Britney Spears Agrees to Full Custody for Kevin Federline
Update: According to People.com, a source confirms Britney Spears will now pay Kevin Federline $20,000 a month in child support, an increase from $15,000.
Originally posted 10 a.m.: The custody dispute between Britney Spears, 26, and her ex-husband Kevin Federline, 30, has been resolved, with Kevin taking full legal and physical custody of their sons — Sean Preston, 2 ½, and Jayden James, 22 months. Kevin’s attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan confirmed the news to E! News, saying "the case has been settled" and "the court still has to approve it." Per the terms of the agreement, Britney will have visitation rights with the boys. Mark added that sole custody was not something Kevin pushed for, telling E!,
Kevin’s goal was to set up some kind of template so the mother of his children can co-parent. He said I need to have Britney to be involved in the co-parenting of the kids but I need there to be a structure.
While "nobody could have anticipated the terms of events that have occurred," Kevin is nonetheless "delighted" by the settlement, Mark said.
Britney and Kevin were married in 2004; They separated in 2006, shortly after the birth of Jayden, and their divorce was finalized last year.
Source: E!, People.com; Photo by Flynet
Are you surprised by Britney’s decision to give Kevin sole custody?
- Posted on Jul 18, 08 at 9:30AM
- Permalink
- 130 Comments
July 18th, 2008 at 9:25 am
very surprised..But she must think it is the right thing to do for her boys.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I don’t think I’m surprised…she needs to focus on getting better. My question is, will later she be able to try to get joint custody if she wants?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:27 am
I feel badly for those little boys ..glad Kevin is being so mature and acting like a good dad
July 18th, 2008 at 9:28 am
Good for them. I think it’s great this seems like a good arrangement for now. Hopefully she will still be able to be a large part of their lives.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I think it’s actually a good sign that she’s taking responsibility for herself and her actions. This decision isn’t going to be forever… she may be able to revisit the ruling at some point in the future when she has a better structure in place for the boys. Good on her. I’m sure it was tough, but it’s a good move.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:32 am
I’m not surprised by the settlement given Britney’s mental health issues and the fact that she is under conservatorship; any type of custody legal or physical was a long shot but keep in mind, until the kids are 18, Britney can also go into court and request more time and she will likely get it but for right now, I think the agreement is in the best interests of all parties.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:32 am
I’m very surprised and although I don’t know the ins and outs of the US legal system, I’m also disappointed for the boys that mum and dad couldn’t have joint custody. It’s just a crying shame it came to this point at all. I sincerely hope that Britney is okay with this arrangement, and that the children spend as much time with her as possible. I guess if nothing else, at least the case is now over and perhaps things can settle down.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I am surprised, yes, but only because as a mother I couldn’t imagine giving up full custody of my kids and only have visitation. But, in Britney’s case maybe she feels it is whats best right now. Custody can always be modified later on if both parties are agreeable. I hope it is because she realizes she still needs time to get herself back to 100%. At least she sees them 3-4 days a week. I think she has 2 days and an overnight. As long as the kids are happy and healthy and the parents are trying to work to keep it that way is what counts.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:45 am
It’s really too bad, Britney has recently been starting to turn her life around. I think if this was just a month later, things would have turned out more in her favor. But it’s good that she has visitation, and this arrangement must be the best scenario for the boys.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Not surprised at all. I think that she is pretty happy with her current visitation schedule, and the truth is that she may simply not want more time with them.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:52 am
I am actually not surprised at all. I dont know if Britney knows it or not, but this is actually in the best interest of the children. She has come a long way in her recovery, and hopefully she will continue to work on getting herself better. I don’t really think she had much of a shot at getting even joint custody right now, but a year from now, who knows. Hopefully she will be doing so much better that she and Kevin can share custody…it sounds like that is something he is more than willing to do, once she is ready.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:52 am
I think Britney did the most selfless thing she could do and wanted stability for her kids that she couldnt provide. I am glad she will continue to be a part of their lives. By all accounts Kevin really stepped up to the plate and has been a good dad.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I’m very surprised, but I think she made the good choice. It’s better for her boys to have a certain structure and it’s also good that they see their mom.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:00 am
I echo what some others have stated. Considering the conservatorship and health issues she has been having, this is the best decision for all involved.
All I can hope is that Britney continues to make progress towards a healthy and happy life. Kevin has shown his strength as a father and has never slandered Britney in the media. The judge has shown endless patience with Britney hoping to keep her children with both their parents in a stable, healthy environment.
and MB: I believe the ruling will stand for around 4 years at which point it can be revisited. However, it depends, once again, on the behavior of the parents. If there is a lapse on Britney’s part, or an unexpected change on Kevin’s, the judge may again order an emergency injunction.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:01 am
No, I’m not surprised. She has never really behaved like a mother to these two poor innocent souls. The kids, to her, are a distraction from the partying, free-living lifestyle she wants to continue to enjoy. It’ll be her loss. Children are worth more than fame and fortune. When she is old (if she even lives to see old age) she will see this bitter truth for herself!
July 18th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I surprised but I think Britney knows that is what is best for her boys and I admire her for having the courage to give them what they needed.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:10 am
I think at this stage it is what is best, if she can prove that she can have them overnite without problems, for a certain length of time, I’m sure eventually, she can retain joint custody.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:17 am
I bet a lot of the decision is based on how well he boys are doing in their life right now with Kevin. Good for Britney. She obviously knows what she wants and needs in her life… with the help of the people who love her.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:19 am
Is that a recent pic of the boys? Wow, they’re getting so big! They are absolutely precious and too cute for words!
I’m happy that things seem to finally be calming down for Britney. I commend her on the decision to co-parent with K-Fed having full custody.. a decision like that requires strength and selflessness to ensure that the children are in the best environment possible. It seems as though she’s taking the time to get herself better to be a better mommy to those boys. She needs to take care of herself before she can take care of anyone else, not to mention that a happy mommy makes for happy babies! Good for her, and I hope that over time, she’ll have her issues under control so she can be the mommy that I know she always wanted to be! Good luck, Britney!
July 18th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I think she is making a brave but very worthy decision. I think it is a great decision for the boys considering all they’ve been through already. This time will allow her to get her life back on track. She has made great strides in just a short time and her mental health is getting better with each passing day. Don’t work people, Brit has a very good team of people behind her and I’m sure this won’t be the end all.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Speaking as a lawyer, I am surprised it took this long for this arrangement to be agreed upon by Britney and her legal team. There is virtually no chance for her to have been given any legal custody of the children while she herself is still under a conservatorship- which legally means she is not deemed able to take care of herself. How could someone who is seen by the courts as unable to take care of herself be given custody of two children?
This agreement should have been reached far earlier to save everyone money and time, and allow Britney’s team to focus on her mental health and well-being as opposed to a lengthy and ultimately fruitless custody battle that she could never have won in her condition.
