Britney Spears was rumored to be a surprise performer at the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards, slated for September 7 at the UBS Arena in Elmont, NY.

However, despite the viral buzz, the 43-year-old Grammy-winning artist ‘was never approached by the award show to perform, was never included on the performers’ list, and there are no plans underway behind the scenes,’ according to TMZ.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Britney’s representative for comments about her participation in the awards ceremony, which is set to be broadcast on MTV, CBS, and Paramount+.

Over on X, fans were not surprised at the news including user @mattisborntodie who tweeted: ‘She did say she was done with the music industry. She’s worked very hard and suffered a lot at the hands of the industry. [She] deserves to just enjoy life.’

X user @arianamarie agreed: ‘How many times does she have to tell y’all that she is DONE with the music industry?!’

‘Britney told y’all she’ll never come back to the music business and I believe her,’ X user @aworkingmother2 tweeted. ‘Let her enjoy her time in peace.’

And X user @Ericajoy721 let a gif of Spears smiling uncomfortably do the talking.

Indeed, the 2011 Video Vanguard Award winner was still fully restricted in her 13-year conservatorship (which finally ended in 2021) when she last performed at the MTV VMAs in 2016.

Most conservatees are deemed ‘gravely disabled’ by the court and unable to meet their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter – while Britney was put to work recording four studio albums, a judging gig on The X Factor, and a grueling two-year Las Vegas residency. 

In 2007, Spears received the worst reviews of her career performing Gimme More at the VMAs while sporting horrendous hair extensions and a worryingly wobbly gait.

Four years earlier, the semi-retired pop star locked lips with Madonna in a surprise performance featuring once-rival Christina Aguilera to kick off the 2003 VMAs.

Perhaps Britney’s most memorable VMAs moment was in 2001 when she performed I’m A Slave 4 You with a large snake draped over her shoulders.

And in 1999, Spears performed alongside ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake and his boyband *NSYNC as they did a VMAs medley which included her hit Baby One More Time and their song Tearing Up My Heart.

On Tuesday, the Hold Me Closer hitmaker – who boasts 41.8M Instagram followers – posted (then deleted) a video of herself singing Otis Redding’s 1968 classic (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay without any Auto-Tune.

Britney rarely sings on camera, but she also seemingly sang a snippet of Where is Love from the Tony Award-winning British musical Oliver! on Sunday.

Spears – who recently joked about adopting ‘a beautiful baby girl’ – will next celebrate the 19th birthday of her son Jayden Federline on September 12 immediately followed by her son Sean Federline’s 20th birthday on September 14.

Last November, the Mississippi-born singer made her final $20K child support payment to second ex-husband Kevin Federline, whom she was only married to for two years before their 2007 divorce.

Britney’s 47-year-old former back-up dancer amassed $5M in support payments during the 17 years he had primary custody of their sons.

Spears will soon launch her first-ever jewelry brand, B. Tiny, featuring ‘delicate, extremely different, and one-of-a-kind pieces.’

The former Mouseketeer is also said to be very hands on with her fully-authorized biopic for Universal Pictures, helmed by Wicked director Jon M. Chu, which is still in the developmental stage.

It’s been a year since the movie studio ‘paid in the low eight figures’ for the rights to Britney’s NY Times-bestselling 2023 memoir The Woman In Me and music catalogue.