Britney Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline has stunned fans with a string of explosive claims in his new memoir, with the dancer shining a devastating light on the singer during their turbulent marriage.
In You Thought You Knew, Kevin has made a string of accusations towards his former spouse, including claims that her their two sons would wake up to find her holding a knife, and that she contacted her ex Justin Timberlake hours before their wedding.
Kevin was thrust into the limelight when he and Britney married in 2004, and after welcoming sons Sean Preston, 19, and Jayden, 18, they split two years later.
During Britney’s mental health struggles, which led to her being hospitalised, Kevin was given full custody of their two sons, and in his book, he also shared his concern for the singer’s wellbeing.
The singer has since hit back at Kevin’s comments in a scathing social media post, accusing him of ‘gaslighting’ her, and claiming she feels ‘demoralised’ about the fractured relationship with her two boys.
With Kevin’s book set to be released on October 21, these are the most shocking claims he features…
Britney Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline has stunned fans with a string of explosive claims in his new memoir, with the dancer shining a devastating light on the singer (pictured 2006)
Kevin left his pregnant fiancée to be with Britney
While he was launched into the spotlight when he and Britney married, the Toxic hitmaker was far from Kevin’s first famous partner.
In fact, he was engaged to Moesha actress Shar Jackson when he met Britney in the Hollywood nightclub Joseph’s in 2004, and the pair had two children together.
Moesha was pregnant with her second child when Kevin left her to be with Britney, with the singer herself also reflecting the early days of their relationship in their book In The Woman In Me.
Kevin described Britney as ‘confident but not intimidating’, and he hinted that he first night they met was also the first time they had sex, saying: ‘[She] slipped off her underwear and started kissing me, tearing at my clothes with both hands.’
They went on to spend three full days together, and Kevin admitted he realised this wasn’t a mere one-night stand but a ‘massive, life-altering change in existence’.
Just days later, Kevin then left his heavily pregnant wife to be with Britney, though members of her team were quick to share their concerns, including bodyguard Lonnie Jones told him to ‘be careful’, while another member of her security team labelled their relationship a ‘sinking ship’.
In his book, Kevin claimed that he left his fiancée Sharisse Jackson soon after he and Britney met, writing that the first night they saw each other was the first time they had sex
During Britney’s mental health struggles, which led to her being hospitalised, Kevin was given full custody of their two sons (pictured)
While looking back at their turbulent relationship, Kevin also recalled joining Britney for a night out in Amsterdam in 2004 while she was on her Onyx Hotel Tour.
The crew included dancer Teresa Espinosa, who Federline credits with introducing the pair the previous month at the Hollywood hotspot Joseph’s.
‘It was one of those loose, carefree evenings where everyone was dancing, drinking and just having a good time,’ Federline wrote in an excerpt published by USA Today on Wednesday. ‘We stayed out late, hitting one of the city’s nightclubs until at least 1 or 2 in the morning.’
After the group returned to their hotel, Federline alleged Spears told him she’d be right back — but as time passed, he started to grow suspicious.
‘I was thinking maybe she was catching up with someone or handling something tour-related,’ he remembered.
‘As I passed one of the rooms, I glanced inside — and froze. There she was,’ he claims. ‘Theresa [sic] was sitting on the edge of the bed. Britney stood between her legs, hands on her face and they were f***ing going at it. Full-on making out.’
Federline said he stayed silent as the two women looked up and saw him. Without saying a word, he walked back to his room and began packing his bags.
‘I just wanted out,’ he admitted.
According to the memoir, Spears soon returned and appeared unaware of what he had witnessed.
‘She started apologizing, explaining, promising it would never happen again,’ he wrote. ‘She told me she didn’t realize how serious I was about us, that she was overwhelmed and it had been a mistake.’
Federline said he made it clear he ‘wasn’t interested in a relationship that involved more than two people,’ but ultimately decided to stay with Spears.
Britney never ‘got over’ her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake
In his book, Kevin also reflected on Britney’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, claiming that his then fiancée called the singer on the phone on the night before their wedding.
Britney herself previously wrote about her relationship with Justin in her memoir, claiming she fell pregnant with his baby, but felt pressured to have an abortion as ‘Justin was so sure that he didn’t want to be a father,’ and called the ordeal ‘one of the most agonising things she ever experienced in her life.’
In his book, Kevin claimed he felt Britney ‘still had some unfinished business’ with Justin and never ‘really got over him’,’ branding him ‘like a ghost in the background of our relationship’.
He then share a story regarding Justin during an interview on Entertainment Tonight.
Kevin also reflected on Britney’s relationship with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, claiming that his then fiancée called the singer on the phone on the night before their wedding
According to Kevin, Spears’ oddly timed call to Timberlake happened while the couple were staying at the ‘Fairmont in Santa Monica in one of the bungalows.’
But he allegedly heard a conversation his future wife was having that concerned him.
‘I’m like, ‘What’s wrong?’ I thought she was talking to her mom on the phone or something and maybe she was, like, having doubts,’ he recalled. ‘And she told me that she was on the phone with Justin.’
Federline said he was stunned to hear the hitmaker’s name, and he initially thought he might have misheard Spears.
‘[I was like], ‘We don’t have to do this,” he recalled saying, referring to the couple’s impending nuptials.
He added, ‘I didn’t care if we got married or not.’
Federline said that Spears tried to calm him down by telling him that she was just trying to say her ‘final piece’ to Timberlake to put any unfinished business to bed.
