Britney Boils Over 'Booze' Photo

(CBS/AP)  Pop star Britney Spears is threatening to sue the New York Post if the tabloid newspaper fails to retract a story about the singer boozing it up in public.

Last week, the paper splashed a photo of Spears drinking from a miniature bottle with the headline "Britney hits the bottle."

A story inside said the beverage appeared to be whiskey. But Spears' attorney said the singer was drinking ginseng, a non-alcoholic herbal tonic.

The clerk at a store in Venice, Calif., where Spears shopped is backing her story. He says Britney bought a bottle of ginseng and a can of Red Bull, an energy booster. Both are non-alcoholic beverages.

USA Today reports that Spears' attorney intends to file a lawsuit against the Post and the story's writer "unless the paper immediately issues an appropriate retraction, apology and financial settlement."

Post editor Col Allan said the newspaper decided to run the picture "after being assured by the Bauer-Griffin photo agency that Ms. Spears was consuming a mini-bottle of Glenlivet whiskey," according to USA Today.

The photo did spark a lot of talk around New York, but not everyone believed it. Kelly Ripa, co-host of the morning talk show "Live with Regis & Kelly," gave a spirited on-air defense of Spears, saying there was no reason to believe the bottle was alcohol and adding that it looked a lot more like a dose of the herbal remedies echinacea or ginseng.

Earlier this month, the Post was embarrassed by a page-one story that said John Kerry had chosen Missouri Congressman Dick Gephart as his running mate. Subsequently, the New York Times reported that Post owner Rupert Murdoch was the source for the erroneous story. The Post has denied Murdoch was the source.

In other news of the pop star:

Spears has found a wedding dress. Her mom's keeping mum on the details but says it's "the most beautiful dress ever." Lynne Spears says the two have been very busy making wedding plans. But so far, no wedding date has been announced.

For $259, you can spend the night in Britney Spears' bedroom. Well, sort of. The singer's mom has designed a room in Boston's Onyx Hotel to resemble Spears' bedroom at home in Kentwood, Louisiana. The mini-bar is stocked with Spears' favorite snacks as well as her CD's and DVD's.

A Canadian radio station is giving a forum to fans worried about Spears. The station in Ottawa is holding a "Britney Intervention," on Wednesday. A station press release says it's concerned about the bad choices Spears' has been making, including her alleged drinking, partying and her taste in men. Fans will record a message for Spears and send it to her.