You Thought You Knew Me: 10 Shocking Claims from Kevin Federline's Memoir About Britney Spears
You Thought You Knew: 10 Shocking Claims from Kevin Federline’s Memoir
Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be looking at the most damning claims Kevin Federline made about his ex-wife, pop star Britney Spears, in his tell-all book “You Thought You Knew.”
She Cheated on Him With a Female Dancer
After Britney Spears and Kevin Federline began dating in early 2004, he joined the European leg of her Onyx Hotel Tour as a dancer. According to Federline, this was when he began developing genuine feelings for the singer. However, in his book, he suggests that Spears might not have been on the same page. During a stop in Amsterdam, he claims to have walked in on her getting intimate with a female dancer. He reportedly left the room immediately with the intention of quitting the tour and booking a flight home. Federline claims that he only changed his mind after Spears apologized, stating that she hadn’t realized how serious the relationship was to him. This was supposedly their first of many fights.
She Had “Unfinished Business” With Justin Timberlake
Before meeting Federline, Britney Spears had a highly publicized relationship, and eventual break-up, with fellow entertainer Justin Timberlake. But it seems their split wasn’t exactly absolute. In his memoir, Federline claims that on the eve of their October 2004 wedding, Spears called Timberlake. She reportedly later assured Federline that the call was simply to get closure and “end one chapter of her life before starting a new one.” From Federline’s perspective though, that chapter kept getting reopened in the subsequent years. He says he could sense that Spears never fully moved on from Timberlake, as his name came up repeatedly during their marriage. In his words, Timberlake became “a ghost in the background of our relationship.”
She Used Drugs While Breastfeeding
Britney Spears’ marriage to Kevin Federline produced two sons: Sean Preston and Jayden James. In his memoir, Federline depicts Spears not only as a neglectful mother, but also a careless and, at times, deliberately harmful one. He claims this behavior began when their children were still infants. According to him, in 2006, during a party celebrating the release of his debut album, he walked in on Spears using narcotics in his dressing room. At the time, she had just given birth to Jayden and was still breastfeeding. Federline says he begged her to stop breastfeeding and switch to formula, but she allegedly threw her drink in his face and stormed out. He describes that incident as the beginning of the end of their marriage.
She Was Abusive Toward their Children
Federline claims that Britney Spears’ behavior toward their sons became increasingly erratic as they grew older. He says that she once punched Preston in the face and bleached their hair so badly that their scalps got burned. According to him, Preston even questioned why Spears often insisted he bathe with her. The most alarming accusation, however, was that the boys allegedly woke up several times to find Spears standing in the doorway, watching them sleep while holding a knife. Even as teenagers, the disturbing behavior reportedly didn’t stop. Federline alleges that Spears once called Preston and told him that she wished he and his brother were dead. All of this supposedly led to the boys refusing to spend time with her.
She Favored Her Younger Son, Jayden
As you might have noticed, most of Spears’ allegedly troubling behavior was directed at Preston. That is, according to Federline, because Spears had a softer spot for their younger son, Jayden, often showering him with attention and leaving Preston feeling overlooked. This sense of neglect reportedly lingered for years, causing Preston to constantly seek reassurance as he grew older. However, Federline suggests that Jayden’s overpampering also came with disadvantages. He claims that Spears often took him horseback riding despite knowing he was severely allergic, and also fed him shellfish even though he was allergic. To illustrate this dynamic, Federline recounts an incident where Spears was recorded yelling at Preston, then turning to Jayden and speaking to him in baby talk.
She Was Abusive Toward Federline Himself
Before Spears allegedly became violent toward their children, Federline claims she had already displayed that behavior toward him. According to him, in early 2006, while Spears was pregnant with Jayden, they had an argument over his marijuana use. This escalated to the point where she stormed into their bedroom, while carrying Preston, and slapped Federline across the face. Although they had reportedly clashed several times before, this was the first time it got physical. But it wouldn’t be the last. When these allegations made headlines, Spears responded on Twitter, calling them “white lies.” She also described her attempts to reconnect with her teenage sons as “complex,” suggesting it came from her being separated from them during their childhood.
She Filed for Divorce Without Telling Him
With all the red flags in their marriage, Federline seemed to know that it was only a matter of time before they separated. But even though he had been expecting a divorce, he found out about it in the most unexpected way. Shortly after the alleged incident where he caught Spears using drugs, Federline traveled to Toronto on a press tour for his album. Just before an interview, a producer asked him how he felt about Spears filing for divorce. This was apparently the first he was hearing of the news. According to Federline, Spears’ team had encouraged her to file without informing him because after the public humiliation of Justin Timberlake breaking up with her, they didn’t want her to be the one being left again.
She Wasn’t Ready to Be Released From the Conservatorship
Since being placed under a conservatorship in 2008, Britney Spears had been fighting for her freedom. In 2019, the grassroots #FreeBritney movement began gaining traction around the world and it ultimately led to the conservatorship being terminated two years later. If it were up to Federline, however, that would never have happened. Federline states in his memoir that he supported the decision to place her under a conservatorship, believing it would help Spears recover and create a safer environment for their kids. Even by 2021, he still wasn’t convinced that her condition had improved. He dismissed the FreeBritney movement as “mob mentality,” accusing its supporters of pressuring the judge to disregard expert opinions and end the arrangement.
Jamie Lynn Spears’ Text Messages
The relationship between Britney Spears and her younger sister, Jamie Lynn, has been strained for years. Things worsened in 2022 when Lynn released her memoir “Things I Should Have Said,” which many saw as exploiting her sister’s struggles for profit. In his own memoir, Federline shared two lengthy texts his wife, Victoria Prince, allegedly received from Lynn. In the first, she accused Spears of “lashing out” at her sons, saying she had begun to resent her for mistreating them and refusing to take accountability. Later, after gifting Jayden a piano for Christmas, Lynn sent another text thanking Federline and Prince for raising the boys well. She allegedly added that no amount of “money or material” could repay them “for doing what [Britney] couldn’t be bothered to do.”
Britney Is Headed for Disaster
In the penultimate chapter of “You Thought You Knew,” Kevin Federline lays out where he believes his ex-wife is headed. Although the two reportedly haven’t spoken in years, Federline claims that Spears is “racing toward something irreversible.” He points to her erratic social media posts, growing isolation and apparent refusal to accept help as evidence. “Something bad is going to happen if things don’t change,” he warns, implying that Spears could face a major crisis, or worse, death. Federline says his concern stems from how such a tragedy would affect their sons, who would be left to deal with the aftermath. Spears, however, views the book as yet another attempt to profit off their past relationship, especially now that Federline no longer receives child support.
Will you be reading “You Thought You Knew”? Have you read it already? What other shocking claims did you discover in its pages? Let us know in the comments below.