I think she’s being given a lot of credit for being “brave” and “selfless” when in reality the fact remains that at this time, there is really no way she could have regained custody anyway. In some ways I’m not sure she even seriously wanted it.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:45 am
This is just a sad state of affairs all around. I can’t imagine any mother I know voluntarily giving up all custody of her young children. Britney must still be having a lot of problems and realize she’s not fit at this point OR just be incredibely selfish and not want the responsibility. For her kids’ sake, I hope she can pull it together and be an involved parent before they become permanently traumatised.
This may be a harsh judgement, but I personally feel that Britney’s mental illness is only PART of the problem. I think she also only wants to parent when it’s convienient to her. A lot of her past and current lifestyle choices seem to be made from a self-centered P.O.V., rather than a child-centered one.
It’s sad… and it’s those babies who will pay the price.
I hope Federline has them in counseling to help them understand that none of this is their fault. Poor guys.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:52 am
She shouldnt have given her kids up. he is nothing but a low life tramp
July 18th, 2008 at 10:53 am
When the first pictures of Kevin and Britney came out on the beach…no one thought they would last. Well they didnt but K-Fed has turned out to be the more stable parent and I am glad he proved us all wrong. As a mother, I could not imagine giving the other parent sole cutsody but Britney seems to be more focused on getting her career back that the boys are better off with Kevin.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I find this very sad. Not because it’s not best for the boys, because it is but it makes you wonder how Britney actually feels about being a mother.
It’ll be interesting to see that as Britney gets back on track, whether or not she will eventually want a different arrangement.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Those poor babies…what else is there to say? My heart breaks for them.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:08 am
I wonder if this arrangement could be ammended at a later date should Britney continue to improve and ultimately be able to play more of a role in her kids’ lives. It’s really sad for a parent to be a visitor in their kids’ lives. And although Kevin has gotten a lot of credit as a parent, his kids are always photographed with either their nannies or grandparents while he’s photographed partying it up in Vegas.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I can’t imagine how hard this decision must have been. As a mother, I can’t imagine not seeing my child(ren) every day and being there to make sure they’re ok. But I think she knows in her heart that she’s not the type of parent she needs to be right now, and she has a long road ahead of her to get ‘better.’ It’s a brave thing she did… heartwrenching, but brave.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:14 am
I’m not surprised. I don’t think Britney has had the maturity needed to be a parent. I think the idea of having babies was more appealing than the actual 34/7 work of having one.
I agree that her mental health is ony part of the problem. People are calling her “brave,” but how do we know that this “decision” is what she really wanted? Maybe she really had no choice at this point.
One can only hope that things will eventually change and Britney will mature and get herself together. In the meantime, I feel sad that these children will one day know that their mother gave them up. So glad Kevin is giving them the stability and structure they need.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:38 am
Britney did what was best for her sons. She needs to take care of herself before she can take care of those boys on a daily basis. It has never seemed that Kevin wanted to fully take the kids away from her either that he just wanted what was best for the boys.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I would honestly hate to be as cynical as some of you seem to be. britney would not have been granted overnight visits and would not have the visitation she does have if she were not improving. How about giving her a break and seeing how this all plays out? It amazes me how some can be so jaded. I don’t really look at it as Britney “giving the boys up”. They all sat down and made the best decision for the boys sake at this time. maybe this will give Britney the still much needed time to heal and get her life back. Possibly without conservatorship. The boys are still in her life, for almost half the week. They know and love her I am sure. They seem happy and healthy. Instead of speculating that she just threw her hands up and said, “take them”…maybe she understands this is what is best right now.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:44 am
I doubt this is over and I doubt Britney had a lot to do with this decision. I think this was more of her family knowing that she wasn’t ready for the trial that was set for next month. She needs more time to recover. It’s way too soon for her to go through a trial and her people and family have to know this. I think this issue will be picked up again next year. And it is not like the boys are totally out of her life. She still gets visits.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I agree with Jenn and Astrid.
During the whole court proces, it was very easy for Kevin Federline to look and act like the “good parent”. He was just not as mentally unstable as his ex-wife was at that time. And he was just smart enough to keep his (clever) laywer, while Britney was so unstable nobody wanted to defend her even more. He was/is clearly not (just as) mentally unstable (as Britney) but that doens’t automathicly make him as good parent.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Britney supports Kevin and the boys financially in one way or another. This decision on her part may come back later to bite her on the bottom. She is still immature and doesn’t realize the import of what is going on here. Boys need their dad, but mom is what tenderizes them. I wish those two innocents all the best wishes in the world.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Am I surprised that Britney Spears agreed to give full custody to ex-husband Kevin Federline? Yes. Actually I am. I wouldn’t have expected her to have enough maturity and unselfishness to do that. Good for her, though. It’s not her fault she has an illness, and I hope she works hard and recovers.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
I’m not surprised, and I don’t necessarily applaud Britney’s “unselfishness” or “mature good judgement”. She seemed to like the idea of them–loved the attention when she was pregnant–but she seems pretty uninterested and incapable in the face of the reality and responsibility of day-to-day caregiving.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I’m sorry but I cannot take the side of the how BRAVE and SELFLESS it was for Britney to give up custody of her children. When has Britney EVER done something selfless??? I don’t think she’s going to start now.
I just hope Britney can get better and grow up. Those boys still need their mother. I don’t think they’ll ever have a normal or stable childhood so I feel for them.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
This could either look good or bad. Its going to make it look like she just ‘gave up’ on trying to fight for custody. And it could be a good thing for her, so that she can get better.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
Yes, I’m a bit surprised. Anyway, don’t forget that Britney is still recovering from everything that’s she’s been through and that Kevin’s contact with the Spears family is very good! I know, Kevin isn’t the posterchild of parenting and that we see a lot of nannies and bodyguards around the boys but maybe we see more of him now with (all of his) kids because of the settlement.
Not to rub it in Britney or Shar’s face but to show that he always meant buisness and felt very sincere about Kori, Kaleb, Sean and Jayden. I wish them all the best!
One last thing, don’t you all think that Jamie Lynn absorbed the situation very well? And now that everything is settled for her sister she in retrospect really did a mature thing? Move away from Tinsletown, pass her GED, getting engaged before rushing in to marriage, buy her family a house… I think this is great! In the end something good did and will come out of this mess… I’m curious to know what it will be.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Well, let’s see if Britney’s conservatorship is lifted at the 7/31 hearing. If so, I predict we will see a request by Britney to modify the custody agreement within the year. The boys are adorable.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Jenn, you can’t judge some one’s life by a few random paps pictures. Also, people forget that Kevin has two other kids that he spends time with.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Im not surprised but I am sad that it got to this. Every child should live with their mother (and father) Its common fathers move out but for mother, thats rare. I think that it’s her own mother partially responsible for whats happening in her family by exposing her daughters to entertainment business so early instead of shielding them and teaching them basic values
July 18th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I am not at all surprised. I think its great that he has full custody and she has visitation rights. I think women think as a mother they can’t imagine having the father have full custody because they would get less time with their children and rightfully so but my brother who is a father of 2 and step-father of one has gone through times with his wife where he thought they would split up but said he can’t imagine living without his children. I think fathers want to be with their children just as much as mothers. I think Britney has alot to deal with and its great that Kevin can take care of them and hopefully give them more of a normal life.
