After Britney Spears appeared in "Rolling Stone" in 1998, there was no turning back

Singer shares breakup details in magazine that helped launch her career

By Matthew B. Zeidman

NEW YORK (Hollywood Today) 11/26/08 – Britney Spears will grace the cover of December’s “Rolling Stone,” and it is in sharp contrast to the coquettish image of the pop princess that helped launch her to stardom a decade earlier.

Unlike the 1998 photo of Spears snuggling with a Teletubby in boy shorts and a bra, which thrilled fans, horrified critics and cemented her image as a young temptress, the mother of two appears natural and relaxed in a midriff-bearing T-shirt and jeans.

Inside the issue, which sports the modified Barack Obama slogan “Yes She Can,” Spears discusses her breakup with backup dancer Kevin Federline and her comeback CD, “Circus.”

“I didn’t think my husband was gonna leave me. Otherwise, I’d be with my babies 24/7,” she told the publication. “But, since they’re almost like twins, they both take care of each other. I think they look like me.”

Spears also made it a point to note her young boys, Jayden James and Sean Preston, looked nothing like their father, who has full-time custody of the children, and chastised the aspiring rapper for allegedly teaching them to curse. She also spoke about the emotional cost of revealing herself in her work.

“It’s scary to put yourself out there and be like, ‘Oh, God, is that cool?’” Spears told the magazine. “If you’re not going to really go for it, you can’t just go there halfway. But, sometimes when you go for it, you can’t lose.”

Dec. 2 will be a big day for Spears, who will turn 27, release her new album and perform live on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Two days earlier, MTV will broadcast a new documentary about the entertainer, featuring emotional and candid interviews with Spears, herself.