Manager: Spears Needs Image Makeover

Britney Spears knows that it is time to make a change. After her late night escapades resulted in some unflattering photos and allegations that she passed out drunk on New Years Eve, a major image overhaul is due.

In a story for USA Today, manager Larry Rudolph said Spears is calling the recent spate of bad media coverage her "rocky moment." She has been criticized not only for exposing herself while in the company of Paris Hilton, but also for staying out late without her sons, 1-year-old Sean Preston and 3-month-old Jayden James.

"Britney knows exactly what she needs to do," he told the paper.

In a statement on her Web site posted last month, Spears noted that she may have taken her "new found freedom a little too far."

But Spears' bad behavior following her November announcement that she would divorce her husband of two years Kevin Federline, prompted the closure of the largest Spears fan site, Worldofbritney.com.

"I've not been happy with the way she's portraying herself," site founder Ruben Garay told the paper.

Last month, Garay posted an official announcement on the site: "As Britney keeps losing her identity and credibility within fans and industry people, so is WoB. We're moving on to greater, bigger things. I would therefore like to announce the permanent shut down of World of Britney.com beginning January 31st, 2007."

Rudolph ushered Spears into stardom before her self-imposed break from making records and touring in 2003. He said that Spears may not be behaving perfectly, but many of the reports are either fabricated or exaggerated, especially the New Year's Eve report of a collapse.

"We were sitting there drinking orange juice," he said. "She got tired in a club, and we took her back to her room. Suddenly, I'm hearing words like 'collapsed' and 'passed out.'"

Rudolph said that Spear's album is half-finished, and she sees this as her moment to win dispirited fans back.

"Britney is increasingly motivated to get out there," he said. "She sees this as a challenge, that some fans may be questioning her. She is respectful. She sees this as her challenge to win them back."