Why Did Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Break Up? Inside Their Divorce Amid Her Memoir Revelations

The pop star filed for divorce from the former rapper less than two years after their short-lived marriage began. 

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline’s short-lived marriage was unearthed after her conservatorship was terminated. The former rapper — also known as K-Fed — was interviewed in 2022 about the relationship between Britney and their sons Sean and Jayden. Now that Britney’s memoir, The Woman in Me, is set to hit shelves soon, fans want to know why she and K-Fed broke up and divorced after less than two years of marriage. 

Why Did Britney Spears and Kevin Federline Break Up in 2006? 

Britney and Kevin got married three months into their relationship in 2004. Less than two years later, the Princess of Pop filed for divorce and cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason behind their split. Days before she filed, Kevin reportedly noted that marriage wasn’t “easy” having “two kids and trying to do all the business and everything.” 

Britney didn’t publicly comment on why she filed for divorce from Kevin, but the former DJ has addressed his ex-wife in multiple interviews over the years. In 2008, Kevin gushed to PEOPLE how much of an “awesome mom” Britney is. Though the former spouses didn’t spend as much time together following their divorce, Kevin noted that it was “good for the kids to see that daddy does care about mommy, and mommy does care about daddy.”

Who Has Full Custody Over Britney and Kevin’s Kids? 

Britney and Kevin negotiated child custody multiple times over the years. In 2018, the former pro wrestler requested additional child support from the “Womanizer” singer. Five years later, Kevin took his and Britney’s sons to live with him full-time in Hawaii, a decision that the “Stronger” artist reportedly “consented” to. 

During a 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Britney refrained from commenting about her and Kevin’s co-parenting relationship. However, the Video Music Award winner noted that she is still in contact with her children, despite their tense past. 

What Has Kevin Said About Britney’s Conservatorship? 

Since Britney’s conservatorship began after she and Kevin divorced, he didn’t address the situation until the pop star successfully argued for her freedom in 2021. 

“[Kevin] certainly respects Britney and only hopes the best for her because when the best for her is achieved, it’s the best for their kids,” Kevin’s lawyer said at the time. “The kids love their mother, and he wants there to be a healthy and strong relationship.”

The following year, K-Fed took a different stance during an interview with Daily Mail. He told the outlet that watching the years-long tension between Britney and her family was “tough.” 

“This whole thing has been hard to watch, harder to live through, harder to watch my boys go through than anything else,” he noted. ‘It’s been tough. It’s the most challenging thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. … I saw this man that really cared, and really cares about his family and wanting everything to be OK. When Jamie took over [the conservatorship], things got into order. He saved her life.”

Following his controversial interview, Britney and Kevin’s co-parenting relationship seemingly soured. However, it appears that they were able to reach a civil agreement for the sake of their sons.