July 18th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I am suprised by her voluntarily giving up sole custody, but only because she has been fighting for custody for so long.
Reading this and thinking what it must have been like to make a very painful but selfless decision like she did had me tearing up. I’m sure this was not easy whether her motivation was that she knew they were better with Kevin OR that she simply doesn’t want the responsibility. I doubt that it’s the latter of the two as she’s been making great changes and showing up for court etc. But even if that is why I still applaud her for putting her pride aside and signing over custody. Regardless of the motivation she has done what is best for her boys and this whole court battle has been put to rest.
I do feel so sad for the boys but she does have them a few days a week which is all some father’s get. I guess this seems different because it’s rare that father’s have sole custody.
As a Mother of two kids myself I feel for her but again applaud her for her selfless decision. I applaud Kevin too because he’s been there for those boys and has not drug Britney’s name through the mud or sold a story. He’s been very private and respectful which is so rare in everyday life let alone in Hollywood!
July 18th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
I think it is the boy’s best interest to be with Kevin during this hard time for Brittany, I commend her for choosing what is right for them! As a mother of 3 I couldn;t imagine only seeing them for a short time period BUT if it was in their best interest I would do it in a heart beat. Personally I think this proves that Brittany is “getting better”, she is being very mature and showing her love to her boys (whom are very adorable btw) uddos to you Brittany, your a very smart girl for choosing this route!
July 18th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Does the baby on the right have down syndrome?
July 18th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I am surprised to say that Kevin seems like the best parent for the children right now. In all of the pap pics, he gives the persona of being the bad boy and the player but he has really stepped up to the plate when it comes to accepting responsibility of the situation and looking out for the best interest of his children. I commend him and the Spears family for having such a relationship when no one is deprived of visiting. I also commend Britney for doing the best thing for her children, she needs to focus on herself right now and when she has improved on her personal well being, she can then be a parent to her children. I am thankful that the visitation is possible because the children should see their mother. All involved seem to have the boys best interest at heart.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
This breaks my heart, I couldn’t imagine handing over sole custody like that but hopefully this will enable Britney to get her life & career back on track.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:23 pm
It doesn’t really surprise me at all. I think under the circumstances, she probably felt that the boys would be better cared for by Kevin. If she’s not capable of being a hands on mother, and giving them what they need, she’s realized this, and made the choice in the best interest of her children.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
I am not really that surprised. I think Britney just realized that she physically and emotionally is not ready to parent the children like a mother needs to do and probably feels the boys are thriving with Kevin and they’re in a better situation. Let’s face it since Kevin’s taken the kids we rarely see pictures of them. Britney still gets hounded by the paparazzi wherever she goes and she always will and taken your kids in that kind of environment is just not healthy. I wish Britney the best. I spent a lot of time bashing her but I think she really just needs to focus on other things and maybe with time she’ll feel better about taking the kids on full time. I wish Kevin and the boys all the best.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
I THINK ITS FINE SHE DID THIS.WHY DOES THE MOM ALWAYS HAVE TO GET THE KIDS.THE DADS SEE THE KIDS WHEN ITS GOOD FOR THEM BUT THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.SHE WAS SMART TO DO THIS FIRST CAUSE SHES NOT ALL BETTER YET.TWO, SHES GONNA BE VERY BUSY HERE AND WE ALL KNOW KEVIN IS A LOSER AND HAS NOTHING TO DO.THE KIDS HAVE THEM 2 NANNIES THAT TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS.WTG BRIT.U WILL GET THEM BACK WHEN U R READY.IT TOOK A LOT OF COURAGE FOR HER TO MAKE THIS CHOICE.SORRY CAPS BUTTON IS LOCKED LOL
July 18th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
I’m suprised but not shocked. She needs to work on herself and getting herself better before she can be a full time parent to those boys. She’s doing what she thinks is best for her sons and that’s great.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Let me add to that some people have this idea of wanting children because they think it’s great and wonderful 24/7. I remember Britney saying she wanted to be a young mom and have kids early and she did! But I think she really thought it would be all fun and games and well it just can’t be like that all the time. And I also believe that getting pregnant with Jayden wasn’t something planned and snuck up on her very quickly and she wasn’t ready or prepared to have a baby so quickly after Sean Preston. I think that pushed her mental illness over the top imho.
Britney doesn’t have custody of her kids but she still gets the mommy title which is probably what she always wanted without the work? Come on lets face it everybody knows atleast one person (man or woman) who likes the idea of being a parent but doesn’t like the work of being one!! To some people kids are accessories and nothing more. I’m not saying she thought of her kids that way but I would definately say she was not prepared for what it would be like to have kids and realized that perhaps she was just not quite ready for it so soon. I really hope though that Jamie Lynn learns from all this and gives baby Maddie a much different lifestyle then her sister gave for her kids.
July 18th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
I’m not surprised. As Britney has become stabilized on her medication, her thinking has become more clear and she probably realizes that she’s not capable of mothering her children. I think it’s the best choice she could make for her children. If she’s as mentally ill as I think she is (I’m in the mental health field and have seen the signs of mental illness in her for a long time), she won’t be able to carry on her life as she was prior to becoming symptomatic. I don’t feel she’s capable of performing like she did before. Hopefully she’ll be able to find something she can do that makes her feel good about herself.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Britany didn’t “give” full custody to Kevin.
With her mental health issues she was not going to get custody of her sons.
In the future, with treatment..and improvement, they will be back in court modifying the arrangements.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Have some of the people who have posted here been following Britney lately? If they were, they would know that she is no longer partying and is under the constant supervision of her parents as she recovers from her mental problems. She is only six months into that recovery which is way too soon to be thrown into a custody trial next month. People are ignorant when they say that she just wants to keep partying. She hasn’t been doing that in months.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
What’s suprising and rather biased is everyone’s emotional reactions to this. Divorce is divorce, and whether its the mother OR the father leaving the daily parenting routine or visiting the kids instead of living with them – is just as devasting to children. Just because it’s more common for men to receive visitation rights over full custody doesn’t make it less painful or damaging.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
As a mother and a clinical social worker who works with children and families with mental illness, I believe the best decision was made for all those involved. When someone is diagnosed with a mental illness, and in particular, bipolar disorder, you are never “cured” by medication and therapy. Britney was recently diagnosed and it will take effort to achieve balance and stability. In fact, the family will be living with this issue their entire lives. To suggest that as a mother, you could never imagine “giving up” your children, underscores the lack of understanding of mental illness. If only families incapable of providing stability due to diagnosed (and undiagnosed) mental illnesses had the resources Britney and her family does, (although even with this, it was difficult) this world would be a better place.
July 18th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I’m not sure what to think. In my opinion, I don’t think Britney has ever consistently acted like much of a mother.
I dont recall any pictures of her ENJOYING the company of her children.
