Britney Spears was the most anticipated Video Music Awards performer in years, but the appearance that was supposed to launch her comeback is being called a complete disaster.
The fallen pop star and mother of two took the stage in a sparkly bra and boy shorts. She was obviously lip-synching, her dance moves were lethargic and she looked out of step with her backup dancers.
The audience appeared shocked by the spectacle. Finally Britney simply mouthed "Thank you" and walked backstage, where she reportedly broke down in tears. Hours later she was hiding behind sunglasses and looking grim as she returned to her hotel with her brother.
At least one review came in immediately when host, comedian Sarah Silverman, made a blistering attack on the pop star. Surprisingly, before the show she told INSIDE EDITION she was rooting for Britney.
One report claims Britney learned that Silverman was planning to make fun of her sons, which upset her so much that it threw off her performance.
So what went wrong? Britney's wild weekend in Las Vegas probably didn't help. She was seen at a party for the Samsung Gleam phone at 2:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, just hours before she was to take the stage.
Besides Britney, the most talked about VMA moment actually happened during a commercial break when bad boys Kid Rock and Tommy Lee were pulled apart after a fistfight. Both are ex-husbands of presenter Pamela Anderson, who apparently was at the center of the brawl. At one point she was captured sitting in Tommy Lee's lap. Tommy Lee was heard "cat-calling" Anderson as she introduced a performer. Shortly afterwards, the punches flew. Tommy Lee was kicked out of the show, while Rock was allowed to stay. But later cops tracked down Rock and cited him for misdemeanor battery.
But there was much more to the 2007 VMAs than scandals. Justin Timberlake was named Male Artist of the Year, and Alicia Keys and 18-year-old sensation Chris Brown both gave memorable performances.