Producer Timbaland has confirmed that Britney Spears dropped out of a duet with Justin Timberlake and that her current attitude will damage her comeback efforts.

Timbaland told MTV News that idea was floated a few months ago when Britney was recording her new album but: “[She got] so big-headed and [was] like ‘Screw you, screw you, I don’t need nobody’.”

“She has no comeback story. That’s the problem. She has to have a team. She needs to come back with Justin doing records; [then we’d see headlines like] ‘She went back to her ex and she’s making smashes’.”

But he hasn’t ruled out future collaborations - either Britney working with him or working with close friend Justin: “She should humble herself and make a phone call and say, ‘I’m sorry… She needs to say, ‘I was wrong,’ and it’ll definitely move forward. … That’s all she has to say.”

In related news, the New York Times is reporting that Britney was pushed into the weekend’s MTV Video Music Awards performance by her entertainment lawyer Gary Stiffelman.

According to the newspaper’s source, Stiffelman thought it would be great exposure ahead of her comeback album release in November but her record company Jive were dubious.

Britney fired Stiffelman before the weekend’s ceremony and Jive have supported Britney in the aftermath of her lacklustre performance by sending a “harsh note” to MTV over show host Sarah Silverman’s comments about the former teen star.