Yup, that's right...they prayed.
Attempting to shoot down "totally unfair" reports that the teen R&B sensations slugged it out at last week's show, managers for "The Boy Is Mine" divas issued a joint statement Tuesday, offering the official, punch-free account of what went down between the duo.
"...They did interviews together, had their picture taken together, had adjoining dressing rooms, sat together at the show, and held hands and prayed together prior to going onstage to perform," the statement said.
Note the absence of stuff like: Brandy clocked Monica, and/or Monica clocked Brandy.
Blame the New York tabs for starting that one. Sunday's New York Post ran with an item about how Brandy (or, as the Post, had it "Brandi") gave Monica a split lip and, in return, Monica gave Brandy a black eye. The supposed showdown--a reputed dispute over dancers--occurred backstage, just prior to their scheduled "Boy Is Mine" duet.
Monday's New York Daily News made the alleged contest a one-sided affair--with casualties amounting to one black eye, no split lip. Oh, and by the way, in the News' version of things, it was Monica who suffered the black eye.
According to the Post, the wonders of makeup prevented the two from looking like sparring partners on the broadcast.
Neither report explained how the two could casually meet the press at post-show events or how Brandy could casually sing at Sunday's Emmy Awards (and endure major camera closeups) if they'd just duked it out. (It was supposed to be makeup, after all, not magic, right?)
The Brandy and Monica camps say the two have been victimized by "individuals who are trying to create a rift..."
Monica, 17, and Brandy, 19, have been rumored to be rivals since their emergence on the music scene in the mid 1990s. The "Boy Is Mine" duet, featured on both singers' new albums, was supposed to kill that talk--to no avail, apparently.
But they'll keep on keepin' on. Tuesday's statement said Cinderella and "Miss Thang" are considering a joint tour.