Britney Spears

Britney Spears plans to personally attend a hearing Tuesday in a Los Angeles family court, a court spokesman has confirmed.

"It's a hearing to discuss the status of her case," said court rep Allan Parachini of the long-anticipated custody battle court date.

Asked if her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, would show up in person as well, his lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan replied, "Kevin has been at every important hearing. I view Tuesday as an important hearing."

Britney and K-Fed: Together again (in court).

Britney Spears, 26, returned to Los Angeles Sunday night after flying to Kentwood, La., to attend a baby shower for her pregnant 17-year-old l'il sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, over the weekend.

The pantsless pop princess presently has monitored visitation rights with her sons, Sean Preston Federline, 2, and Jayden James Federline, 1, several times per week (including Mother's Day), but no overnight rights.

A report was completed by the ex-couple's child custody evaluator in recent weeks, which could heavily influence future visitation arrangements.

The pop star's father, Jamie Spears, and his lawyer, Andrew Wallet, remain in legal control of her affairs until at least a July 31 hearing.

Who says you can't go home again?

NOTE: No one we know actually says that.

The adage certainly doesn't apply to Britney Spears, who left California Friday and returned to her native Kentwood, La., marking her first trip back since before hospitalizations, custody battles and crazy no-pants-clubbing galore.

Also in town is Britney Spears' father, Jamie Spears, who remains in legal control of her personal, financial and medical affairs at least until a July 31 court hearing.

The troubled singer's arrival in her home state comes as inside sources say there is a planned baby shower over the weekend for her 17-year-old sister Jamie Lynn Spears, who announced her pregnancy back in December.

Pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears and her 19-year-old baby-daddy / fiance, Casey Aldridge, announced their engagement in March. Congrats, kids!

Britney Spears, 26, last visited Kentwood in early 2007 for her aunt's funeral. Accompanying her at the time was boyfriend Isaac Cohen.

Britney Spears has reason to celebrate:

The 7-Eleven in her neighborhood has a 2-for-1 pack deal on Marlboro Lights. Just kidding. Although it's entirely possible.

What we're driving at is the decision was made by her ex-husband Kevin Federline, based on "improved circumstances," to let Britney see her two sons on Mother's Day!

Well, almost. Luckily, an alert passer-by stepped in at the last moment to save Sean Preston Federline's head from hurtling towards the street.

Just the same, this classic celebrity baby picture sums up the tremendous parenting skills of Britney Spears like few others can ...

When he's old enough to appreciate this photo, Sean Preston will want to thank the gentleman who saved him from becoming a road pizza.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline went on to create another son, Jayden James, just barely one year after Sean Preston's birth in September 2005. Brit then divorced K-Fed, partied with no pants a lot and went insane.

Britney's back on TV! Again!

While future brother-in-law Casey Aldridge celebrates his birthday today, Britney Spears is hard at work on a new episode of How I Met Your Mother.

In an episode set to air May 12, Britney Spears will reprise her role as cute, ditzy receptionist Abby, the show's producers officially announced Monday.

Titled "Everything Must Go," the new How I Met Your Mother episode finds guest star Britney Spears and Neil Patrick Harris' character, Barney, flaunting their "relationship" in front of Josh Radnor's character, Ted.

Desperately seeking a response, Barney pops a surprising question to Abby.

A show source described Spears' return to the show as a "mutual decision to work together more." Her father, Jamie Spears, who is in charge of her legal, medical and financial affairs (while she receives treatment for her bipolar disorder) is also said to support her work in TV. Beats parading around in no pants, for sure!

Britney Spears' initial guest starring turn â€" on a March 24 episode â€" earned critical praise and the show's highest ratings to date.

By the cojones, no less!

What gossip fan can forget this celebrity photo classic, starring the newly-engaged and ultra-horny Britney Spears and Kevin Federline, from back in 2004. Ah, to be young, in love and grabbing your fiance's package on a hotel balcony...

After a brief courtship, Britney Spears and K-Fed married, fornicated a lot, had two kids, and called it quits about two years later. Good times.

