Will Britney move back to the Big Apple?

Courtney Hazlett The Scoop

Britney Spears made an unexpected appearance at New York City-based radio station Z-100 this week. Her arrival at the station was entirely random: one rep for the station confirms that Z-100 received a call from the Spears camp saying she was just two blocks away and wanted to come in.

“Of course we were happy to have her,” says the rep, who also confirmed that her entourage was limited to one person — her on-again, off-again manager Larry Rudolph.

During the course of the radio interview, Spears said that she wished she still had her NYC apartment. “Man, I wish I still had my apartment here still. But I love (New York City). The energy is crazy,” said Spears.

A source close to Spears says, “Britney always toys with the idea of going back (to New York). Obviously there's no chance that's happening unless Kevin (Federline, father of her sons) moves, too.”

Spears’ arrival at Z-100 was without much of the fanfare that comes with something as simple as a Starbucks run for her when she's in L.A., but that doesn’t mean her appearance was paparazzi-free. One paparazzo hit a lamppost near the radio station while trying to nab a shot of Spears. No one was injured.

Hi-ho Clooney, away!
Another week, another round of denials from the George Clooney camp.

The newest: Clooney will not be taking on the lead role in the film adaptation of “The Lone Ranger,” his rep Stan Rosenfield confirms.

Johnny Depp is slated to play Tonto in the film. Jerry Bruckheimer will direct.

DJ AM attends Baker’s memorial
Adam Goldstein (DJ AM) is back in California after being treated for burns related to his Sept. 20 plane crash.

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In Touch Weekly reports that Goldstein drove from Georgia to L.A. to attend the Sept. 29 funeral of Chris Baker, who died in the crash.

“Adam was too upset to speak,” a witness told the magazine at the funeral.

Travis Barker, who was also being treated for burns in Georgia after the crash, couldn’t attend the funeral; Barker was still traveling back to L.A. via bus with his ex-wife, Shanna Moakler, the magazine reports.

Paris Hilton cleaning up her act
Is Paris Hilton finally making good on her post-prison promise to cut the partying out of her lifestyle?

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That’s the word from Atlantic City, where she and her beau were hanging out.

Benji Madden and his brother Joel DJ’d at mur.mur at the Borgata Casino & Spa on Sept. 27, where an observer noted that Paris stuck to water and Diet Coke for the duration of the evening.

Also overheard: “(Paris) was talking about DJ AM’s accident, and she says now that she and Benji pray when they fly. They travel everywhere together.”

More travel is on the slate for Hilton: she’ll be busy promoting her new reality show “My New BFF,” which premieres Sept. 30, and she has a new album dropping in October.

Sightings
In New York:
Alec Baldwin grabbed a slice at Zorba’s Pizza on the Upper West Side following his appearance at the 92nd Street Y Sept. 23. ... Sienna Miller was spotted shopping for a new pair of sunglasses on Sept. 23 at Ilori’s SoHo sunglass boutique.

Chicago:
Cindy Crawford grabbed dinner with her sisters at Mexx Kitchen at The Whiskey in Chicago on Sept. 20.

California:
On Sept. 23, actresses Emmy Rossum, Shiva Rose and China Chow, along with Vogue's West Coast editor, Lisa Love, attended the private Vogue and Mulberry dinner to celebrate Alexandra Grant’s exhibit at the Honor Fraser Gallery in Los Angeles. ... Robert De Niro sipped martinis on Sept. 20 at Moonstone Lounge in the Hard Rock San Diego.

Courtney Hazlett delivers the Scoop Monday through Friday on msnbc.com.

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