Britney Spears, 26, has broken her monastic silence, granting OK! mag her first interview in two years. (It seems like yesterday!) So, how is Brit's grip on reality?

Judging from this, it's tight: Brit says she hopes neither of her two sons goes into the ent biz. "I'd love them unconditionally if they wanted to. I'd just as soon they have a more normal childhood," said the former Mouseketeer, whose sis, Jamie Lynn Spears just became a mom at 17. "I was shocked a little bit" about Jamie Lynn's pregnancy, Brit admits. "She's always been the baby, and now the baby was having a baby. It was mind-boggling." Brit's spiral into tabloid hell (and mental limbo) has had one good effect: It has brought her and her parents closer together. "God has a way of taking something bad and turning it into something good," says pa Jamie. Brit also said her creative juices have been flowing: Her new record is due out in "six to nine months," she says. "This is my best work ever."

Jamie Lynn betrayed?

The shock and the depression may take months to lift: There's news that Jamie Lynn Spears was betrayed by her fiance, Casey Aldridge, back when she was six months pregnant with his child. A 28-year-old woman named Kelli Dawson tells In Touch Weekly that she had a dalliance with the 19-year-old Casey while he was also seeing Jamie Lynn. Kelli says this was not a casual affair, but a real relationship. She said she and Casey still hang out. "I see him all the time, at least once a week," she said.

Another tyke for Madonna?

Amid continuing chatter that theirs is a marriage already undone comes news that Madonna and Guy Ritchie plan to adopt a second baby from Malawi, homeland of their adopted son, David Banda.

Revered Brit tabloid the Sun (and the New York Daily News) say that Malawian officials confirm the Mystical Mother has resumed her yearlong quest to acquire a 3-year-old orphan named Mercy James. Apparently, Madge's first go-round at adopting Mercy last August was blocked by the girl's uncle.

True report? Who knows. There's been no statement from Madge's people.

BET develops news show

Cable channel BET will debut tomorrow a weekly news program it has described as a cross between Keith Olbermann and Bill Maher with a black perspective. The Truth With Jeff Johnson will air at 11 p.m. and feature the BET personality known for his work as an activist for the NAACP and People for the American Way.

A gold in . . . sex

You knew he was bound to say something like this eventually. Asked by New York mag what Olympic sports he likes to watch, Sean "Diddy" Combs said, "Michael Phelps just won gold again . . . Track and field!"

Asked what new event he thinks he'd win, Diddy said, "Who could have sex the longest. . . . I think that's an event I can do well in."

But then, Diddy said, "Just so you know, that's supposed to be funny."

Then added, "Even though I am serious."

Consuelos to marry Stern?

FoxNews.com's 411 says Kelly Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos, will preside over Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky's wedding in October. Reportedly the actor is also a minister. Don't go thinking it's all a publicity stunt. Said Beth: "It's not that kind of thing. It's spiritual."

Paris too camera shy (?!)

Worldwide Entertainment Group Inc. has filed a $75,000 lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Miami against celebutante-cum-actress Paris Hilton for not fulfilling her obligations to promote her film, National Lampoon's Pledge This!, in which she costarred and received credit as an executive producer. It seems odd they needed the star to do any promotion: The movie sounds like a sure-fire hit.

John & Jen no longer kissing

Four weeks after rumors surfaced they were on the verge of possibly talking about perhaps becoming engaged to marry comes news that ardent lovers John Mayer, 30, and Jennifer Aniston, 38, who were last reported to be having buckets of fun on the road together, are no longer so ardent. Brit tabloid the Mirror claims the couple, who have attracted worldwide attention since they first hooked up in May (making it a long-term romance), have broken up. The New York Daily News says Aniston at first was "furious" about being told the love was gone, but soon down-shifted to "a little heartbroken."

"The former Friends star has been unable to find love since her divorce four years ago from Brad Pitt," the News notes tactfully.

Mayer has previously rocked the house with Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

'Mama Mia!' wins at the charts

ABBA fans, rejoice: The soundtrack to Mamma Mia!, which features Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried and Pierce Brosnan singing ABBA tunes, has finally made it to No. 1 on the Billboard album charts, having sold 131,000 units in America, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers. The CD was released five weeks ago.

Miley Cyrus' Breakout is at No. 2 for a second week after a 37 percent sales decrease to 102,000 copies. Last week's No. 1, Sugarland's Love on the Inside, falls to No. 3 with 91,000, a 47 percent sales slide.

Grenier single again?

US magazine says Entourage star Adrian Grenier, 32, has split up with actress Isabel Lucas. Lucas, 23, you will recall, was the passenger in her Transformers costar Shia LaBeouf's car when it crashed last month.

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Contact "SideShow" at sideshow@phillynews.com. This column contains information from Inquirer wire services.