Evanescence singer Amy Lee defended troubled pop diva Britney Spears in a post at a band message board after a fan uploaded a YouTube video that made fun of Spears onto the site. According to Blabbermouth.net, Lee wrote, "I would NEVER want my picture or our music connected to something that’s based on getting enjoyment out of someone’s pain. I know what it’s like to feel manipulated, used and helpless — so do most of you, that’s why you’re here — and by now I know what it’s like to feel like your entire life is open to the world for judgment."

Lee asked the fan to take the clip down, adding, "Remember that this is a human being we’re talking about — and who wants to be like those horrible people that have hurt you to feel better about themselves?"

Lee used a previous Evanescence single and video, for the song "Everybody’s Fool," to comment on celebrity culture. But she told us at the time that she did not want to pass judgment on anyone in particular: "I don’t want to be the one that goes around taking specific, named people and cutting them down when I’ve never even met them before. It seems wrong because I don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know these people and it is hard to sit and attack someone in the industry that you don’t know anything about as far as them as people. You just know their art."

Spears has created a storm of tabloid reports over her hard-partying ways, exposure of her private parts, and this past weekend’s episode in which she shaved her head. She reportedly entered a Los Angeles rehab clinic on Tuesday, February 20th.

Evanescence will be the featured musical guests on the March 14th edition of ABC-TV’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The group will begin a tour on March 16th in Fresno, California in support of its recently released new album, The Open Door. A third U.S. trip is in the works for late spring or early summer.