Was last week's tabloid report about Britney Spears being abused by her boyfriend a creation of someone in the star's camp as a means of generating buzz?
Probably not, but stranger things have happened.
To be clear, we're not saying Britney Spears or Jason Trawick was in on it, or that anyone was for that matter. But it's a bit coincidental how it played out.
The timing and details of this story? Awfully strange.
Flash back to last week. Star reported that Britney phoned her ex, Jason Alexander, confessing that Trawick attacked her. Radar then posted the audio.
Spears' camp decried the rumor, analysts declared the tape bogus, and Brit Tweeted that everyone involved can "kiss my lily white southern Louisiana ass!"
Then came this interesting Tweeted tidbit, too: "I'm almost done with my new album and it will be coming out this March. I AM IN L-O-V-E WITH IT!"
While it seems crazy to think Britney Spears would need fabricated gossip to get people talking about her new release, this is manager Larry Rudolph's M.O.
The puppet master is famous for planting stories - typically about who Britney's dating - and micromanaging all aspects of his client's visibility and image.
Can we see Rudolph, Alexander and Star all going in on this together, leaving Spears and Trawick in the dark? Absolutely ... think about it, all parties win.
Painting her as a sympathetic victim, then handing the floor over to Spears herself for a defiant denial and a casual announcement of the new record?
Stranger things have happened, just saying.