Britney battles dad in press

Having already traversed the head-shaving and rehab portions of her comeback crusade, Britney Spears has now entered the "tiff with dad in the tabloids" phase. In a message sent to the New York Post this week, Spears' father Jamie Spears said that his family wants to "publicly apologize" to manager Larry Rudolph for Spears' recent digs at him regarding her stay in rehab.

And Britney has fired back with her own statement published in the paper. "I am praying for my father. We have never had a good relationship. It's sad that all the men that have been in my life don't know how to accept a real woman's love. I am concentrating on my work and my life right now." Britney was reportedly furious with Rudolph for forcing her into the Promises rehab clinic in Malibu in February after she went out almost every night for a month, posed for photos in her underwear with New York dancers, and shaved her head.

"When Larry Rudolph talked Britney into going into rehab, he was doing what her mother, father and team of professionals with over 100 years of experience knew needed to be done," Spears' father told the paper. "She was out of control. Larry was the one chosen by the team to roll up his sleeves and deliver the message, to help save her life. The Spears family would like to publicly apologize to Larry for our daughter's statements about him over the past few weeks. Unfortunately, she blames him and her family for where she is at today with her kids and career. Larry has always been there for Britney. For this, we will forever be grateful to him."

50 Cent faces child support hearing

50 Cent was ordered by Suffolk County Support Magistrate Aletha V. Fields-Ferraro this week to immediately pay $10,000 for the support of his 10-year-old son, Marquise Diamond Jackson, according to the Post. The boy's mother, Shaniqua Tompkins, was also granted $15,000 in monthly expenses. Fiddy is expected to release a new album, tentatively titled Curtis, in June. He recently turned New York City protests against him into a marketing campaign for the album and its first single, "Straight to the Bank."

Dylan re-ups with XM Radio

While its proposed merger with Sirius hangs in the balance, XM is sure of one thing: it has Bob Dylan on board for several more years. Dylan has inked a multiyear deal to continue his weekly show on XM. Theme Time Radio Hour, which airs Wednesdays at 10 a.m., has become one of the most popular shows on XM, an XM exec told the Hollywood Reporter.

"We expected hard-core Dylan fans," Abrams said. "But we're getting listeners from all musical styles and age groups." Satellite radio does not release listening figures, but published estimates have put Dylan's weekly audience at up to 1.7 million. The show explores topical themes through an eclectic mix of blues, jazz, pop, country, Cajun, gospel, R&B, rock and roll, and other styles dating back to the '20s. Dylan picks a different theme for each show, such as baseball or the weather, and builds the music around that theme.

Osbourne rips into Homme

It's not hard to imagine that the wife of Ozzy Osbourne would have a mouth on her. Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Home has found that out firsthand. In the latest issue of Blender magazine, Sharon Osbourne was informed of Homme's comment about Ozzfest and this year's strategy of not paying bands and not charging fans. "I won't be playing Ozzfest again--they treat the bands like shit," Homme told the mag. "This year you get to play for free under the guise of [imitating Ozzy] 'No, we're doing it for the fans!' But it's really for the people who fan Sharon and Ozzy with palm fronds at their house." Needless to say, Sharon Osbourne retaliated. In spades. "I hope he gets syphilis and dies," she told the mag. "I hope his d*** f***in' falls off so his mother can eat it." Wow.

Van Halen to make NASCAR appearance

Eddie Van Halen will serve as an honorary NASCAR official this weekend in what will be the rocker's first public appearance since he entered rehab early last month. Van Halen will participate Friday in prerace activities at the Subway Fresh Fit 500 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series event at the Phoenix International Raceway, unveiling a limited edition Fender Stratocaster guitar series. Additionally, he is set to greet drivers on the prerace stage the following day as they are introduced prior to the start of the race.

The rocker entered a rehabilitation facility four days before he and his Van Halen bandmates were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York.