So only a few really know if it was maturity, or just not wanting to be bothered with them.
My heart just breaks for those two little boys.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
I feel for these little boys, there is no way that I would ever want to be in that situation- as a child or a parent. I have a feeling though that Britney made the right choice, but in my heart of heart feels she is more concerned with having another hit record than being a better mother.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I’m relieved to hear this and honestly not a bit surprised. Britney wanted children 2 1/2 years ago before the birth of Sean Preston… she wanted children but she never wanted the responsibility that came along with being a mother.
It’s sad that it’s come down to this… at least the children will get to see her and know her and maybe some day she will get over herself and get the help she needs to really become the best mother she can be for their sake.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
WOW… some people need to get their fact straight before they attack!! Go read the People article where Britney’s lawyer explains things. It does take courage & maturity to make a difficult decision like this & avoid a nasty trial.
Britney DID NOT GIVE UP HER BOYS! She see’s them 3 times a week now & that will increase with the settlement as well as overnight visits. Plus she will ask for more custody after the consevertorship ends.
Plenty of men don’t have custody of their kids yet they aren’t seen as giving away their kids or uncaring parents. She’s stll supports them almost totally money wise & is responsible for them 3+ times a week. So how exactly is she trying to dodge her motherly responsibilities??
You people that say she was never interested in the boys are dead wrong. Did you forget she was the one not kevin taking care of them during their marriage & AFTER she filed for divorce up until she went to rehab?? If she didn’t care she wouldn’t have bothered.
Why would her boys be mad at her when they grow up?? When she decided what’s best for them & still see’s them multiple times a week.
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I’m sorry but I cannot take the side of the how BRAVE and SELFLESS it was for Britney to give up custody of her children. When has Britney EVER done something selfless??? I don’t think she’s going to start now.
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How about countless, countless times, just with her hands on charity work alone. Unless you now every choice she’s made her entire life. She’s already getting better & grown up.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I think it was a very good and mature move for both of them. You have to think about the kids and whats best for them,not a lot of people do that. Hopefully later on down the road she will get joint custody of them.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Ditto to what “Astrid” said. Britney is mentally ill. She’s not just some immature party-goer. She has been deemed mentally unstable. She is considered so bad off that she is classified as being unable to care for herself and her affairs.
Legally, she did not stand a chance at any form of custody. It wouldn’t surprise me if they’s arranged for supervised visits.
Sadly, it isn’t likely that she will ever regain custody of her children. Even if she gets her mental health problems under control, courts tend not to want to move children around. Jayden is almost 2 yrs old and has been with primarily with his father. The courts aren’t going to uproot these children 5 years from now simply because Britney “may” have gotten herself together. The only way that would happen would be if Kevin decided to GIVE her more or all custody and she’d been deemed mentally and emotionally fit by mental health professionals. I highly doubt Kevin will give up the children…his lifestyle would change drastically without the financial assistance he receives for caring for them.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Funny when a man agrees to the same thing with even less time w/ their kids it’s no big deal. But when it’s a mom they’re horrible baby abandoners, AMAZING!
Rachel K she is “over herself” & is getting the help she needs.
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“I dont recall any pictures of her ENJOYING the company of her children.”
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That is just a plain & simply NOT TRUE. Go look around there are PLENTY of them. A million more than w/ Kevin even during their marriage.
Britney is not the parent out partying & Kevin is. So to say she wants to give them up which she didn’t, to continue her party lifestyle is just not true.
Megan- she better be concerned with having another hit record since it’s her job & she’s nearly %100 the sole support for these boys as well as other members of her family.
How about read the facts before jumping the gun. Her lawyer said this will give her MORE TIME with the babies & the boys are with her right now & will spend the night, eventhough it wasn’t her regular day to do so.
July 18th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I’m not surprised by this at all. I agree that it is what’s best for the boys. Britney still hasn’t gotten her head on straight and needs some more time to do so.
I think it’s great she’s getting more time with them and Kevin wants her to be in their lives. I don’t think she abandoned her boys – I think she is just lost and doesn’t know what to do. Hopefully, she’ll get her life in order and will be able to re-gain full custody some day.
Honestly, I have seen pictures of both Kevin and Britney out and about(partying or whatever it may be) without the boys. Both have that right as parents to be able to go out and have “me time” or attend a party. That really has nothing to do with all this going on, so why it’d be brought up is beyond me. This whole situation came about when Britney’s mental state went down the drain, not because of her party ways.
Anyway – good luck to them all. I pray that some day they’ll have this mess all cleared and Britney is stable and doing wonderfully!
July 18th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
All I have to say is VERY WELL DONE KEVIN! I know I am the last person to think he would be the “better” parent. Knowing only what I have seen on TV an in magazine, I thought he would be out of there when the going got tough. One always hopes for the best and I think we got to see it today. I am proud of him. As a mom, I cant imagine giving up custody…but in her case, it is most likely for the best. I, again, just wanted to say how stand up Kevin has turned out to be. Well Done!
July 18th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
I am amazed how much people seem ready to judge her based on just what is seen in the media. No one here sees what she does every hour of everyday and yet people judge her and put her down based on the media’s view of her. Yes she’s has problems, and yes she hasn’t made the best choices, but lately she seems to be trying to get better and to make things in her life better, and yet people continue to “put her down”.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:09 pm
M-dot, what you are basically saying is that Kevin isn’t that concerned with his children? He doesn’t love them? He’s more concerned with getting money?
July 18th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I CANNOT BELIEVE IT
IM REALLY SURPRISED, I MEAN,,, MAYBE ALL THIS STUFF IS HARD FOR HER BUT MY KIDS ARE MY KIDS AND I WONT LET THEM FOR ANYTHIG IN THE WORDL!!
July 18th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
Blessings and love to the little tykes. Whatever the reasons for the settlement, legal and otherwise, I’m just glad it’s over for now and they have some sort of consistency and stability in their lives. I see Britney with the kids enjoying what time she has and they live with Kevin and are still alive and happy. Given the situation, that’s the best anyone can ask for. Here’s hoping Britney continues to get better and she and Kevin can be adults for those kids and the boys continue to flourish into happy, healthy, contributing members of society.
July 18th, 2008 at 4:36 pm
OMG Totally surprised!
July 18th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
not really all that surprised. consider her mental state… she’s obviously not well enough to care for them full time.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Assuming she does in fact have the mental health issues we hear about (granted, not from the horse’s mouth), it’s a good deal they’ve worked out. Even once a person recognizes their situation and presumably begins a medication/theraphy regimen, most often there are lots of ups and downs still. It takes trail and error and a lot of time for a person to embrace that they have a disease that is permanent and treatable. Having seen it in my own circle, I know a lot of patiens get to a “I’m cured” stage and relapse. You have to accept you need help and always will. I wish the best for Britney, Kevin, the boys, everyone.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I’m somewhat confused by all the posters saying they feel she is making the right “choice”. Honestly, what choice do you think she had?
