Stop the presses. Britney Spears cleared up any rumors Wednesday that she’s got a crush on Los Angeles Lakers forward Luke Walton, 27, whom the singer had dubbed “cute” in 2004.
Britney Spears communicated to inquiring paparazzi that it is her cousin, Alli, who has the crush on the 6-foot-8 son of NBA legend Bill Walton.
The issue was cleared up when the cleaner and leaner star nodded as Alli told photographers that she is the gal with the hots for Walton, and it was she who dragged the recently rehabbed pop star to three Laker games in just over a week.
Bummer for Alli: A Lakers rep confirms that Walton is taken. Lame!Â
Spears, 25, has been spending a lot of time with her cousin since returning from her weekend retreat in Las Vegas. The two hit the Epitome Salon in Beverly Hills on Wednesday, with Spears stripping down to a white bikini (oooooga) for a tanning session.
Then the pair then drove all over town, blasting Nelly Furtado CDs on their stereo, sipping Starbucks and shopping for kids’ clothes for Spears’ sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James.
When a nearby photographer asked Britney Spears when he could hear her new album, she responded with a smile and, in an apparent joke, said:
“I think I might be quitting!”
Hopefully she’s kidding. But her mood grew more thoughtful when another member of the press (seconding an opinion offered by her ex, Justin Timberlake) told Britney that she’s “doing great” since getting out of rehab.
She got teary and said, “Thank you, I love you.”
Aww. She’s so cute. An onlooker commented, “You could tell that words of support really mean a lot to her right now.”
You know who else does? Howie Day. What a wonderful, sensitive crooner.