18 JULY 2002
Stateside reports that Britney Spears collapsed “like a rag doll” from the effects of a crash diet after a recent concert have been categorically denied by her representatives.

A US tabloid said that the 20-year-old pop star, currently on an American tour, had experienced the health scare after going on a raw vegetable and water regimen. The report went on to claim that Britney began the diet – along with a strict fitness routine – after she appeared to be “overweight” in recent concert photos.

“This story is complete rubbish. It is not true,” says a spokeswoman for Britney.

There’s no denying, however, that the Crossroads star has a rigorous tour schedule this summer – since May she’s travelled from coast-to-coast in the US, with Thursday’s show slated to take place in her home state of Louisiana. The recently-single singer did, however, take time out for Independence Day, spending time with her mum and 11-year-old sister, aspiring singer-actress Jamie Lynn, in Los Angeles.