I’m guessing that her lawyers talked to his lawyers and came up with this deal and they told her it was the best she would get. Had this gone to trial, she WOULD NOT have gotten custody, and quite likely, could have had her visitation time continued to be monitored.
I highly doubt she made a decision that she felt was in the best interest of her children, I think she agreed to a deal because it’s the best she could get.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
This is the best possible decision for those boys. They are safe and secure at their father’s home. He has proven to be a good father. If he wasn’t, he wouldn’t have custody either. His folks help him out and Britney’s folks also visit.
Britney doesn’t want to go to trial and have everything she’s done brought out in public. Not only is she mentally ill, she was on drugs big time. And it is highly unlikely that she would have gotten any kind of custody being under conservatorship. It also doesn’t seem likely that the conservatorship will be lifted any time soon.
As for Seanjay’s comments about her being so motherly, clearly she has not read about the court appointed monitor’s reports that Britney hadn’t bonded with the children. When has anyone ever seen Britney holding or loving on those kids since they were tiny babies? No, what we saw was Britney in high heels, inappropriately dressed with her Publicist at the park. The publicist was the one playing with the children while she stood there. Also, in the past year whenever we’ve seen pictures, the kids were either being driven endlessly around town or playing on the cul-de-sac of Britney’s home, instead of on the grass in the yard.
Britney’s visits are ALL still monitored, the two day visits and the overnight and that hasn’t changed.
It is clearly best that Britney’s life and misdeeds not be further dragged through the mud.
This way the children have the stability that they have at their father’s home. They have ONE nanny and a body guard that goes out when she takes the kids to gymboree, and when the kids go to mom’s. Kevin is almost always there unless he is doing some kind of promotion (whiche he gets paid to do) in Vegas or Miami. Even then, I believe his Mom and Dad stay at the house with the boys if he doesn’t bring them with.
Let Britney get well and go on with her career. Some people, women included just aren’t cut out to be full time parents. Britney seems to be one. Doesn’t mean she loves them any less. She has done the right thing. Dad has influenced her well.
I too see that Jamie Lynn has seen the light and will raise Maddie out of the lime light as much as she can.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
I agree with JM, I think that she didn’t planned to get pregnant with Jayden so soon after Sean P was born, she was so overwhelmed she can even take care of one boy, so less of 2 baby boy.
I feel so sorry for her, and the kids.
I think Kevin is so much happy as Britney will continue to support him.
July 18th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
I am glad to see that Britney is seeming to get her life back on track and that her boys are safe and in a stable family home with their Dad. I personally could never even imagine losing, giving up, or being forced to give my boys up to my hubby or anyone else. I feel for Britney, and I only hope that she is able to remain on the right path while she is going through all of this and enjoy her visits with her boys. Over time, I have no doubt that she is going to get those boys back and give them the stable home life that they need.
Saying that, I really just want to comment on the amount of child support Britney gives Kevin a month for those kids. $20,000, seriously? It wouldn’t cost me that much to raise my boys for a year! It just cracks me up that stars give and get so much for child support and spousal support. Who is their lawyer??
July 18th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
Please note….When you don’t use birth control while having sex you might as well PLAN on getting pregnant. Plain and simple………..
July 18th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Thats bad, i mean when a mother gives up her kids she has given up her life, she might kill her self. i feel for brtt. i would be crazy too wth everyone watching her every move
July 18th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I think Britney did what was best for her boys, however I dont know about Kevin being the “better parent” or more able to handle the situation of raising the boys. IMO, I think both of them should have visitation time and let another family member have custody of them. It seems like he is always gone and nanny’s are raising those boys.
steph
July 18th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
JM, Jamie Lynn doesn’t need to learn from her sister’s mistakes and parenting because she never planned to behave and parent this way. She has her own, great style and she will be just fine
July 18th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
Kate, she really did have no choice. The custody battle was going to be a waste of time considering that she is still under the constant care of her parents. How can someone recovering from a mental illness and is still in the care of “babysitters” going to handle two boys? Her family and her doctors know she is not ready for that responsibility. Heck, she is not even in charge of her finances right now. There was no way the judge was going to give her custody. I am sure that her family and doctors could not testify on good conscious that she was ready either. This really was the best decision for now.
On the subject of Britney being brave, I am not sure I would call her that since we don’t know how who made the decision. Since it is becoming before her conservatorship is suppose to end, I think her parents may have made this decision, not Britney.
July 18th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
Why be so harsh? When a father agrees to the same arrangement and pays child support we praise him.
???????????????????????????????????????????????
July 18th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
i fail to understand how so many people have decided that britney is “giving up her kids,” loves partying more than motherhood, etc. etc all based on some paparazzi pictures. the paparazzi are partly to blame for britney’s breakdown (they climb trees to get pictures of her on her property, block her car, and harass her). their pictures hardly depict britney’s real life or the love she feels for her kids.
no one close to britney (including her ex) has ever said that she doesn’t love or want her children. kevin wouldn’t want her in their lives if he didn’t think she loved the boys. he could have easily cut out all supervision, but he seems to think that britney and the boys need each other.
and for those who seem to rely on pictures for their opinions, britney has recently been photgraphed mostly with her parents and the boys. the boys are cuddling with her, etc. she was also seen buying her niece and sons some baby clothes (oh the scandal!).
July 18th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Congrats to kevin for the boys and for brit getting her life back together for the boys
July 18th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
SeanJay- maybe you misinterpreted my message. While Britney’s career is to be a singer, after she had her boys, I don’t believe she made decisions that were fair to her children. I’m sure she had plenty saved up over her career, it seems now that money has dwindled, and who knows where it is now. I know over the past few months I would have rather seen pictures of her with her boys, playing together or something of that nature, rather than pictures of her stepping out of cars without any undergarments. I’m happy that she has finally made the decision to seek help for herself, and then take care of her boys. But along the way she could have handled things differently..
July 18th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
SeanJay — It’s funny you should mention that Britney’s the parent enjoying the company of her children because there are far more pictures of her with the children than there are of kevin with them…
and yet you say Britney is not the partying parent, Kevin is when there is photographic evidence to support that Britney is indeed the parent who parties far more often than Kevin… at least she has been since the birth of Jayden. Britney has been photographed 100x more than Kevin in ANY situation in the past year and a half… including put her children in danger. Just because Kevin’s not in the pictures doesn’t mean Kevin isn’t spending time with his children… just means the paparazzi aren’t getting to see it. In fact the photo above is from a family trip to the zoo with Kevin and all of the children.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
I have to admire Britney. My husband and I just recieved sole custody of his son. His mother has never done the right thing for her kids and after a long court battle, it was proven that she is incompetent to provide a stable environment with the stability that a child needs. For her, it was all about the money and in the end, it came back to bite her. Had she been selfless, like Britney, things may be different. I applaud Britney for the courage to do the right thing for the innocent children involved. It proves she is not all about herself and regardless of what you all think, she has done what is best for her precious babies. In time, she will be able to be the mother she wants to be and the mother they deserve. Until then, she can’t be anything to anyone else until she is healthy and stable. Good luck Britney and continue to show your babies the love we all know you have for them.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
I feel that this entire CBB post is biast. It doesn’t even give the full details of the settlement or any quotes from Britney’s lawyer, just Kevin’s. You people are acting like Britney gave up custody & gave her boys away! That is simply NOT THE CASE!
