Though she initially resisted Jamie’s court-ordered control, Britney admits it’s the very thing that saved her.

“I owe him my life,” she told the paper.

Jessica Simpson nearly left the music biz
Before jumping on the country-music bandwagon, Jessica Simpson nearly turned her back on the music business all together.

The singer told E! News she was ready to throw in the towel after flubbing her way through a tribute to Dolly Parton at the Kennedy Center in 2006.

“You know, what happened at Kennedy Center, I really thought I was done singin’,” Jessica confessed. “I was just at a place where I’d lost a lot of confidence and I didn’t even know who I was.”

Slideshow
Image: Ginnifer Goodwin
  Celebrity sightings
Ginnifer Goodwin gets serious at the “Single Man” screening, Beyonce wows Berlin at MTV awards, Claire Danes is a BAFTA beauty and more.

more photos

She may have stayed in that place, too, if it weren’t for Dolly. The country legend wasn’t about to see a career come to an end over one of her own songs.

“Dolly totally took me under her wing and helped me up and over the cares of the world,” Jessica said. “It went from the Kennedy Center to her being a part of this (new) record and getting letters from her of encouragement. She told me she’s never been more proud of anything in her whole life. And I have it written down in her handwriting!”

Dish on the fly
Their marriage didn’t work out so well, but Kate Hudson considers her divorce from Chris Robinson a big success. “I mean, obviously, nothing’s perfect, but I could never look at (the divorce) as a mistake,” the “Fool’s Gold” star said in an interview with Cosmopolitan. “If anything it’s the best thing that ever happened to us.” … Despite past pregnancy denials from both actresses, baby-bump rumors continue to swirl around Katie Holmes and Eva Longoria. Photos revealing a mysterious mini-bulge beneath Katie’s baggy clothes are the only hints at a future Suri sibling, but Eva’s evidence is stacking up. In addition to the weight gain Eva attributes to her “Desperate Housewives” alter ego, E! News reports that the actress enjoyed some Las Vegas action last weekend but notably avoided mommy-to-be no-nos, including alcohol and sushi. … Keira Knightley’s main man Rupert Friend is fighting mad at members of the paparazzi who hound the couple at every turn. “I now understand entirely why people take swings at photographers, and if one gets within more than a foot of me I will do the same,” the “Pride & Prejudice” star said in a quote posted to ContactMusic. “I have absolute respect for anyone who manages to knock one of them out!”

Tabloid Tidbits is compiled by Ree Hines.

© 2009 msnbc.com.  Reprints

Sponsored links

Resource guide