I thought the stories about Timbaland producing a Britney track were false, because back in April he said that he wasn’t going to help her with her comeback as was rumored at that time. Page Six is reporting today that not only was Timbaland scheduled to produce a Britney track, it was in fact a duet with Justin Timberlake! I thought those rumors were fake too as they sounded too good to be true.

Britney predictably ruined her chance at what could have been a comeback by blowing off hitmaker Timbaland and missing scheduled studio time. What’s more is that her big show at the MTV VMAs was supposed to have been a duet with Timberlake. That would have definitely propelled her to a level slightly higher than the bad mom gutter she’s been wallowing in while drinking all day and calling her kids burdens. Instead she’s still going to perform, just alone and maybe it will be that shit Pac Man song that’s been leaked:

A music industry source said Timberlake wrote the duet specifically for Spears. Although they wouldn’t be together in the studio, his voice would have been mixed with hers later.

“Timbaland set aside a week out of his crazy schedule to do this – and then, just before she was supposed to fly out, Britney abruptly canceled the session and refused to do the song.

“It’s crazy,” the insider added. “She’s looking for a comeback, and this would have not only been a huge hit, but something she could have opened the MTV Video Awards with and really blown everyone away.”

Another insider said, “Listen, everyone is worried. In her mind, her album is done and she’s done enough work . . . She’s an easy target right now, because she’s . . . sick. People like her are sick. It’s like an anorexic who’s sick in the head and needs help. She needs help. It’s sad because what she’s got – and we’ve heard it’s like bipolar disorder – can easily be treated with medication, but she won’t do it.”

There’s concern that Spears, now without a great song to perform, will bomb at the VMAs, which would have been her crucial comeback appearance.

[Page Six]

And Criss Angel, who has been seen out with Britney lately and who was holed up with her in a hotel suite when her bodyguard went out to buy condoms, has denied a relationship with Britney, saying he’s just helping her make her VMA performance extra magical:

“We were talking about how she wants to do something more with the [awards] show, and about me helping out and hoping to work with her on doing something to make her MTV appearance more innovative,” he insists. Apparently the two share the same manager, and Criss thought he could impart some magically delicious wisdom on the pop tart.

“We were talking about how she wants to do something more with the [awards] show, and about me helping out and hoping to work with her on doing something to make her MTV appearance more innovative,” he insists. Apparently the two share the same manager, and Criss thought he could impart some magically delicious wisdom on the pop tart…

“It’s amazing how you can’t do anything now without people making up stuff,” whines the “magician.” Riiiight.

[From TMZ]

The entertainment lawyer at Crazy Days and Nights had an earlier post about how Britney would have done fine with Timberlake at the VMAs as the idea that they were together again on stage would have compensated for an expected poor performance from Britney. (His site is down temporarily or I would quote him.)

As it is, Britney has to rely on whatever Criss Angel can come up with in between feeding her needy ego. I doubt there’s magic powerful enough to change her back into even a semblance of her former self. She could always do an animated Gorillaz-style performance. Computer animation seems like the best way for Britney to reinvent herself at this point.

It’s still uncertain whether Britney will actually perform at the VMAs, though.

Header image thanks to INFDaily.