UPDATE: The photo has now been shown on TV, people.com, and Reuters, so I think the coast is clear and it's safe to post! So if you missed it the first time around...Brit is back!

Looks like Britney is going the Demi Moore route!

This is rumored to be the cover of the August issue of Harper's Bazaar, although it has been shrouded in mystery for quite a while. Last week I heard that Britney bailed on the cover shoot...but, the pictures don't lie.

They're obviously recent, with the new black hair and all.

What do you think? Desperate bid to get back in the public's good graces, or joyous celebration of the pregnant female form?

And...how 'bout the new hair?

I think Brit looks great here. Good lighting, makeup, hairstyling and airbrushing can go a long way - this is a far cry from the frizzed out blonde in the Matt Lauer interview. I am not the biggest fan of the jet black hair, but it looks so much better than ragged blonde extensions.

However, I am of the mind that Britney needs to take a break from the public eye for a while, wait for all this paparazzi hoopla to die down, have her baby in peace, and then make a sizzling comeback a la Mariah's "Emancipation of Mimi." A few weeks with Sally Hershberger, Pat Wexler and Gunnar Peterson and she'll be back in fighting shape!

[Source]