Her lawyer said with this agreement she gets to see the boy’s alot more than she does now. 3 days a week + 2 overnight visits. How is seeing her kids 5 days a week abandonment or giving them away???? Her lawyer said she will be with the boys %40 of the time, with a chance to get more time & custody after the conservatorship ends.
She hasn’t had any custody since last year & would not get it at trial in a month. She could’ve actually lost the visitation she has if she went to trial.
Molly-I disagree. Britney didn’t get pregnant at 16. JamieLynn is still a child & she can still learn from her sister’s mistakes a well as other peoples. There is no proof that she’ll be just fine. I’m sure Britney thought the same thing. Jamie Lynn’s style has nothing to do with it.
DSMOM-You don’t know if they uses birth control or not, it doesn’t wok all the time.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
I’m surprised because I though this whole trial was to fight to get her kids back! But, maybe she is trying to get better and feels this is for the best for now, which then I would think is good.
However, What is so wrong with sharing custody? Wouldn’t that have been the smartest choice, especially for the boys to equally see their mom and dad?
July 18th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
AYLA- You ARE WRONG plain & simple. Who cares how she dressed at the park? How many pics have you seen with K-Fed at the park with the kids? Atleast she was there with them. The parent moniter despite the negeative comments said the boys were bonded to their mother & she loved them & they her. You are attacking her for playing with the boys on her culdesac?? Plenty of people do that. She doesn’t have a yard that’s why she moving. There are plenty of pictures of her with them in the back yard & pool. Yes her visits are monitored, but she’s still caring for them & spending time w/ them.
There are countless pictures of Britney “loving” her boys since they were tiny babies. To say there are no pics out there is crazy & proves you haven’t bothered to pay attention to all the facts, just & you just go by the negative media BS. There are seriouly hundreds of sweet pictures with Britney & her boys especially Preston since they were born.
You know there was life before she went to rehab. Also were is your proof she was a huge drug addict?
July 18th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
ditto to Astrid24 and Kate. you two are speaking some real sense.
July 18th, 2008 at 11:58 pm
I’m actually not surprised. Although Britney seems to be getting her life somewhat back in order, she has a long way to go…but it’s a step in the right direction. Those precious little boys need stability and I truly hope that the Federline home is giving that to them. The sweet picture posted of the boys is a welcome sight. I still cannot get that one pap picture out of my mind of a tiny little Sean Preston comforting an even tinier Jayden James in the back seat while Britney was driving. That picture has haunted me since the day I saw it. But, I’m truly praying for Britney to get better for herself and for those two precious boys. The whole story just saddens me and I pray for happier days ahead for them all.
July 19th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Rachel K.- Actually, Kevin wasn’t on the zoo trip. According to the post about it here on CBB, the boys (along with Kori and Kaleb) were accompanied by a nanny, a bodyguard, and K-Fed’s mom. That said, I have heard that the reason Kevin isn’t seen out in public with the boys is, in fact, because of the paps. He knows what a media frenzy it would be if he went out with Sean and Jayden (just like it always was when Britney went out with them). While they do still get photographed by paps while out with the nanny, the paparazzi attention isn’t nearly as much as it would be if Kevin were there.
Also, I think what SeanJay was trying to say is that RIGHT NOW Britney is not the “partying parent”. As Dawn pointed out, she actually hasn’t been out partying lately. She actually can’t party right now, because her dad goes with her everywhere she goes.
As far as pictures of Britney “enjoying” the boys…There are plenty of them! For example, there is an adorable picture of her kissing Jayden when he was a baby.
July 19th, 2008 at 1:55 am
I’m confused, from what I read for an above post Kevin doesn’t go out with the kids in public because of the paps?
He apparently has no problem letting family members and nannies take them out and have the paps take snaps of them? He better start getting used to that kind of stuff then since other celebs go through it and deal with it.
July 19th, 2008 at 2:28 am
Is it only me that thinks Britney has to pay a lot of child supporte?
Anyways, I think this is a great arrangement for Britney, Kevin and the boys. But I do wish Britney can be a bigger part of their lives later on, when she might’ve sorted herself out!
July 19th, 2008 at 3:21 am
Jen, do yoy know Kevin personally? I doubt it. You can’t judge some one’s character by random stories on gossip pages.It seems to me that people take what celebrity gossip pages report as truth.
July 19th, 2008 at 3:44 am
By giving Kevin full custody Britney will have more time with the boys. And that’s what it’s all about. She wouldn’t have won the case (going to court) because of her current situation. And I’m sure her lawywer explained it to her. (But I think she will start fighting when she is doing better!)
Her Lawyer Laura Wasser even confirmed it. They hammered out a deal. Britney agrees to give Kevin sole custody but in return she gets extended visitation rights. If everything goes according to plan (the court still has to agree) Britney will be caring for her little boys about 40 percent of the time. And that’s a great deal for Britney. It is important that she gets to spend as much time with them as possible and not that she gets legal custody.
I can’t understand why people don’t see that. But again it’s Britney. So people just say that she gave up her kids because she doesn’t love them enough or doesn’t want to take care of them. When in fact she did everything to get more time with them.
Britney I applaud you!
July 19th, 2008 at 4:04 am
This isn’t so much a criticism of anyone, Britney or Kevin, but I wonder the outcome if there hadn’t been so much money involved. It does not take $20000 a month to raise two little boys and Kevin should feel priviliged that he is able to take this kind of money from the children’s mother. I guess we’d really find out who was interested in the boy’s ‘best interests’ if there was no money and no publicity involved. It would be curious to see how different the situation.
I hope the boys do not suffer for this arrangement and that there is no resentment of either parent for the way things have turned out, for any reason. I believe that neither parent is the way they have been portrayed in the media and that the next few years will really define them. I hope that Britney IS able to gain more custody and time with her sons because this would be the best thing for them.
July 19th, 2008 at 5:57 am
Something I find odd…
Why does Brit need to pay $20,000 in child support? Surely SP and Jayden don’t need all of that? Isn’t child support normally a mear $100 or something around that price? $20,000 seems a stupid amount of money. I hope K-Fed puts this away for the boys in saving accounts rather than going silly with the things he buys for them.
As for the full custody, well Britney already has the boys like 2/3 times a week with a sleepover, right? So in affect she’s still got them for the same amount of time you would in a shared custody agreement. Hopefully, when Brit is fully better she will be able to apply for shared custody of Preston and Jayden.
