Kevin Federline and Britney Spears dismiss reports of singer’s drug use as ‘lies’
Britney Spears and her ex-husband Kevin Federline have both dismissed recent news reports that allege the pop star has developed a recent addiction to drugs.
Federline — who was married to Spears from 2004 to 2007 and shares two teenage sons with her — released a statement over the weekend, calling out reports published over the weekend by tabloids. The Daily Mail and the Sun quoted him and their two sons expressing concerns that Spears is “on meth” and that they fear she will die of an overdose.
“It saddens our family that Daphne Barak and Erbil Gunasti have decided to fabricate lies and publish the heart ache our family has endured, along with the trauma of our minor children in the Daily Mail and The Sun,” Federline wrote in a since-deleted statement posted on his Instagram story, referring to the journalists and authors of the articles. “We did allow Daphne & Bill into our home because we trusted them, but that trust was lost and we severed ties back in March for many reasons we choose not to go into here.”
Returning to social media to defend herself, singer Britney Spears said it makes her ‘sick’ that it’s legal ‘for people to make up stories that I almost died.’
Federline claimed one of the reporters “continues to harass our family when we have repeatedly asked her to leave us alone,” adding that his family spoke to the journalists “in a respectful way with love & compassion for Britney and the Spears family.”
“Her lies and attempts to exploit minors is click bait and another repulsive example of where, unfortunately, certain journalism has sunk today,” he wrote to close his statement.
Spears, whose personal and professional life had been controlled by a conservatorship for 13 years, also refuted the reports. She posted a stock image of playground bullies taunting another child on her Instagram account on Sunday, alongside a lengthy statement aimed at both her children, ex-husband and the media.
“The fact that people are claiming things that are not true is so sad,” she wrote.
“I have no purpose anymore,” Britney Spears said in a series of audio clips posted on Instagram. “They were my joy. They were my everything.”
The “Hold Me Closer” singer went on to address her children, Sean Preston, 17, and Jayden James, 16, recalling their visits to her home when they locked themselves in their rooms ignoring her. She acknowledged that “this may not even be them saying such things” in the news reports, but expressed, “It makes me sad because I tried so hard to make things nice for you and it was never good enough ... So you guys go behind my back and talk about me.”
“It breaks my heart and the news is so low,” Spears continued. “l’ve always felt like the news bullies me — It’s sad because everyone sits back as if that’s ok to make up lies to that extent.”
The Daily Mail defended its reporter, Barak, who assured the paper “that the quotes attributed to Kevin and the family are accurate and fairly reflect the interviews conducted, in which Kevin expressed his fears that Britney might be using crystal meth,” a spokesperson for the tabloid told The Times. Barak claimed Federline spoke directly to him and that he spent 12 days inside Federline’s home for a documentary featuring him, his family and his two sons.
“Kevin also made it clear to Daphne that he hoped someone would expose the situation, as he saw it, because that would be the way to get help for Britney,” the statement read.
An L.A. judge ruled Friday to terminate Britney Spears’ controversial conservatorship. These stories explain the long and complicated history behind it.
In 2019, Spears and Federline struck a new 30-70 custody deal for the boys after previously splitting their time with them equally.
Earlier this year, Spears shut down similar rumors in a TMZ report, which claimed her family members were “afraid she’s going to die” and had begun to plan an intervention. The outlet said people close to Spears were concerned about her erratic behavior and alleged mismanagement of medication and substance abuse issues.
The intervention would include Spears’ husband, Sam Asghari; her manager; and medical professionals and would involve Spears living in a rented home for about two months where she would receive medical treatment and psychological counseling.
“It makes me sick to my stomach that it’s even legal for people to make up stories that I almost died,” Spears wrote in February.
Amid Spears’ public unraveling in 2007 during which she checked herself into a rehabilitation facility, rumors of her drug use were rampant. Shortly after, Spears was placed in a conservatorship that allowed her father, James “Jamie” Spears, to make legal decisions for her, such as the handling of his daughter’s sizeable fortune. Following the influential #FreeBritney movement, an L.A. judge would rule in 2021 that the conservatorship was “abusive,” ending the legal arrangement.
Times staff writers Christie D’Zurilla and Nardine Saad contributed to this report.
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