Celebrating her single status as of late 2006, Britney embarked on an epic binge of clubbing (with no panties on most of the time), violating traffic laws, hooking up with (then quickly discarding) random boyfriends, neglecting Sean and Jayden, and being committed to the psychiatric wards of two different hospitals.

Maybe being with Kevin wasn't that bad after all...

Jamie Lynn Spears' and Britney Spears' mother, Lynne Spears, has turned to God in a desperate bid to keep those fat paychecks rolling in help her two troubled daughters stay strong in these difficult times.

Struggling Lynne has a lot on her mind these days - her eldest daughter has twice been hospitalized for mental illness, and 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears is pregnant - with that baby bump growin' every day!

But the matriarch is philosophical about the family's problems, revealing that she's hoping regular prayers will turn their fortunes around.

In an exclusive interview in the upcoming issue of Life & Style magazine, which surely didn't pay Lynne Spears anything for her insight, she says:

"All I can do is turn to God for money answers and just leave it in his hands."

A classic file photo of a young, innocent Britney Spears along with perennial Mother / Grandmother of the Year candidate, Lynne Spears.

Lynne Spears admits she was "a bit disappointed" when her youngest daughter got pregnant, but now she's resolved to the idea of becoming a grandmother again - and she thinks 17-year-old Jamie Lynn will make a great mom.

As for Britney Spears, Lynne is trying to stay just as positive.

"I pray for Britney every day to be a better mother," Lynne adds.

"She's gone through a lot of trauma, but she seems to be coming out of it - and it's showing in her relationship with [Sean Preston and Jayden James]. They're really bonding."

Those few hours together since December must have been so special.

Celebrity news and gossip tend to be cyclical.

The good periods involve massive amounts of celebrity fashion train wrecks, DUI arrests, babies, pregnancies, engagements and general news of note.

It's a happy time for all. But the slow news days, weeks or months? Well, they cause people in the celeb gossip industry to get desperate.

Some cope with the void by digging deep for stories about Peter Sarsgaard and the like. Others simply make news up, no matter how absurd.

Take the Britney Spears story below. In the past, Star Magazine has run very similar articles, even going so far as to run old Britney Spears photos with new headlines, misleading the public into thinking there is actually something worth reading.

We can't help but notice how much Britney Spears' "new bikini body" looks like her old bikini body ... and losing 20 pounds in 30 days? Come on, Star.

Since cleaning up her act a bit, Britney Spears has become less of a train wreck. Which is good, as we really didn't wish to see her die. Yet she makes far less interesting copy nowadays. You may want to just give it up at some point, Star.

You have to hand it to this celebrity gossip magazine on the Suri Cruise birthday / Katie Holmes crying photo and headline, though. Quality pic!

We know, we said this before, and it turned out to be old photos from 2003 and 2004 that celeb gossip magazines used to fool us all. Such ass clowns.

Seriously, though - these Britney Spears pictures were actually taken this month, and both show the cutest, healthiest Brit we've seen in some time!

With the exception of the pack of cigarettes, that is. Oh well. Small victories are still significant at this stage of the game, right? Here's our girl ...

In the past couple of months, Britney Spears has been exercising a lot, staying away from clubbing and showing a positive attitude when it comes to pants.

With a second go-around planned for her How I Met Your Mother gig, and a new tour supposedly in the works, things are really turning around for Brit.

Will she be able to regain some custody of Jayden James or Sean Preston soon? That remains to be seen, and will hinge on a court date next month.

Hide the remote. Britney Spears is returning to How I Met Your Mother.

"The show is ecstatic and so is Britney," a source said.

"[Britney Spears] had so much fun the first time around she really wanted to come back. It was a mutual decision to work together more."

The "singer" and "actress" will guest star on one more episode, the source says. Fox studios would not confirm the appearance.

Britney Spears appeared on March 24's episode of the show, playing a receptionist at who fell for one of the show's main characters, played by Josh Radnor.

She received accolades for the spot, but then again, her people hyped the heck out of it and it was the first time she did any sort of work without a meltdown (and with underwear) in so long, anything looked great by comparison.

Just the same, the whole How I Met Your Mother gang is glad to have her back for her much-anticipated second go-around.

"She was hilarious in the table-read, and I got to see her do the run-through as well, and she was great," cast member Jason Segel said.