Britney Spears hits back at ex-husband Federline's claims in memoir
What's the story
Pop icon Britney Spears has hit back at her ex-husband Kevin Federline's claims in his upcoming memoir, You Thought You Knew. The singer called the portrayal of her behavior "extremely hurtful and exhausting." In the book, Federline writes about their tumultuous marriage (in 2004) and subsequent divorce in 2007, which sparked a lengthy custody battle over their two sons.
Controversial claims
What did Federline write about Spears?
In an excerpt from the book published by The New York Times, Federline alleged that their sons would sometimes wake up to find Spears standing silently in their doorway with a knife in her hand. Federline also alleged that Spears used cocaine while breastfeeding. Meanwhile, he revealed he learned about the knife incident from their sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James.
Singer's rebuttal
'Gaslighting' by ex-husband, says Spears
In a statement on Instagram, Spears disputed Federline's portrayal. She wrote, "The constant gaslighting from ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting." "I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys." She added that she had rarely seen her sons in recent years. "Relationships with teenage boys is complex," she wrote. "They need to take responsibility for themselves."
Conservatorship details
Memoir discusses Spears's conservatorship and #FreeBritney movement
Federline's memoir also delves into the conservatorship that controlled Spears's life and finances from 2008 to 2021. The arrangement led to the #FreeBritney movement, which sought to restore her independence. In his book, Federline suggested that while the movement may have "started from a good place," it was time for supporters to shift their focus toward a new initiative called "Save Britney."
Survival concerns
'Something bad is going to happen...': Federline on Spears
Federline warned that the situation with Spears was "racing toward something irreversible." He wrote, "It's become impossible to pretend everything's OK. From where I sit, the clock is ticking, and we're getting close to the 11th hour." "Something bad is going to happen if things don't change, and my biggest fear is that our sons will be left holding the pieces."
Spokesperson's statement
Spokesperson slammed Federline for profiting off Spears's struggles
A spokesperson for the pop star told People, "With news from Kevin's book breaking, 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 wellbeing during this sensationalism." Meanwhile, Spears detailed her own journey in her memoir, The Woman in Me.