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(Clarence Williams / Los Angeles Times)

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Britney Spears

Seventeen going on 30?

Before the shaved head, laggard MTV performance and psychological dramas, Britney Spears was an unimpeachable teen sensation. But her "teen" status was called into question by a hoax on the music website of the Wall of Sound in 1999.

Britney Spears was reported to be 28, rather than 17, her actual age. The publication cited as its "evidence" that she was really "Belinda Sue Spearson" of West Baton Rouge, and that she was born on Aug. 7, 1970.

The stunt prompted Britney fans to flood her record label with phone calls, demanding to know her age and true identity. A reason was never given for the prank, which leads one to think: Maybe Wall of Sound thought it was true?