It’s the family drama that continues to make global headlines. When Britney Spears’ ex-husband Kevin Federline said his children no longer wanted to see their pop star mother, it sparked a wave of backlash.
The bombshell claims led the superstar to use an anguished social media post to accuse her children of being “hateful”.
But now Britney’s teenage sons Preston, 16, and Jayden, 15, are offering her an olive branch. The sun reports
In an emotional plea to his mother, Jayden said: “I love you so much and I hope the best for you.
“Maybe one day we can sit down… and talk again and have a normal conversation.”
In an exclusive interview, he also revealed why he and his brother missed their mother’s wedding in June and his struggles with her scathing social media posts about his family.
They talked about their love for their estranged relatives and hope that he would somehow make peace with them, as well as revealing how Preston asked Britney not to post pictures of him on Instagram, but she did it anyway .
In a Sun on Sunday interview last month, former professional dancer Federline, 44, revealed the boys had stopped seeing their mother after they became increasingly uncomfortable during her visits.
Spears, 40, was already grieving over the absence of her children, but the confirmation of her feelings, told by her father, hit hard.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, the singer accused her children of “abandoning” her and being “hateful” as she begged them to love her again.
Federline felt the need to respond.
She reportedly consulted with her family before posting videos that allegedly showed Britney “yelling” at her children when they were younger.
“I’m sorry I said all kinds of things”
She then deleted them and explained that she had to stand up for her children after years of silence.
But now Britney’s children are speaking for themselves.
In a series of interviews, parts of which will be broadcast in the UK today ahead of the screening in Australia on Sunday 60 minutesJayden explained why they decided to cut contact.
“The kind of environment he gave us was not very comfortable for me and my brother,” he said.
“Once you’re 10 or 11 years old, that’s when you come to understand things.
“No hate…I really want to see her again. She’ll make me happy and she’ll make Preston happy.”
The boys were born during their mother’s brief marriage to Federline, and live in Los Angeles with their father and his wife Victoria, 39, a former volleyball champion.
Spears invited her children to her celebrity-studded wedding in June to boyfriend Sam Asghari, 28, but they did not attend.
“It wasn’t a good time to go,” Jayden said. “I’m not saying I’m not happy for her.
“I’m so happy for them, but she didn’t invite the whole family and if it was me and Preston, I don’t see how this situation would have ended on good terms.”
It’s not hard to see why. The toxic The singer has been scathing about her blood family on social media.
Spears deleted her Instagram last week, but also posted a 22-minute YouTube video in which she described how she was “victimized” and “thrown away” by close family members.
Both boys have struggled with their mother’s posts, both the risqué photos and the attacks on their loved ones.
Britney has spoken out against her father Jamie, 70, who controlled her finances and aspects of her personal life for years through his contested guardianship.
He also hit his mother Lynne, 67, sister Jamie Lynne, 31, and brother Bryan, 45.
While the boys clearly find airing their family’s dirty laundry difficult to handle, Jayden is diplomatic.
He said: “Social media helps her. So if that’s what she wants to do. I’m not going to hate her for it.
“At the same time, he should realize whatever it is that is preventing him from loving his family.”
She added: “It’s almost like I have to post something on Instagram to get attention.
“This has been going on for years and years and years and there’s a good chance this will never stop, but I hope for me that it does.”
Britney’s 13-year guardianship ended in November last year, but her legal team now want to question Jamie under oath over alleged mismanagement, with the possibility of further legal action.
But Jayden believes Jamie “really cares about his family” and defended his grandfather.
Jayden said: “I know everyone blames him for guardianship. He was a father who looked after his daughter.
“Maybe the conservation took a little too long. That’s why people developed a hatred for him.
“That’s why my mom was mad because she was working too much. She should have taken a break. But she doesn’t deserve all the hate she’s getting in the media.
“Mommy’s losing track of how much he cares about her. I love him with all my heart. I was just trying to be a dad.”
He added: “At first I was just trying to be like any parent by letting her pursue her daughter’s dream of becoming a superstar, but I thought maybe the guardianship went on too long…
“Probably why my mom was so angry about the whole situation that I was working too long and I personally think I was.”
But the boys have had their problems with their grandfather.
In November 2019, Federline took out a restraining order against Jamie following claims of an altercation with one of his children.
Four months later, Jayden, when questioned by fans on social media, described Jamie as a “d**k”. But he has since changed his mind.
Jayden said: “I feel so bad. Preston and I both feel bad – we want to see him. I want to see him, sit with him by the piano, talk about my future. I love him. Looking back, I regret saying everything kind of thing.”
Jayden is also full of love for his grandmother Lynne, whom he calls Memow, and his uncle Bryan, both of whom visit regularly.
“My grandmother, she is a very nice person. Whenever I see her, she worries about me mentally,” he said.
“My uncle Bryan always wants to go play ball in the park. They’re not bad people. They know what we’re going through now.
“They just want to look out for us. Memow and Uncle Bryan are a big part of our lives. They’ve taught me how to deal with things.”
Jayden said comments made by his mother and online followers had painted his family in a bad light.
“They wouldn’t do those things,” he said.
Most of all, the boys hope that their mother can find forgiveness with her family. Jayden is aware that the animosity has “been going on for years” and admits, “There’s a good chance it’s never going to stop.
“I wish he would just keep calm…and not accuse this one and hate someone for it.”
A house full of love
The Federline home is one that is full of love.
The boys are close to their father’s older children Kori, 20, and Kaleb, 18, from his relationship with actress Shar Jackson, and his two children with Victoria: Jordan, 11, and Peyton, 8.
Both boys share their mother and father’s artistic nature, which they say helps them with the stress of being stuck in the middle of a difficult emotional situation.
Preston is an enthusiastic artist, always drawing and playing guitar, and Jayden, a self-taught pianist, spends hours composing songs.
Jayden explained that if he’s feeling angry or sad, music acts as therapy, but he hadn’t invested too much time in lessons because: “I wanted to develop my own style.
“I know that if I read music, it would be better, from a business point of view.
“Right now, I’m just trying to play my emotions as best as I can.”
His greatest comfort, however, is his bond with his siblings, and in particular with his brother Preston.
It is his older brother that he confides in about missing his mother and his worries about her.
Jayden said: “Preston and I are very close. He’s always looking out for me and I’m looking out for him. We make sure we’re both mentally healthy.”
Jayden is more comfortable in front of the public than his brother, who doesn’t like the cameras always focused on him.
“It’s always been that way,” Jayden said. “He asked my mom not to post his photos and she did anyway, so it didn’t go well.
“Preston is older, so if I complained, he went after him. I feel guilty, so I’m there for him.
“Preston is thinking too much about what people will say about him. I think it’s a smart decision because we’ve both been under a lot of pressure in the past. He’s more sensitive… I’m very sensitive but I’m more socially active
“I train, I play the piano. This is how I express myself.
“Preston has his own ways: the music, the drawing.”
She said they feel safer at home with their dad, mom and siblings whenever the Spears family drama hits the news.
“First, I will always go to my father, because he is always there to put the pieces together.
“Or I’ll try to go to my brothers, to distract myself. The family here has helped me a lot.
“This is my safe place, my home. I love everyone here,” she said.
“As long as people spread positivity that will make me positive. It’s so easy to sink into sadness and depression.”
And he’s also sure that he and Preston can rebuild their relationship with their mother.
“I’m 100 percent sure it can be fixed,” he said, “but it’s going to take a lot of time and effort.”
This story originally appeared in The Sun and is republished here with permission