Britney Spears not ‘ready physically, mentally and passionately’ for Vegas residency

LOS ANGELES — Britney Spears’ longtime manager, Larry Rudolph, said in remarks reported Wednesday that his client is not physically, mentally and attitudinally fit to resume performing in Las Vegas and perhaps will never be.

Larry Rudolph told the celebrity news website TMZ.com: “As the person who guides her career — based on the information I and all of the professionals who work with her are being told on a need-to-know basis — from what I have gathered it’s clear to me she should not be going back to do this Vegas residency, not in the near future and possibly never again.”

He said Spears was two-thirds of the way through rehearsals for a Vegas reboot when her father became ill late last year.

“It was the perfect storm. We had to pull her show because her meds stopped working, and she was distraught over her dad’s illness,” he said, according to TMZ.

The Vegas residency, which was supposed to kick off Feb. 13, was put on ice.

Rudolph said it’s always been up to Spears when she wanted to work and when she didn’t.

“Last summer, when she wanted to tour, she called me every day. She was excited. She hasn’t called me in months. … She clearly doesn’t want to perform now.”

For the future, Rudolph said, “I don’t want her to work again ’till she’s ready physically, mentally and passionately. If that time never comes again, it will never come again. I have no desire or ability to make her work again. I am only here for her when she wants to work. And, if she ever does want to work again, I’m here to tell her if it’s a good idea or a bad idea.”