Going pantyless is so last week — except for Brit

As celebrity trends go, the crotch shot is so not hot. Heck, even Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton started putting on panties two seasons ago. But just last week, Britney Spears treated the world to yet another gander at her no-no. Why does the plummeting pop star keep doing it? The latest issue of In Touch Weekly delivers the scoop on Brit’s distaste for drawers.

“The underwear thing is ridiculous — and I’ve told her,” Britney’s pal, jewelry designer Tuesday Knight, told In Touch. “I’ve said, ‘You cannot walk into a store wearing just a shirt with your underwear off.’ I’ve told her that no one will take her seriously when she does this.”

“I love Britney — adore her — but she brings a lot of it on herself” Tuesday said, and went on to explain that parading around panty-free started as prank between LiLo, Paris and Brit. “I’ve heard (them) talk about how they shock Hollywood just for the fun of it. They were discussing how they could play a little joke on all of us.”

Slide show   Britney Spears’ troubles drawn out A Daryl Cagle editorial cartoon roundup examining the country’s fascination with the pop princess. MSNBC

It’s not all fun and games, though. Tuesday’s alarmed that her famous friend's revealing habit is sabotaging her image as a mom. “Britney has always been a good mother,” she insisted. “I want people to know that she’s the better parent — not Kevin! (Britney) asked me, ‘Doesn’t anybody get to see this part of me?’ The answer is, no, they don’t. People just read about her not wearing underwear.” Newsflash, Tues. They see it, too.

Is Owen Wilson off the wagon?
Now that embattled Owen Wilson is back in the public eye, it seems he’s exchanged his sober buddy for that alleged harbinger of human downfall, Steve Coogan. Won’t somebody please listen to Courtney Love?! Steve, you may recall, is the British actor and comedian whom ex-gal Courtney blamed for Owen’s emotional and/or substance abuse issues.

Steve and his legal representatives denied his alleged bad influence, and now Life & Style reports the “Night in the Museum” co-stars are hanging together once again, despite Courtney’s warnings. But Steve isn’t the only hard-partying pal Owen’s out drinking with, according to several L&S spies. The magazine reports that Owen “apparently suffered a major setback in his recovery from an August suicide attempt” when earlier this month, he allegedly drank heavily at the Viceroy hotel in Santa Monica.

Slide show   Owen Wilson From action to comedy to a mix of both, a look at the films of the Hollywood favorite. more photos

This is the poop: Owen and crew partied privately in the hotel’s library room. “They had bottle service and were drinking vodka,” one witness claimed. What’s more, when Owen first arrived at the bar, “he looked like he’d already been drinking,” hotel guest Jamie Brandt told Life & Style. “He was stumbling when he came in and literally falling down when he left.”

Despite these accounts, one Owen insider said it’s not the drinking that’s the problem. The Wilson family views Owen’s obstacles “as a mental health problem as opposed to a substance-abuse issue,” the family friend said. “So Owen’s goal wasn’t to sober up, it was to feel better about himself.” And contrary to witness reports re: Owen’s Viceroy partying, the actor’s representatives insist he wasn’t drunk.

Dish on the fly
Brad Pitt spoke at a recent meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City, but apparently, Angelina Jolie thought he was “better suited” to serve drinks. According to Life & Style, Angie absolutely despised Brad’s vest and white shirt combo. “She even accused him of dressing like a bartender in a restaurant,” said one insider. “She wants him to fire his stylists!” . . . "What's your son doing Googling my girlfriend?" Jim Carrey jokingly demanded of the father of a boy who recently wrote a paper about Jenny McCarthy and her autism activism. The comedic questioning took place at a private autism fundraiser the funnyman attended with gal pal, Jenny, reports People. But maybe Jim’s words contained real caution — Jenny is a former Playboy Bunny, after all. ... Help Jeremy Piven change his tire and get a kiss! That’s the reward one helpful female fan recently received when she came to the “Entourage” star’s roadside aid, reports the National Enquirer’s Mike Walker. Jeremy’s highway temper tantrum re: his inability to change a tire caught the attention of the lucky handy woman who performed the task in 15 minutes flat.

Tabloid Tidbits is compiled by Helen A.S. Popkin and Ree Hines.

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