Kevin Federline heard alarm bells whenever he watched his ex-wife Britney Spears‘ concerning Instagram videos after the court-ordered termination of her 13-year conservatorship.
“With her newfound freedom, I saw history repeating itself,” Federline, 47, says in a clip of the audiobook version of his upcoming memoir, You Thought You Knew, exclusively obtained by Us Weekly. “Her social media posts became more erratic. There were the infamous videos of her dancing with knives, cryptic rants and wild behavior that was impossible to ignore. It didn’t take a rehab counselor to see that she was high in many of those videos.”
Federline explains that his and Spears’ two sons, Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19, “quickly learned to avoid social media,” where they often received hateful comments from their pop star mother’s die-hard supporters.
Kevin Federline and Britney Spears Getty Images (2)
“They knew what it would bring: endless negativity and blame aimed at them from fans who didn’t understand the full story,” he says. “The Free Britney extremists were brutal. The boys understood that it was better to form a relationship with their mom on their own terms.”
Britney Spears and Kevin Federline have certainly had their ups and downs since splitting in November 2006. The former couple — who tied the knot in 2004 and share sons Sean Preston and Jayden — have gone from feuding exes to supportive coparents. Federline praised his ex-wife for seeking mental health treatment amid her father […]
Federline goes on to share a selection of the messages that he claims Preston and Jayden have gotten regarding their family over the years.
“People calling them ‘liars,’ ‘traitors,’ ‘drama queens.’ Spitting out vile crap like: ‘What kind of son doesn’t stand up for his own mother?’ Or: ‘You’ll regret turning your back on your mom when she’s gone…,’” he recites. “And those were some of the tamer comments.”
Spears, 43, was under a conservatorship from 2008 to 2021, which gave her estranged father, Jamie Spears, complete control of her personal, financial and medical affairs.
Months before a Los Angeles judge dissolved it, Britney described the complex legal arrangement as “abusive” during an open court hearing, claiming her family had done “nothing” to help her break free from its restraints.
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During this time, Britney also became estranged from her sons, whom she welcomed while married to Federline from 2004 to 2007.
Jayden spoke out against his mom’s headline-making Instagram posts during a rare 2022 TV interview, saying in part that he believed she was trying to “get attention” by regularly posing naked online.
Britney Spears may be a global superstar, but when it comes to her boys — she’s just Mom. Spears welcomed sons Sean Preston and Jayden with ex-husband Kevin Federline in September 2005 and September 2006, respectively. The singer and Federline divorced in 2007 after three years of marriage. Following her split from Federline, Spears endured […]
Britney quickly clapped back on social media, calling Jayden’s comments “hateful” and begging her family for “unconditional love and support.”
These days, Britney is on better terms with both Preston and Jayden. She reunited with her younger son last year, and sources exclusively told Us in September that she has since seen her eldest, too.
“She’s so grateful to have them in her life,” one insider added. “She feels whole again.”
In response to the Tuesday, October 21, publication of Federline’s book, Britney’s rep said in a statement to Us, “Once again he and others are profiting off her, and sadly it comes after child support has ended with Kevin. All she cares about are her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James, and their well-being during this sensationalism.”
Excerpt from the audiobook You Thought You Knew by Kevin Federline. © 2025 Listenin. Used with permission.