A judge said on Thursday she needs more information before ruling on a motion by "US Weekly" magazine to dismiss a $20 million libel lawsuit filed against it by Britney Spears.

Spears filed the lawsuit in December, alleging the magazine printed a false story reporting that she and husband Kevin Federline had made a sex tape and were worried about its release.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lisa Hart Cole allowed Spears' legal team to depose an "US Weekly" editor and former employee, the magazine's attorney, Al Wickers, said yesterday.

The court has given Spears' attorney, Martin Singer, until April 6 to depose more potential witnesses. Cole, however, denied the pop star's request on Thursday to take depositions from Ian Drew, author of the column in question, or from his alleged source for the story. "We think they purposefully avoided the truth here," the singer told Cole in court.

"US Weekly" countered the accusation in court with assurances that Drew "had a credible source" and that he had no reason not to believe the tip, considering Spears' "highly sexualized public image."

The next hearing will take place on May 3.