Fred Durst stirs up old Britney Spears story

In her long and singularly colorful career, Britney Spears is said to have shared a positive blur of romantic encounters; Some of them actually true; One of those apparently based in reality was a brief but disputed liaison with the gravel-voiced front-man for Limp Bizkit, Fred Durst.

In 2003, Britney asked Fred to author some songs for her upcoming album. The two worked together, and what happened next largely depends on whom you believe; In a recent interview with MTV Durst, 39, says the two discovered a romantic bond. The paparazzi, predictably, went wild on the news. Britney, however, didn’t see it that way. She appeared on TRL and totally dissed Fred’s view of the time they had shared, saying she barely even knew he existed. Fred countered, and told Howard Stern he could swear on his children he was telling the truth.

The media interest in this petulant spat soon fizzled out, and life moved on for both sides.

Six years later and Britney has married and dumped some emotional train-wrecks, while Fred is engaged in reforming his band. He’s also discovered his inner Orson, and is busily engaged in promoting a film; His directorial debut, “The Education of Charlie Banks,” with Jesse Eisenberg bows on March 27. But far be it from us to even suggest this could have any connection with his sudden desire to revisit a long-dead, and still unproven amour with a female publicity magnet.

Now time has passed, what are Fred’s current feelings about Brit and their alleged tryst? “She has an extreme presence and when she’s giving it, it’s really good,” he explained. “But I just guess it was taboo for a guy like me to be associated with a gal like her.”

Well, dear Fred, perhaps that’s one of the reasons she told us you weren’t?