Britney-Justin Performance is No Surprise

Ryan Seacrest broke the news on his Nov. 5 radio broadcast that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake would take the stage together with Madonna at her Nov. 6 concert at L.A.’s Dodger Stadium. While the news might have come to a shock to many fans, some close friends of Spears weren’t surprised.

“Justin has denied all along that he was in touch with Britney, but that was him being a gentleman,” says one source who has known Spears for years. “He was in touch with her and supportive all through rehab — there’s no bad blood and he’s been open to helping her when she was ready and responsible all along.”

Another Spears friend says, “Britney’s serious about her comeback now — the people who supported her when she was at the top of her game have always been willing to come back when she was serious and ready.”

As for Madonna’s influence, a Kabbalah source is more cynical. “It’s hard for this to not look like a press stunt. There’s been a lot of worry about how Madonna is presenting Kabbalah to the world while she’s divorcing Guy and denying a real relationship with A-Rod. Britney’s never cut ties totally with Kabbalah,” says the source. “I’m sure there’s a link here. If she’s a comeback story and Kabbalah can take credit, then everyone wins.”