Britney Spears [ tickets ] will not perform at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, contrary to media speculation. Spears' manager at Jive Records, Larry Rudolph, said the pop star is in the middle of recording her next album and never was slated to perform, according to an Associated Press report. "Her focus remains on the studio," Rudolph said.

Rumors of a Spears appearance may have begun in June, when MTV Networks Music Group President Van Toffler said the network wasn't ruling out her appearance. Then, she started appearing in television commercials for the event, adding fuel to the rumor fire.

In recent weeks, MTV executives reportedly said they were in talks to have Spears appear in some capacity. There has yet to be an official statement on what that "capacity" might be.