Spears’ ex-husband recalled thinking, ‘Damn, on the night before our wedding, this is what you decide to do?’
However, he decided to take what Spears said ‘with a grain of salt’ and chose to believe that she was ‘closing a chapter of her life.’
Kevin fought for custody because of Britney’s addiction battles
In his memoir, Kevin spoke candidly about his love of partying, including smoking cannabis and heavy drinking, but went on to claim his behaviour is minor compared to that of his ex-wife Britney.
He claimed they had a huge row at a party to celebrate the release of his debut album, Playing with Fire, because he found the singer drinking.
Kevin said he first filed for custody for their two sons after a huge row over the star drinking while she was breastfeeding their son
Kevin said that shortly after the row he contacted a lawyer to apply for joint custody, but learned, during a live TV appearance, that Britney had already filed for divorce
Kevin went onto state Britney had drunk alcohol while still breastfeeding their son on multiple occasions, and their row that night resulted in her throwing a vodka cranberry drink in his face then kicking her mother, Lynne, out of their house, where she had been babysitting their children.
Kevin said that shortly after the row he contacted a lawyer to apply for joint custody, but learned, during a live TV appearance, that Britney had already filed for divorce.
Their sons woke to find Britney holding a knife
By far the most shocking accusation in Kevin’s memoir, the former dancer has stunned fans by claiming their children would wake up to find their mother holding a knife while watching them sleep at their bedroom door.
Britney reportedly has had a strained relationship with the two children she shares with her former spouse these last few years, and both of her sons have faced backlash from her die-hard fans in the wake of the ‘Free Britney’ movement.
In the book, Kevin alleged their sons no longer wanted to visit their mother at home in their teen years – citing fear as one of their reasons.
The pair even moved to Hawaii with their father Kevin in August 2023.
‘They would awaken sometimes at night to find her standing silently in the doorway, watching them sleep — ‘Oh, you’re awake?’ — with a knife in her hand,’ Kevin wrote. ‘Then she’d turn around and pad off without explanation.’
By far the most shocking accusation in Kevin’s memoir, the former dancer claimed their children would wake up to find their mother holding a knife (pictured in a recent post)
Britney reportedly has had a strained relationship with the two children she shares with her former spouse these last few years
In his memoir, Kevin also revealed details of times when Britney was allegedly neglectful towards their sons, including a phone call from Britney when she was ‘drunk as hell’ while caring for the boys, ‘begging him to come over.’
In another incident, Britney’s mother called Kevin, pleading with him to go to the Beverly Hills Hotel to collect the boys because the singer needed to go to rehab.
Britney entered rehab, but after only a few days, she discharged herself, leading to the well-publicised moment she marched into a hair salon and shaved her head.
Kevin also touched on the impact Britney’s behaviour had on their two sons, and once they became teenagers, they began to cease contact with her.
Kevin fears Britney is ‘racing towards death’
Federline’s memoir reflected on the night in 2008 when Spears was committed to the psych ward of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center and placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold, after she refused to relinquish custody of her sons to him.
He called it ‘one of the hardest nights of his life’ as he watched his partner in the midst of the ordeal.
‘I felt sick over what she was going through. This was someone I had loved. Someone I had built a life with. The mother of my children,’ he wrote.
The event came just before Spears was placed on her conservatorship, which was terminated after 13 years amid support from the Free Britney movement.
But Federline feels the movement had unintended consequences on the pop star’s current wellbeing.
Kevin also wrote about his growing concerns about his ex after she began behaving erratically, saying: ‘This situation with Britney feels like it’s racing toward something irreversible’
While he says the support for ending the arrangement probably ‘started from a good place’, he notes it may have scared off professionals from helping his ex after seeing the backlash her inner circle received from Free Britney followers.
‘All those people who put so much effort into that,’ he wrote, ‘should now put the same energy into the ‘Save Britney’ movement. Because this is no longer about freedom. It’s about survival.’
Kevin also wrote about his growing concerns about his ex after she began behaving erratically.
He wrote he fears his ex could face the same fate as stars such as Michael Jackson or Amy Winehouse, saying: ‘The truth is, this situation with Britney feels like it’s racing toward something irreversible… From where I sit, the clock is ticking, and we’re getting close to the eleventh hour.’
After Kevin’s comments emerged, Britney hit back at her ex in a lengthy social media post, accusing him of ‘gaslighting’ her.
The Toxic hitmaker said she’s ‘had enough’ in an emotional Instagram post, writing, ‘The constant gaslighting from ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting.’
Spears also admitted she has felt ‘demoralized’ about the fractured relationship with her boys, writing, ‘I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys.’
The devastated singer added that she’s seen one of her sons for only ’45 minutes in the past 5 years.’
‘Relationships with teenage boys is complex. I have felt demoralized by this situation and have always asked and almost begged for them to be a part of my life.’
‘Sadly, they have always witnessed the lack of respect shown by own [sic] father for me,’ Spears went on.
‘They need to take responsibility for themselves,’ she added.
‘With one son only seeing me for 45 min in the past 5 years and the other with only 4 visits in the past 5 years. I have pride too. From now on I will let them know when I am available.
‘Trust me, those white lies in that book, they are going straight to the bank and I am the only one who genuinely gets hurt here.’
The Baby One More Time singer concluded her statement with love for her two boys.
‘I am actually a pretty intelligent woman who has been trying to live a sacred and private life the past 5 years. I speak on this because I have had enough and any real woman would do the same.’
