What's the only thing scarier than being pursued by a horny psychotic doll possessed by the soul of a serial killer? Try being pursued by Britney Spears.
At least that's what Chucky â?? star of "Seed of Chucky," the fifth film in the "Child's Play" series â?? says. For weeks, the diminutive puppet has been dogged by tabloid rumors that he and the Spears are an item, despite both being married (Chucky in 1998 to fellow homicidal toy Tiffany; Spears to fellow sweatsuit enthusiast Kevin Federline this year). Now, he's finally had enough. He's decided to come clean about the whole thing.
"I would like to say that [Britney and I] are just friends, but we've moved beyond that. You could say we're 'frienemies.' It's a love/hate thing â?? mostly hate," he said. "I was talking to J.T. [Justin Timberlake, Spear's ex] about this the other day. The girl acts out, and when she does, you don't see the scars that result â?? though you do when I act out."
This "love/hate thing" might be the reason Chucky pushed to have a controversial scene added to "Seed." As seen in the initial trailer for the film, a blonde driving a silver Mercedes with a California license plate that reads "Britney 1" is run off the road by Chucky as pop music plays in the background.
But apparently Focus Features â?? the company that is distributing "Seed" â?? doesn't have Chucky's back. Fearing legal repercussions, they've re-cut the spot. In the trailer currently airing on TV, the scene has been cut down, now just featuring a quick shot of the Britney doppelganger. At the end of the spot, a disclaimer reads, "Britney Spears does not appear in this film."
"We wanted to make it clear that no actual Britney Spears were harmed during the filming," read a statement from Focus. "However, we can confirm that Chucky does in fact have a crush on Britney â?? and she has an open invitation to screen the film at any time."
"That's a very sweet gesture," said Leslie Sloan, a spokesperson for Spears, when told of Focus' offer. "We'll let Britney know."
Despite the humorous back-and-forth between Focus and Britney's camp, it's clear that Chucky feels very strongly about the subject and is quite ready to put all the rumors and speculation behind him.
"I've got got stuff going on with my family and my new movie," he said. "And that's much more important than this little pop tart."
Fans of both Chucky and Britney are divided on the subject of their alleged romance, and the controversial scene. On CountingDown.com, a movie discussion site, boards were filled with comments from viewers on both sides of the issue.
"As a Britney fan I feel sorry for her," one supporter wrote. "Won't 'Seed of Chucky' get sued by Britney Spears?" Another CountingDown member was less kind, writing, "I am very sure she does have a cameo. I'm so happy to see her die in the movie ... who doesn't hate Britney?"
That sentiment is apparently echoed by audiences who have watched screenings of the film, which follows Chucky, Tiffany and their evil spawn, Glen, on a murderous rampage through Hollywood.
"It's a shame that every time that part comes on, everybody claps. What's wrong with Britney?" said rapper/actor Redman, Chucky's co-star in "Seed." "Chucky runs her off the road. That's the illest part, and [audiences] are like, 'Yeah! Run Britney's ass off the road!' "
"Seed of Chucky" hits theaters on November 12
