Britney Spears has spoken out after a series of explosive claims from her ex-husband Kevin Federline’s upcoming memoir, You Thought You Knew, began circulating online.
In an emotional post shared on X on Wednesday, the pop icon pushed back against Federline’s allegations, calling his behavior “gaslighting” and saying she has long fought to maintain a relationship with their two sons.
“The constant gaslighting from my ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting. I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys,” Spears wrote.
Spears and Federline, who were married from 2004 to 2007, share two sons — Sean Preston, 20, and Jayden James, 19. The pair have been locked in a tense public feud as details from Federline’s memoir continue to emerge, including one disturbing claim that Spears allegedly watched their sons sleep “with a knife in her hand.”
The constant gaslighting from ex-husband is extremely hurtful and exhausting. I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys.
— Britney Spears
Relationships with teenage boys is complex. I have felt demoralized by this situation and have always asked and almost begged for them to…(@britneyspears) October 16, 2025
Addressing the claims directly, Spears defended her role as a mother. 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,” she wrote. “Sadly, they have always witnessed the lack of respect shown by my own father for me.”
Spears added that her sons now need to “take responsibility” for maintaining contact with her. “With one son only seeing me for 45 minutes in the past five years, and the other with only four visits in the past five years. I have pride, too. From now on, I will let them know when I am available.”
In the same post, Spears accused Federline of profiting from “white lies” about her life. “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,” she said. “I am actually a pretty intelligent woman who has been trying to live a sacred and private life for the past five years. I speak on this because I have had enough and any real woman would do the same.”
In his memoir, Federline writes, “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.”
Spears previously detailed her own side of the story in her 2023 memoir The Woman In Me, writing, “When I married Kevin, I meant it with all my heart… I wanted babies with this man. I wanted a cozy home. I wanted to grow old with him.” She reflected that his love of “fame and power” ultimately “ruined” their marriage — a pain she says she is still healing from today.
