Britney Spears and Kevin Federline: The Toxic Love Story That Nearly Ruined Her

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Britney Spears and Kevin Federline held their wedding ceremony on September 18, 2004, but their marriage was officially registered on October 6. This date is also reflected in the divorce papers Britney filed in November 2006. Their marriage only lasted two years, and while that may seem short, it probably felt much longer to Britney.

What started as a passionate romance quickly turned into a toxic relationship that deeply affected her mental health, leading to the erratic behavior that concerned so many later on.

Britney and Kevin met in July 2004 at a Hollywood nightclub called Joseph’s. At the time, Britney, who was 22, was already a global superstar, while Kevin, at 26, was a dancer who had worked with big names like Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Destiny’s Child, and Pink. He had appeared in several music videos and done some background work in movies.

Britney was clearly the star in the relationship, while Kevin took on the role of ‘prince consort.’ Just two months after they met, they decided to get married. Interestingly, this was Britney’s second wedding in 2004: in January, she had married her childhood friend Jason Allen Alexander. That marriage was annulled just 55 hours later, after a judge ruled that Britney had said ‘I do’ while not fully in control of her actions.

By this point, her marriage was falling apart. In November of that year, when Jayden was just two months old, Britney filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. At first, they worked out a custody agreement, but Federline pushed back, claiming the child support Britney was paying wasn’t enough.

Around this time, Britney’s behavior began to unravel. In February 2007, she shocked the world by shaving her head, creating one of the most unforgettable moments in pop culture. Just days later, she checked into rehab. Interestingly, recent information suggests that this iconic moment might have been triggered by Diddy.

In January 2008, after violating her custody agreement, police arrived at Britney’s home and found her in a troubling state. She was hospitalized, lost custody of her children, and a court placed her under the conservatorship of her father, Jamie Spears. Whom was given full control of her assets.

This conservatorship lasted until 2021, leading to multiple legal battles and sparking the #FreeBritney movement. Finally, in June 2022, Britney married her longtime boyfriend, Sam Asghari (her first husband, Jason Alexander, tried to crash the wedding with a knife and was arrested; he received a three-year restraining order).

The Good Part

If anything good came out of this whole ordeal, it’s Britney’s kids—now 19 and 18—and the albums she released during that tough period. One standout is Blackout from 2007, which, although not her top-selling album, received great reviews.

The breakup and everything that came with it heavily influenced the album, especially the song ‘Piece of Me.’ The lyrics (“Don’t matter if I step on the scene or sneak away to the Philippines. They still gon’ put pictures of my derriere in the magazine. You want a piece of me? I’m Miss bad media karma”) feel like Britney’s way of responding to the constant tabloid pressure she was under.

Read the original article in Spanish for LOS40 Spain.