or type here...
7/3/2006 10:04 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF
Let's Get This Party Started: Top Stories for Monday 07/03/06

It happened to Brangelina, and now Britney says it's happened to her too: Stolen vacation snaps.

Britney Spears is claiming that pictures of her family on vacation that appeared in a celebrity glossy last week were "stolen by an unknown perpetrator," according to a statement released by her record label.

Jive Records released a statement on Saturday saying that "personal vacation photos" belonging to the Spears-Federlines were stolen, and that the couple is "outraged and saddened" about the theft and are having the matter investigated.

The snaps, which appeared in Us Weekly and on various Internet gossip sites, show the happy family – Brit, K-Fed, and young Sean Preston – mugging for a camera on a private jet and playing in a hotel room, as well as a somewhat startled-looking Sean sitting in a stroller with his parents flanking him.

The Spears' allegation comes not a week after police recovered photos of the Namibian baby shower of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie from a home in Westfield, Mass., as TMZ first reported last week.

As of this morning, Us Weekly couldn't be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Britney has managed to derail the career of one of the co-stars of her sister Jamie Lynn's show "Zoey 101." According to Page Six, Britney told Alexa Nikolas she would "never work in this town again" back in November after she and Jamie Lynn, the show's star, got into a spat on the set of the Nickelodeon series.

It now seems that Nikolas' character meets with a "bad accident," according to a Page Six source who's seen the script for the show's new season, and that because the character, named Nicole, is popular with the show's kids' audience, the sisters Spears are trying to keep the incident on the down-low. Reps for the show and for the Spears didn't return phone calls for comment.

Jess' Toughs Allegedly Rough Up Photographer

Jessica Simpson's bodyguards had an alleged run-in with a newspaper photographer at a club in the Hamptons over the weekend.

John Roca, a lensman for the New York Daily News, claims that four of Jessica's bodyguards "jumped on me like a chicken on a June bug" when he tried to take pictures of her at the Pink Elephant nightclub in Southampton. Roca said that he asked to photograph Simpson, who was wearing a "plunging bustier, miniskirt, and iridescent heels" while lounging on a divan, perhaps celebrating her first weekend as an officially single woman.

The bodyguards then grabbed his camera and ripped the memory card from Roca's pants. Simpson spokesman Rob Shuter says that the security was from the club, but Pink Elephant sources disagree, claiming that the heavies were employees of Jessica.


Is Brandy the Next Star?

Singer-acress Brandy is filling in for the fired Star Jones on "The View" this coming week, fuelling speculation that she could be on the short list to be a permanent co-host.

The starlet is currently occupying a judge's chair on the NBC show "America's Got Talent" next to David Hasselhoff and Piers Morgan but will be appearing on the ABC morning show Wednesday and Friday, according to PEOPLE magazine. "These tryouts are for consideration for the permanent gig," says the magazine's source.

Last week, "One Life To Live" star Renee Goldsberry filled in at the last minute, and veteran soap actress Susan Lucci will be at the table with Barbara, Joy, and Elisabeth on Thursday.

Ebert Has Emergency Operation, Thumbs Up for Recovery

Film critic Roger Ebert was "doing well" this morning after emergency surgery to correct complications from previous surgery for cancer, and was in serious but stable condition at Chicago's Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

A blood vessel near a cancerous growth on Ebert's salivary gland burst on Saturday and he was rushed to the hospital to repair the rupture. The condition is not considered life-threatening and the Chicago Sun-Times critic is expected to make a full recovery. Ebert has had cancer surgery three times previously.

Matthew Perry and Darren Star in Seat-Saving Row

Sitcom star Matthew Perry and sitcom creator extraordinaire Darren Star had a little tiff over the weekend over some saved seats at a movie theater.

Page Six reports that Star went with a friend and the friend's niece and nephew to the Century City multiplex to watch "Superman Returns" and found four seats blocked off with tape, as is the custom at a film's premiere-except that this wasn't a premiere.

When Star asked why the seats were reserved, cinema employees said it was for Matthew Perry, who Star subsequently confronted in the theater's lobby about the seat-saving. Perry wouldn't budge, so Star had to move his group.

Perry, through his rep, replied cheekily: "I really enjoyed the movie, although it is slightly implausible that a man can fly."

See More

Please check your inbox ... your comment will not appear until you have confirmed your identity via email.