Ayla – If you’ve ever popped over to X17online.com [a photography agency] there are loads of “stalkeratzzi” shots of Britney playing with her boys in both their back yard and the street they live on. Britney has been seen kissing, snuggling, cuddling, feeding and playing with the boys. At one point she even climbed inside a toy car and rode alongside Sean Preston – and when Jayden hurt himself she was the first one there to pick him up and stop his tears. She clearly adores her boys and by giving full custody to Kevin she knows she is doing the best by them – it’s going to be so hard for her but she knows it’s whats best for SP and JJ at the moment. In none of the pictures I’ve talked about did Britney know they were being taken [they were taken from behind trees, tops of roofs etc].
Kevin doesn’t take the children out in public because he doesn’t like them being photographed by the paps, yet ironically he will allow the children [and his eldest two] out with their nannys all the time. There’s loads of pictures of the boys being taken to a child’s gym by the nanny, the pictures from the farm and pictures of the same nanny playing with the boys outside of Kev’s home.
Since the events with Britney earlier this year, she hasn’t been seen out partying at all – but Kevin has. Brit’s the one snapped playing and caring for her babies whereas Kev’s never seen with them. Surely as a dad you would take your children out to the park or zoo etc regardless of the amount of paps there – Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have taken all of their children [before the twins were born] out together [Ange did it on her own too] and they’ve defiantly got a huge [if not bigger] pap following like Britney and K-Fed.
With the amount of bodyguards that Kev can afford, there’s no reason why the children shouldn’t be taken out with him.
As for having a nanny, I don’t agree to nannys all the time – yes when he is working/when Brit is working but not to have all the time.
July 19th, 2008 at 6:35 am
The judge must have felt it was the best situation. I always find it ironic that the people who are saying Britney isn’t out partying and is on the right track say others dont know what she is really like. Really? Well the people who say she isn’t don either unless they are with her 24 hours a day. As long as her children are well taken care of and loved that is what matters.
And while I dont know Britney Spears ( and if this gets me booted oh well-never been a fan), she HAS made a living being in the spotlight. And for some celebs there is good and bad with that. Like it or not, that is the way it is.
July 19th, 2008 at 7:50 am
i find most of these comments sexist and biased against fathers. why can’t a father have sole custody of children, and a mother have visitation? if that’s what’s best in a situation, then what does it matter that the mother has “given up” her custody? don’t all parents put their children before themselves? mothers don’t own children by virtue of giving birth to them. Kevin Federline is the more responsible parent right now, in the eyes of the law, and it is justice for him to be the legal caretaker of the children.
July 19th, 2008 at 7:50 am
Those posters insinuating that K-Fed is only interested in custody of his children for the money should give the guy a break. His ex-wife Shar Jackson has repeatedly said he is an excellent father (and that is after he cheated on her when she was pregnant with Kaleb, so I doubt she’d be laying on the compliments if it wasn’t true). When he married Britney he was criticised for sponging off her. He attempted his own career and got panned and ridiculed. He was blamed for the marriage split and Britney’s previous erratic behaviour. Then, when it was clear his wife was mentally ill, he took responsibility for his children – as ANY good parent would – and was fully backed by Britney’s mother when he went for custody. And then he gets accused of going for custody just for the child support!! What would you expect him to do? Leave his children in welfare? Or with Britney? And sure, $20,000 is a lot of money, but his wife’s profile means he has to hire bodyguards and have security measures in place, and why shouldn’t he have a nanny to help him look after two babies? Two under three is hard work and she has the money, so she should pay for a nanny to help him out. It’s not like I’m his biggest fan, but some people are so harsh and I really feel for K-Fed. I think he’s done the right thing looking after his children and it’s much nicer to assume he loves them rather than he’s looking at them like a meal ticket.
July 19th, 2008 at 8:26 am
I could be wrong but I believe child support is based on the non-custodial parent’s income, not necessarily how much is truly needed to take care of the children. $20,000 a month seems excessive but remember that Russell Simmons was recently ordered to pay $20,000 per month FOR EACH CHILD to Kimora — who is a multimillionaire herself.
I can’t see Britney regaining custody anytime soon. Bless her heart but she still needs her father to look after her. She certainly can’t be responsible for two small children. It’s not like she won’t see the boys anyway. They will grow up seeing their mother often, and although they won’t live with her they probably won’t remember things being any other way.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:21 am
It amazes me how many of you are jumping to Britney’s defense and putting her up on a pedestal when you have NO idea what is going on in her head or what happened in the courtroom. None whatsoever. It doesn’t seem to have occurred to any but a few of you that maybe she didn’t want to care for her boys and maybe it had nothing to do with her needing to “get better”. How long does someone with her resources need to “get better: for her kids? You know what other depressed, stressed moms do? They get help however they can, or if they can’t or won’t, they suck it up and do the best they can for their kids. Britney is a multi-millionaire. She has choices most people could only dream of. No one forced her to be in the public eye and stay in L.A. SHe could have retreated to Louisiana and become more anonymous and focus on her family, but she CHOSE to stay in La La Land and be in the public eye. Doesn’t sound like someone serious or mature enough to raise kids, and I don’t see anything BRAVE about what she did and continues to do in her personal life. SHe has not made any wise or selfless choices that I can see. If she had, she’d be a lot better off than she is now. She would not still be “unwell”. I don’t buy it. The woman did what she wanted to against everyone’s advice and is extremely stubborn and selfish at the expense of her kids. Someday she’ll get it together I’m sure, but how many more caprices she will fulfill in the meantime remains to be seen. I, for one, don’t think this is anything to be commended.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:47 am
I’m not suprised. Regardless of her mental state, I think from day one she has not been interested in being a full time mom. As much as she claimed she wanted to be a young mom, I think she changed her mind after she realized how much work is involved. Unfortunately, the fantasy of having children and the reality of having children are quite different. If you are not mature enough, the reality of the situation is too much to handle.
July 19th, 2008 at 10:15 am
my aunt had to give up custody to her sister, my mum, because of her mental illness… it was a rough time and hasn’t become easier since she would always threaten to regain it when she felt better.
I know how hard such a decision must be and I hope everything will turn out well.
Wishing only the best to Britney and her children and hope, Mr. Federline will be able to do his best
)
July 19th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Sadie…well-said! I’m not a big K-Fed fan, but I agree that in the public’s eye he’s in a no-win situation. You summed it up perfectly.
July 19th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
I’m certainly surprised by her decision but respect it. She’s doing what’s in the best interest of her children. I wish them all the best!!
July 19th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
I’am shocked that she agreed to give him full custody because up to this point Britney has been very selfish and did things for herself. It’s nice to see her take a different approach and think about her two adorable babies. Although I don’t think Kevin is the greatest dad and I have my doubts it’s not just about the money or a put on for the public eye. I hope these 2 continue to think of whats best for the boys instead of themselves and get along from now on.
July 19th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Everyone is saying that she made the best decision for her CHILDREN, but at the same time, it is very possible that she made the best decision for HERSELF. Her mental issues aside, it is possible that Britney doesn’t want fully custody of the boys. Maybe she found out just how much work it is and decided full-time motherhood just isn’t for her, at least right now. The whole “custody” battle could, for all we know, really have been about child support. I don’t doubt for a second that she does want to be in their lives and see them on a regular basis, but that may be all she wants. We don’t know. We aren’t there, and we certainly don’t know the complete story.
