Britney Spears' pal tried to get Rolling Stone to pay $2m for an interview

A Britney Spears pal tried to get US magazine Rolling Stone to hand over $2 million for an interview with the troubled star, a writer for the publication has revealed.

Reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis turned down the offer.

But the magazine went ahead with a cover story about the 26-year-old chart star, which hit newsstands in America last week.

Grigoriadis told US television's CNN: "Well, through some sort of miscommunication ...[Brit's representative, identified only as Klaus] was under the impression that I was going to give him $2 million in order to have an interview and a photo shoot with Britney."

The cover story - titled The Tragedy of Britney Spears - delves into the Toxic singer's battle with depression and the ever-present paparazzi.