When you enter your name and email address you'll be sent a link via email to confirm your comment. Please keep your comments relevant to this post. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make the link live for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.

Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 2) | 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments
1.

Jane:  2051 days ago

Does this girl ever stop with saying she wants no attention but constantly does something to get attention?

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
2.

Cindy:  2051 days ago

I had a much better opinion of Britney from the US weekly photos than I did watching her chewing gum while talking on Dateline. They showed a happy family.I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking this girl needs some positive feedback considering the negative she's been getting in the last couple of months.

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
3.

Carrie:  2051 days ago

I am not a Brittany fan, but whatever else you may say about her, at least she is always shown with her baby. Other celeb moms go on vacation or shopping or whatever and the kids are with nannys. Brit isn't with her baby just for photo shoots, but seems to take him everywhere she goes.

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
4.

No legs in Texas :(:  2051 days ago

I think Kevin sold the pictures. Britney find yourself another man, he has made you into a desperate housewife.

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
5.

No legs in Texas :(:  2051 days ago

I think the butler did it.

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
6.

Kathy:  2051 days ago

I am sure these "accidentally" fell into the wrong hands...just in time to do damage control for her horrible interview with Matt Lauer. Didn't you guys notice she looks thinner, prettier and made up so much better in those pictures? Yeah, I am sure it was an addident...

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
7.

me:  2051 days ago

Yeah right....."stolen"...you wouldn't have to be doing all this damage control Brits if you had spit that gum before talking on national television!!! Whatever you're selling I WON'T BUY!

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
8.

Wicked1:  2051 days ago

Poor Britney is soooo desperate to stay in the news that she will do ANTHING. Naked magazine covers, train wreck interview with Matt Lauer, beach bikini photos with family and lost/stolen personal family vacation photos. So much for wanting her "privacy". She is pathetic.

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
9.

PENNY-PEN:  2051 days ago

you've got to be kidding,now someone has stolen her family pic's,last week mind u,and now she's having it investigated...give me a break,BRITNEY please get a hold of yourself,u need help mentally,for somebody who want to stay out of the news,u just keep on giving it ...i don't feel sorry for u,i feel for the kids!!!,there the ones who suffer in the long run...penny-pen...

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
10.

pam daniell:  2051 days ago

Brit, your husband sold the pictures. Divorce him. He makes you look pathic.

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
11.

wendell dixon:  2051 days ago

I just find it ironic that After Brad and Angelina photos were stolen then wow-Brit phots are stolen 2..interesting...I guess when you're a celebrity..you have to do almost any PR stunt to keep the folks wanting more..I mean..the last time I looked at her on a beach...it wasn't a photo that I would have stolen..I would have given them away for free......now Angelina..(hmmm)..thats a bathing suit photo worth stealing...she makes stealing all good..hmmmm

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
12.

Rebecca:  2051 days ago

This girl is so starved for attention she will stop at nothing. She is a sad pathetic girl and she needs to grow up. Why is it that no other pop star has all these problems..even with the Jessica/Nick divorce, Jessica keeps herself out of the spotlight. And what about Christina A. who is magnicent, do you ever see her in the tabloids like Britney. I agree, Kevin probably sold the pics. No one is that interested in Britney anymore, so she keeps putting herself in the tabloids like she's so interesting and people can't get enough of her. She's so full of herself!!

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
13.

Cindy:  2051 days ago

Funny, Angelina reports a crime and the FBI gets involved, Britney reports a crime of the same nature and she is slammed for a publicity stunt. She didn't report it to the media, she reported it to the authorities. I guess if she were involved in an accident everyone would say she did it on purpose for the attention. Face it Britney, you can't win.

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
14.

Leslie:  2051 days ago

Britney and Kevin are the new Bobby and Whitney! Bobby ruined Whitney's career and Kevin is doing the same to Britney. Ironically, both women allow it....SHOCKER!

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
15.

Slim:  2051 days ago

I am so sick of this damn girl. She has got to be the biggest moron in America. YOUR HUSBAND SOLD THE PICTURES DUMBASS!!!! Please let this girl move away for a VERY long time. I love reading about and hearing about celebrities and she is the first one that I have truly despised. Her and that loser Kevin are far more sickening than that media slut of a couple Ben Affleck and J-Lo were. Now if only Britney and Kevin would do us all the same courtesy and GO AWAY!

Likes 0 Dislikes 0
| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments