Britney Spears addresses 'constant gaslighting' from Kevin Federline before release of his memoir
Britney Spears is speaking out about her ex-husband Kevin Federline following comments he made about her in his forthcoming memoir, "You Thought You Knew."
In Federline's memoir, set for release Oct. 21, the dancer and actor details his marriage to Spears and the fallout from their divorce, according to a press release from publisher Listenin Books.
Excerpts from his book were featured in a New York Times article published Tuesday, in which Federline talks about his concern for the singer and the relationship their sons Jayden James and Sean Preston allegedly have with her.
In one excerpt, Federline recounts when the boys were teens, how they were allegedly afraid of staying at Spears' home.
"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," he writes, according to the Times. "Then she'd turn around and pad off without explanation."
Elsewhere in the book, he discusses his concerns over Spear's alleged behavior, writing, "The truth is, this situation with Britney feels like it's racing toward something irreversible ... It's become impossible to pretend everything's OK."
Spears took to Instagram on Wednesday evening and shared a statement addressing the memoir, calling Federline's claims "extremely hurtful and exhausting."
"I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys," she wrote in part. "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 continued, "Sadly, they have always witnessed the lack of respect shown by own father for me. They need to take responsibility for themselves. 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," she wrote. "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. I will always love them and if you really know me, you won't pay attention to the tabloids of my mental health and drinking."
She added, "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."
A rep for Spears previously addressed Federline's memoir and the accompanying interview he gave to the Times in a statement shared with ABC News earlier on Wednesday.
"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," Spears' rep said.
"All she cares about are her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James and their well-being during this sensationalism," the rep added. "She detailed her journey in her memoir."
Spears and Federline met in 2004 and were married in September that same year. They welcomed their first son, Sean Preston, in Sept. 2005, and their second son, Jayden James, in Sept. 2006.
The singer filed for divorce from Federline in 2006, citing irreconcilable differences. Both Spears and Federline filed for sole custody of their sons. Federline also asked the court that Spears assume both their legal costs, since she initiated the proceedings.
A judge later awarded Federline sole legal and physical custody of the couple's sons.
In his interview with The New York Times on Tuesday, Federline said he and Spears "haven't spoken in years."
"I've never, ever, once, been against Britney," he said.
"I've only tried to help my sons have an incredible relationship with their mother," he continued. "And it's hard because when I really reflect on everything that's happened -- my kids do not know the woman that I married. And I've spent two decades trying to bridge that gap."
Spears released her own memoir, "The Woman in Me," in 2023. It sold more than 2 million copies in the U.S. and was an instant bestseller.
In the memoir, she opened up about fame, motherhood and her former relationships, including her marriage to Federline. In her memoir, she shared how when she married him, "I meant it with all my heart."
"If you look into my eyes in my wedding photos, you can see it: I was so in love and so ready for a new phase of my life to start," she added. "I wanted babies with this man."
She also opened up about the period after their marriage ended, when her public persona was highly criticized in the media. Additionally, she discussed her 13-year conservatorship, which ended in November 2021.
Spears' memoir is being turned into a musical biopic with "Wicked" filmmaker Jon M. Chu as director and producer Marc Platt developing the project.
