Forget Kabbalah, Britney's baby is her religion

Why did Britney Spears really dump Kabbalah?

The pop star revealed on her Web site that she was ditching the trendy religion for motherhood. “I no longer study Kaballah,” she recently wrote, “my baby is my religion.” (“Kabbalah” has a variety of spellings that are considered acceptable.)

But her split from the trendy offshoot of Jewish mysticism may have more to do with the bottom line.

“She’s tired of the way [Kabbalah leaders] kept hassling her for money,” says a well-placed source. “Actually, it was mostly her mother’s decision. They were always asking Britney to tithe [donate a percentage of her salary]. There was a lot of pressure, and finally her mom said, ‘Enough is enough’.”

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Spears’ one-time mentor, Madonna, introduced her to Kabbalah and reportedly has donated millions of dollars to the Kabbalah Centre.

A Kabbalah spokeswoman didn’t return calls and Spears’ rep told The Scoop she has no idea why the singer left the religion, and hasn’t asked.

No pre-nup for Kidman and Urban
Did Nicole Kidman learn nothing from her divorce from Tom Cruise?

The “Stepford Wives” star is reportedly getting married to country crooner Keith Urban without a prenuptial agreement. Although Kidman and the much higher-earning Cruise are said to have had a lengthy and complex pre-nup, but according to the London Sun, Kidman and Urban have “told pals” that they will get hitched without the contract. The two reportedly have similar incomes.

The paper is also saying that Bette Midler will sing at the couple’s wedding, which it says will take place in Sydney, Australia on June 25. Midler will allegedly sing her hit “Wind Beneath My Wings.”

“It is Nicole and Keith’s special song,” a source told the paper. “And it’s not like she’s just booked some random singer to do it — she’s got the original artist. That should get a few people crying into their tissues.”

Notes from all over
Halle Berry accused a BBC radio interviewer of having a “racist moment” when he impersonated an African-American, but the BBC insisted that there was nothing racist about it. Nevertheless, the exchange was apparently deleted from the BBC’s podcast of the interview, notes the London Guardian. Introducing the edited-down interview, DJ Chris Moyles claimed that Berry was “very tired, grumpy and to be honest I didn’t bond with her.” . . . Mickey Rourke’s career might get a badly needed shot in the arm. Quentin Tarantino says he wants the actor to star in his next flick. “I’m a big Mickey Rourke fan,” Tarantino tells the June issue of Stuff magazine. “He’s kicking [bleep] and taking names like nobody’s business.” Tarantino helped revive John Travolta’s moribund career when he cast the then-faded actor in “Pulp Fiction.”   . . . Hollywood insiders are calling Bruce Willis’ next effort “Diet Hard.” The actor is set to star in the fourth installment of the “Die Hard” series, and the aging action star has been told he’s going to have to work hard to get in shape for the role.

Jeannette Walls Delivers the Scoop Mondays through Thursdays on MSNBC.com