Christian Louboutin Entertainment's Highest-Earning Women

Britney Spears was once banished from Christian Louboutin shoesHollywood's ranks. A train wreck more apt to get attention for a

head shaving than a chart-topping song, the 20-something songstress was written off as a textbook

flame-out.

But by all accounts, the pipes behind "...Baby One More Time" is back. Proof: she raked in an estimated

$64 million for the year ending in June, making her the third-highest-paid woman in Hollywood. For

Spears, the 12 months included the Christian Louboutin pumpsfifth-highest-grossing tour of the year, which grossed more than

$130 million, according to concert trade publication Pollstar. She took in still more from tour

merchandise, a greatest hits album, a collection of Elizabeth Arden fragrances, and a lucrative

endorsement deal with Candie's. For those keeping track, that puts her above Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift,

and one-time top earner Celine Dion. Spears only ranked number 7 last year, with estimated earnings of

$35 million.

Gallery: Entertainment's 10 Highest-Earning WomenChristian Louboutin shoes

It's an impressive haul, until you compare her paycheck to those of her male counterparts. Fair or not,

the entertainment industry's highest-earning men collectively raked in an estimated $1.2 billion

between June 1, 2009, and June 1, 2010, compared to the $835 million the women pulled down during the

same period. In fact, after Oprah Winfrey, Christian Louboutin bootswho at $315 million out-earned everyone -- male or female --

Hollywood's second-best-paid woman, Beyonce Knowles, would place ninth on the men's list. And the

remaining top-earning females wouldn't have placed at all.

Blame the industry's lack of high-ranking female film directors, a category that dominated the men's

list. Having built billion-dollar empires on the backs of massive franchises like "Star Wars,"

"Transformers" and "Avatar," top-earners Christian Louboutin bootslike George Lucas, Michael Bay, and James Cameron respectively

banked $95 million, $120 million, and $210 million.

But the profession, particularly at the upper echelon, tends to be light on women, which explains the

hoopla surrounding the Oscar win by Kathryn Bigelow (who was once married to Cameron) earlier this

year. Too bad critical acclaim didn't translate to commercial success -- her flick "The Hurt Locker"

made peanuts compared with "Avatar's" $2.8 billion haul. Needless to say, she didn't make the cut for

our rundown of top-earning women.Herve Leger Dresses on sale