July 19th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Glad to see this has been resolved, so things can settle down. It seems she has a mental illness, and needs to be stable with that before co-parenting any further than she is now. The conservatorship, no matter how scary the thought must have seemed to her, seems to have helped her get to a more somewhat stable place. Who’s to say how this decision came to place? We have no idea if she was forced, gung-ho agreed, reluctantly agreed, etc. Either way, I don’t get why a father with full-custody, and the mother having 3 days of visitation a week equates to “she gave up her kids.” That’s a pretty horrible thing to say, not to mention overly-dramatic!!! Kevin seems to be very caring about the kids, and of Britney, considering he hasn’t exploited her to the magazines, and has repeatedly stated he would like her to be able to co-parent someday. I don’t think he’s in it for the $$. Even though he left Shar Jackson for Britney, Shar has always had wonderful things to say about him as a father, so those comments seem mean-sprited.
July 19th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Renee, please don’t point the famous “stop judging” finger in my direction this time. I was wondering when my time would come here…lol! I’m just saying that if he is scared of photos being taken of him with the boys then he better get used to it. Other celebs don’t like it and they have to deal with it and find ways to make a sort of friendship with the paps.
It seems to ME that not all of us who post here are bad guys, btw. Please don’t take that as an “attack” or a “judgemental” comment. No need to reply, I’m not interested in continuing this comment discussion.
July 19th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Sadie, don’t forget that when Britney’s mother backed up Kevin on the children’s custody, it was at that time when Britney wouldn’t allow her to see the children, but Kevin did. So of course she would rather join his side so she can continue seeing her grandchildren.
July 19th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Letting her children live with their father in a stable environment is the best sign that she is a great mom.
She did what is best for them.
Good job.
July 19th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Miss R, ditto.
July 19th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
All I can say to this is: These poor, poor little boys, who have absolutely NO say in all of this! They deserve SO much better! My heart goes out to them.
July 19th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Child support is based on the income of the non-custodial parent. It’s a formula as simple as that. I don’t know what the percentage is in California, but in New York it’s 18 percent for 1 child, 25 percent for two children, etc. Of course the award can be adjusted up or down based on myriad of circumstances. It’s no surprise to me that a wealthy celebrity would have to pay more money than say someone who worked for Burger King. It’s not based on how much you “really” need to raise a child. Just because someone can raise a child making $20,000 per year doesn’t mean it will apply to every family. Child support judgments are not emotional and they are not about perceptions. Judges look at proof of income which both parents have to supply to the judge. Kevin did nothing wrong as far as I’m concerned regarding the child support judgement.
Also, most family court judges are not stupid and take very seriously the task of deciding which parent a child or children is better off with long-term. I believe the right decision was made for Sean and Jayden. Kevin is not a perfect father, but he is a good father and I trust the judge didn’t make that assessment based on trivial reasons.
Also, because Sean and Jayden had their own assigned family court attorney. The judges take what that attorney has to say very seriously as they do not represent the parents in any way. I’m sure Kevin, despite a few nights partying, proved to the children’s attorney, the children’s therapist, and the judge that he is the better parent.
I believe Britney behaved very poorly when she was asked to comply with drug testing and attending court-ordered therapy and displayed a sense of entitlement and lack of respect for the family court judge and it did a lot of damage to her case even with all her recent improvements. I think judges want to see parents do every and anything to improve their relationship with their children and improve their lives and Britney made a big misstep in that area. You have your family court judge for life, unless that judge is promoted, moved to another court, or dies. In highly contested custody cases you do not want to get on the judges bad side and should comply with their orders especially if you do have a substance abuse problem.
I wish Britney much luck and a renewed relationship with her children. But I don’t believe she is or was ever ready to be a parent.
July 19th, 2008 at 10:27 pm
I understand he needs money to take care of the kids and stuff but why does he need $20,000 a month?! My dad paid $400 for me and my sister… I understand theres a pay difference as far as what my dad does and what Britney does but COME ON!!! How bout you don’t buy the kids Gucci outfits or whatever you would spend that kind of money on!! Just an idea!
July 19th, 2008 at 10:32 pm
I already posted way above but I couldn’t help but do it again.
Sarah- You mentioned that all of us commending Britney have no idea what went on in the courtroom but then went on to say she may have given up custody because she doesn’t want to care for her boys etc. Well, like you said we weren’t in the courtroom so how do you know why she did it? The argument works the same both ways. Very few of us, myself included, know how devasating mental illness can be. I think it’s hard to say what a person should or should not be doing until we fully undersatnd their illness. Also to everyone saying she did what was best for her and not the boys because she’s selfish etc… she didn’t want to be a Mom b/c of the full time work..etc.. well if that’s the case then she DID do what was best for the boys. They don’t need to be with someone who doesn’t want to take care of them. So no matter how you look at it whether pro or anti Britney, what she did was still what’s best. Children should be with someone who want to love them and care for them. (Not saying that Britney does not)
July 20th, 2008 at 12:43 am
Why did these two have kids??
Neither are mature enough to handle the huge responsibility. They were not ready or marriage let alone children.
Her two children are going to be pretty messed up. They don’t deserve this.
July 20th, 2008 at 1:40 am
Ditto what Sadie said.
The amount of child support that is determined is so the child(ren)’s standard of living stays the same after a divorce. Not only does it have to help out with shelter, food, clothing, but it also means security and nannies in this case.
July 20th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Wow I am so surprised she would give Kevin sole custody. If Britney continues on the path that she has been going, I think they should have tried to work out on a joint custody schedule but thats just my opinion. I hope Britney still remains a part of her sons’ lives and turns her life around, eventually on her own terms.
July 20th, 2008 at 3:55 am
It’s just very sad. I hope the kids can be fully reunited with their mother soon!
July 20th, 2008 at 3:56 am
It’s just very sad. I hope the kids can be fully reunited with their mother soon!
July 24th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
I’m surprised she gave up custody, I could never imagine willing handling over two babies to their father. I would feel as a mom, I wanna be with them as much as possible, but I think she knew with her history she didn’t have a good chance of getting them again. She reminds me of tatum o neal that lost custody of her kids since they were very young, and never got custody again just visition rights. Too bad her life got so out of control, her boys are so beautiful and I’ve always been a britney fan.
August 1st, 2008 at 3:14 pm
OMG>>>>!! I have Britney Spears phone number 586 524 3723
August 14th, 2008 at 9:02 am
Kevin is such a LEECH and a LOSER. Oh, so Brit parties but he doesn’t?!!! Yeah, right. WHY DIDN’T HE FIGHT FOR HIS BLACK KIDS? b/c it’s all about the money and nothing more!!!
October 9th, 2008 at 10:41 am
I THINK BRITNEY SPEARS SHOULD HAVE FULL CUSTODY BECAUSE SHE IS A GREAT PERSON SHE JUST NEEDS HELP LOOKING AFTER THEM.