After the Princess of Pop was arrested for driving under the influence in California, a source close to the singer has spoken out about what allegedly sent her into a “downhill” spiral.
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Britney was detained by California Highway Patrol in Ventura County on Wednesday evening (March 4). She was booked at 3:02 a.m. the following day and ultimately released three hours later.
Highlights
- Britney Spears was arrested for DUI after reckless driving in California on Wednesday.
- Kevin Federline’s memoir deeply hurt Britney and triggered a “downhill” spiral, a source said.
- Britney previously accused her ex of exploiting her pain and making false damaging claims in his memoir.
The Baby One More Time hitmaker had been driving recklessly before being pulled over, with a California Highway Patrol officer reporting a “black BMW sedan in and out of lanes… speeding.”
Image credits: Britney Spears
Britney was alone and did not sustain any injuries. She is scheduled to appear in court on May 4.
An insider told Page Six that Kevin Federline’s bombshell memoir, You Thought You Knew, was the straw that broke the camel’s back for Britney.
“It was the Kevin book that really sent her over the edge, and it’s been downhill from there. It really impacted her emotionally,” the source said of the memoir by Britney’s ex.
Image credits: Britney Spears
“But the truth is, this has been going on for a while,” they noted. “Her behavior has become increasingly erratic in recent months. She goes from being fine to being not.”
The insider claims Kevin “used” and “ruined” Britney to profit from book sales.
The 44-year-old songstress allegedly “feels like she gave Kevin everything that he wanted over the years” and paid him “so much money,” but he still “exploited her” with his memoir.
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“And that was a really hard pill to swallow; it absolutely k*lled her that someone would want to damage her so much,” the source added.
Britney and Kevin, a backup dancer, got married in September 2004. They welcomed two sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, before separating in 2006.
In his memoir, the 47-year-old made several damaging accusations against his ex-wife. He claimed that Britney took hard substances while breastfeeding their children and was aggressive toward them.
Image credits: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
He also accused her of exhibiting erratic behavior. According to the book, released last October, their sons “would awaken sometimes at night to find Britney standing silently in the doorway, watching them sleep with a knife in her hand.”
Kevin held primary custody of their children for 17 years while Britney was under the strict conservatorship led by her father.
Image credits: Amazon
In a lengthy statement on X, the Womanizer singer blasted the memoir, accusing her ex-husband of lying and “profiting off [her] pain.”
“If you really love someone then you don’t help them by humiliating them,” she penned.
“What scared me was how serious and angry he got, people have no idea, it is way worse than anyone could imagine…The boy hates me and it is deep anger to literally say the things he is saying.”
She added, “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.”
Image credits: Michael Buckner/Variety/Getty Images
After her arrest, Britney was reportedly taken to the hospital so officials could determine her blood alc*hol content.
The pop star allegedly told police officers that it was at .06 percent. While the legal limit in California is .08, a person can still be charged with DUI if their driving is considered erratic and dangerous enough to themselves or others.
Cade Hudson, Britney’s manager of four years, described the incident as “completely inexcusable.”
Image credits: djvlad
Image credits: Britney Spears
The manager said the Piece of Me singer “is going to take the right steps and comply with the law, and hopefully this can be the first step in a long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life."
Additionally, Cade expressed hope that Britney will get “the help and support she needs during this difficult time.”
Britney’s DUI incident comes after she was allegedly seen swerving between lanes in October 2025 after leaving a restaurant. She also drifted into a bike lane and made a tire-screeching U-turn, Page Six reported.
Image credits: Britney Spears
The superstar later took to social media to claim the video actually showed a “lookalike.”
Britney released her last studio album, Glory, ten years ago. In January, she teased that she would be performing in the UK and Australia but said her home country would not be part of the tour due to “extremely sensitive reasons,” without offering further clarification.
