Britney Spears And Ex-Husband Kevin Federline’s Feud, Explained

Topline

Singer Britney Spears slammed her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, in a rare personal message shared to her social media accounts, accusing him of writing “white lies” in his new book that accuses Spears of infidelity, abusing drugs and alcohol and questions whether the end of her conservatorship in 2021 was the right decision.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline divorced in 2007. (Photo by Michael Caulfield/WireImage for Sony BMG Music Entertainment)

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Key Facts

Spears, who has largely strayed from the limelight in recent years aside from publishing a best-selling memoir in 2023, shared a post Wednesday night accusing Federline of “constant gaslighting” and claimed she has “begged” to have a relationship with their two sons.

Spears said her sons have “witnessed the lack of respect” Federline has shown her, stating over the past five years, she has seen one son for a total of 45 minutes and the other across only four visits.

The singer accused Federline of publishing “white lies” in his forthcoming book, in which he accuses Spears of cheating on him with a female dancer, slams her parenting skills, says she abused drugs and alcohol and questioned whether the end of her conservatorship actually harmed Spears, according to interviews Federline has given ahead of his book’s release.

Federline reportedly described Spears’ behavior with her sons as “Joan Crawford on crack,” accusing her of using cocaine while breastfeeding and alleged her sons would sometimes wake up to find Spears holding a knife in the doorway.

Federline’s new book is titled “You Thought You Knew,” and he told USA Today he feels “everybody else has told my story, and now it’s time for me to tell it,” a possible reference to Spears’ memoir, which includes revelations about her career and relationships, including her three-year marriage to Federline.

What Else Does Federline Say In His Book?

Federline reportedly writes he is worried Spears’ mental well-being is “racing toward something irreversible,” describing an “increasing urgency that I can’t ignore.” Federline says the “signs are all there: the erratic behavior, the isolation, the cycling of people around her, the refusal to accept help,” writing he feels “something bad is going to happen if things don’t change, and my biggest fear is that our sons will be left holding pieces.” He said the “Free Britney” movement, through which fans demanded an end to the conservatorship that left her finances and personal life under her father’s control for nearly 14 years, was well-intentioned but felt “more like a fandom’s mob mentality than genuine concern for Britney’s well-being.” Federline writes that his sons told him Spears, in one instance, punched one of them in the face and would bleach their hair and leave burns. In another alleged instance, Federline says their son, Preston, told him he sparred with Spears over the phone, alleging Spears “told him she wished he, his brother, and me were all dead.”

What Did Britney Spears Say About Kevin Federline In Her Memoir?

In “The Woman In Me,” Spears’ blockbuster memoir that sold more than 1 million copies in its first week, Spears claims her marriage to Federline was tainted by fame. “Kevin was just so enthralled with the fame and the power. Again and again in my life I’ve seen fame and money ruin people, and I saw it happen with Kevin in slow motion,” Spears reportedly wrote. She alleged Federline was in the studio “all the time” recording his debut rap album during their marriage, frustrating Spears, who said she “had his babies inside of me for a very long time, and I’d sacrificed a lot.” Spears admitted she suffered postpartum depression and said her public breakdown in 2007, in which she clashed with paparazzi and shaved her head, was partly influenced by her custody battle with Federline upon their divorce. “As part of his bid for full custody, Kevin tried to convince everyone that I was completely out of control,” Spears wrote, alleging he wouldn’t let Spears see their children for weeks on end.

What Do We Know About Spears’ Relationship With Federline?

Federline, a dancer and DJ, met Spears at a club in Hollywood in the summer of 2004, and they married months later, which sparked controversy as Federline had left his pregnant girlfriend and began dating Spears shortly before the birth of his first child. Federline was frequently lambasted in tabloids and faced allegations of being a “gold digger.” Spears and Federline welcomed their first son in 2005, and a second in 2006, though Spears filed for divorce two months after the birth of their second son, citing irreconcilable differences. Their divorce was finalized in 2007. Federline was granted physical custody of the children, and in January 2008, Spears locked herself in a room with one of their sons, leading her to be hospitalized and Federline granted legal custody of their kids.

How Have Spears’ Other Exes Responded?

Spears’ first husband, Jason Alexander, slammed Federline’s memoir in a post on Instagram. “It’s easy to point fingers now, to talk about Britney’s struggles like you were just some innocent bystander watching it all happen,” Alexander said, stating Federline “get to tell half the story. Not when you were in the middle of it.” Alexander said Spears has “been through enough — and it’s always men trying to profit from her story while ignoring the damage they helped cause.” Sam Asghari, Spears’ ex-husband whom she divorced in 2024, quipped in an interview with TMZ Federline’s memoir would be the “first book to tell you how to be a professional father.” Federline, in response, said he doesn’t have “any type of respect for Sam.”