Britney Spears has forked out $2,000 to have her ‘Kabbalah’ tattoo removed from her neck.

The troubled pop star had the Hebrew healing design inked onto the nape of her neck four years ago after hanging out with Kabbalah devotee Madonna.

However, it seems pretty clear that the tattoo’s symbolism – the mark of Mem, Hey and Shin suggests Spears takes “responsibility for everything in her life and accepting she can heal herself in all ways” – has sadly proved starkly false.

A ‘friend’ expands, "When she got the tattoo, Britney was in control of her life and her career. The whole world can see she's lost control, and the tattoo made her feel like a hypocrite."

We expect Kabbalah devotees such as Madonna and Demi Moore aren’t exactly heart-broken to lose Britney from their ranks.