Kevin Federline detailed the events surrounding ex-wife Britney Spears’ 2007 head-shaving incident in his new memoir. The actor and dancer claims “things escalated” during their divorce proceedings, leading to the tabloid moment that made headlines worldwide.
In You Thought You Knew, out Tuesday, Oct. 21, Federline recounts what he says happened before Spears shaved her head at a salon.
The 47-year-old claims Spears had checked herself out of a rehab facility and showed up at his home gate. He writes that she was ringing the bell and shouting things he couldn’t understand.
He says the only words he heard clearly were “LET. ME. IN.”
Federline claims Spears then began “climbing the front gate.” At the time, he was with their sons Sean Preston, now 20, and Jayden James, now 19. He writes that he stayed with the boys to keep things calm.
“I couldn’t stand to see her like this.”
According to Federline, security wouldn’t let Spears in because she was “in no condition to be around our kids.” He didn’t want to “scare” his children by having her enter while she was “acting so bizarrely.”
Federline claims that’s when Spears went to the hair salon.
He writes that the “Toxic” singer “took matters into her own hands” and shaved her head when a stylist refused to cut her hair. After the salon, Federline says she went to a gas station where “things escalated” and Spears swung an umbrella at paparazzi.
Seeing the photos in tabloids made him realize what he was “dealing with,” Federline writes.
Spears Responds
On Tuesday, Oct. 14, a rep for Spears shared a statement with PEOPLE responding to Federline’s memoir.
“With news from Kevin’s book breaking, once again he and others are profiting off her and sadly it comes after child support has ended with Kevin.”
The statement continued: “All she cares about are her kids, Sean Preston and Jayden James, and their well-being during this sensationalism. She detailed her journey in her memoir.”
Spears posted a lengthy response on X one day later. She said she’s “had enough” of Federline “constantly gaslighting” her.
She also defended her relationship with their sons.
“I have always pleaded and screamed to have a life with my boys. Relationships with teenage boys is complex.”
Spears added that she’s “felt demoralized by this situation” and has “always asked and almost begged for them to be a part of my life.”
She wrote about limited contact with her sons: “With one son only seeing me for 45 min in the past 5 years and the other with only 4 visits in the past 5 years. I have pride too. From now on I will let them know when I am available.”
The “Gimme More” artist then shifted focus back to Federline.
“Trust me, those white lies in that book, they are going straight to the bank and I am the only one who genuinely gets hurt here.”
Spears wrote that she “will always love” her sons.
She concluded: “If you really know me, you won’t pay attention to the tabloids of my mental health and drinking. I am actually a pretty intelligent woman who has been trying to live a sacred and private life the past 5 years.”
You Thought You Knew is available Oct. 21.
